Comparison

Speller Chess vs PocketPGN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Speller Chess

This game offers a simplified chess experience for two players on a single device, designed for individuals with fine motor challenges. It minimizes distractions to enhance focus on gameplay, with a straightforward move system and a manual reset for game completion.

Highlights
  • Large board for two players on one device
  • Minimal distractions for focus
  • Simple click-to-move piece selection
  • Manual game reset option
Features
Read full description

Speller Chess is an app designed for people who have fine motor difficulties. It features a large board for two players, so two people can play at the same time on one device. It is also designed to have as few distractions as possible, so that players can focus on the game. To move pieces, click on the piece you want to move, then click on the square you want to move that piece to. To unselect a piece, simply click it again. As of now, there is no check or checkmate added, so click the "reset game" button when one player wins.

About

PocketPGN

Features
Read full description

PocketPGN is the ultimate minimalist chess companion, designed for pure calculation and focus. Step away from the noise, notifications, and clutter of traditional chess apps, and immerse yourself in a beautifully crafted environment made specifically for studying and organizing your chess games. Whether you are analyzing a complex endgame, reviewing your own tournament games, or studying classic master brilliancies, PocketPGN provides a distraction-free board that lets your mind do the work. CORE FEATURES • Minimalist, Distraction-Free Design: No ads, no social feeds, just you and the board. • Organize Your Repertoire: Create folders to manage your openings, endgames, and master games. • Seamless Integrations: Import your games instantly using just your Lichess or Chess.com username. • Powerful PGN Parsing: Fully supports complex variations, comments, and nested sub-lines. • Beautiful Image Exports: Share any position as a stunning, high-resolution image with your friends or coaches. • Free Customization: Multiple gorgeous board colors (Brown, Blue Grey, Midnight Blue) and premium piece sets included completely free. POCKETPGN PRO Take your study to the next level with a single, one-time purchase. No subscriptions, ever. • Unlimited Storage: Bypass the free tier limits and store thousands of games and folders. • iCloud Sync: Securely backup and restore your entire library across all your iOS devices. • Bulk Match Import: Import up to 50 games at once directly from your online match history. • Clean Image Exports: Remove watermarks from all your exported board images. Elevate your chess study today with PocketPGN.

Screenshots

Speller Chess1 screens
PocketPGN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Speller Chess at fortnightly against PocketPGN's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Speller Chess ships an update fortnightly, PocketPGN every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Speller Chess versus PocketPGN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeller ChessPocketPGN
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYanling WangAPPXIDIAN LABS

In-app purchases

None

Speller Chess

No in-app purchases

None

PocketPGN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Speller Chess free?
Speller Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PocketPGN free?
PocketPGN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Speller Chess or PocketPGN have ads?
Neither Speller Chess nor PocketPGN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speller Chess or PocketPGN?
Speller Chess ships an update fortnightly, and PocketPGN every 5 weeks. Most recently, Speller Chess was updated on November 3, 2026 and PocketPGN on October 25, 2026.

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