Comparison

Chess Scanner vs Notation Master

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

Head to head
About

Chess Scanner

Digitize your chess games by scanning score sheets. Extract moves, correct errors with suggestions, and export games as PGN. Analyze your games on Lichess or Chess.com.

Highlights
  • Scan chess score sheets
  • Digitize games from images
  • Correct recognized moves
  • Export games as PGN
  • Analyze in Lichess/Chess.com
  • Categorize games by tournament
Features
Read full description

Scan your score sheets to digitize your chess games. The texts gets extracted from the score sheet to generate the game. An overview presents the score sheet with the generated moves. If moves were not correctly recognized, you can easily correct them using move suggestions. Afterward, you have the option to categorize the games into a tournament, analyze them in Lichess/Chess.com, or export them as a PGN file. Score sheets can be captured either with the integrated scanner or selected from the gallery. The score sheet is directly extracted from the image. The score sheets can be specified for both the White and Black players, which is particularly convenient from the tournament director's perspective. When generating the game, both versions are considered. Up to two score sheets can be specified per player. The game can be generated directly after scanning the score sheets. Alternatively, you also have the option to manually overlay the move grid. Supported notations: - English: N/B/R/Q/K - German: S/L/T/D/K - Dutch: P/L/T/D/K - Spanish / Italian: C/A/T/D/R - French: C/F/T/D/R - Portuguese: C/B/T/D/R - Czech / Slovak: J/S/V/D/K - Turkish: A/F/K/V/Ş It is possible to specify other notations as well, but these are analyzed based on a model of already supported notation. Therefore, text recognition may be less accurate in such cases. For game generation, the score sheets are sent to our servers. The time required for generation may vary depending on the legibility of the score sheet, length of the game, and internet connection. Typically, this ranges between 1 and 10 seconds. An overview displays the columns of the score sheet with the generated moves. The background color of each move indicates the likelihood of the move. Tapping on a move takes you directly to the corresponding chess position, where move alternatives are also suggested. If moves were not correctly recognized, you can quickly and easily correct them using move suggestions. These are arranged based on probabilities and can be further narrowed down using a filter on the piece to be moved. After making a change, you can regenerate the game from the current move. An overall overview displays all entered games. You can filter games by tournament, round, and favorites. Additionally, there is a search field allowing you to filter games by players or game descriptions. Filtered games or individual games can be exported as a PGN file. In the settings, you can specify which data the PGN file should contain, such as tournament, round, date, etc. Additional games can be imported into the app via PGN files. To analyze the games, they can be opened directly in Lichess and Chess.com. With Premium: - Adding score sheets of the second player - Open Games in Lichess and Chess.com - PGN Export - Cloud synchronisation of games - Unlimited chessboard scans If you would like to share any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to send an email to: steffen@chessscanner.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://chessscanner.com/eula

About

Notation Master

Effortlessly convert handwritten chess notation into digital PGN files using AI. Upload your games directly to platforms like Chess.com and Lichess.org for easy analysis and sharing.

Highlights
  • Instant chess notation scanning
  • AI-powered PGN conversion
  • Direct upload to Chess.com & Lichess.org
  • Save and share game records
  • Supports tournament and casual games
Read full description

From Paper to PGN – Instantly! Tired of manually entering your chess games? Notation Master is the ultimate tool for chess players, coaches, and tournament participants! Simply take a photo of your notation sheet, and our advanced AI will convert it into a digital PGN file. You can then send it directly to your Chess.com or Lichess.org account, making it easy to review, analyze, and improve your gameplay. Key Features: Instant Chess Notation Scanning – Snap a photo and let AI do the rest! PGN Conversion – Get your chess games in digital PGN format. Direct Upload – Send games seamlessly to Chess.com & Lichess.org. Accurate & Fast – Works for tournament sheets and casual game records. Save & Share – Store your games or share with friends and coaches. Perfect for: Chess players & enthusiasts Coaches analyzing student games Tournament players keeping digital records Anyone who wants to digitize and store their chess matches Download Notation Master today and bring your chess games to the digital world with one click!

Screenshots

Chess Scanner4 screens
Notation Master4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Notation Master at free against Chess Scanner's freemium. Notation Master also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Chess Scanner's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (18 vs 3). 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. Chess Scanner sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Notation Master sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Scanner has 18 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Scanner ships an update every 2 weeks, Notation Master weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chess Scanner versus Notation Master: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ScannerNotation Master
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (18 ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteffen Ratzke von StoyentinJoseph Lee

Customer experience

Chess Scanner

All ratings16 ratings
Positive68.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative31.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Notation Master

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Chess Scanner

Subscriptions5
  • Weekly Plan3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan$4.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Plan$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan2 variants$22.991 Year
2 purchases

Notation Master

One-time2
  • 10 Credits$0.99
  • 25 Credits$1.99

Questions

Is Chess Scanner free?
Chess Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notation Master free?
Notation Master is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess Scanner or Notation Master?
Chess Scanner is rated higher. Chess Scanner averages 4.0 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Notation Master averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Chess Scanner or Notation Master have ads?
Neither Chess Scanner nor Notation Master shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Scanner or Notation Master?
Chess Scanner ships an update every 2 weeks, and Notation Master weekly. Most recently, Chess Scanner was updated on September 17, 2026 and Notation Master on September 15, 2026.

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