Comparison

Elite Chess Database vs ChessLift

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

Head to head
About

Elite Chess Database

Explore and analyze vast chess game databases, including games from top-ranked players and annotated matches. Solve puzzles for all skill levels and receive instant verification of your solutions. The app offers extensive customization and beautiful graphics for an engaging experience.

Highlights
  • View and analyze chess game databases
  • Access elite human games (2400+ Elo)
  • Study annotated chess games
  • Solve puzzles with mate challenges
  • Analyze games for best moves and blunders
  • Bookmark and add notes to games
  • Search and filter games by multiple factors
Features
Read full description

This app is for viewing, studying, analysing chess game databases and solving puzzles. It comes with some databases: - Elite database: chess games of human very high ranks, from 2400 Elo. All games are checked, and verified to eliminate errors and redundancies. Player names are checked, standardised too - Annotated games: almost all interesting games with annotations on the Internet. We believe it is the largest collection of annotated games so far - Puzzles with mates from 1 to 9: suitable for all players’ levels, for enjoying as well as for practising. Users can try to solve them and then ask the app to verify their solutions Users could analyse any game for computing information, best moves and for finding blunders. The total of all games and puzzles is huge. A typical human can’t watch and/or solve them all in their whole lives. On one hand, the app becomes the source of unlimited fun, keep every time they get new games to study and enjoy, and new puzzles to solve. On another hand, a huge number of games challenge users to use them efficiently and enjoyably. To help users deal with that huge number of games/puzzles, the app provides redundant ways, from auto-mark visited games, to bookmarking and adding notes to games. Users can search, filter games by many factors, and watch opening trees. It also provides a lot of statistics with many links/buttons to access them conveniently. Our app is very easy to use. Almost all functions are straightforward, users can use them without needing help. Functions are tested carefully for bugs and logical and convenient use. Features are redundant. The whole app is highly customisable. The graphics are very beautiful too.

About

ChessLift

Features
Read full description

Master Chess Openings Faster and Smarter Unlock the secrets of strong opening play and take your chess to the next level. This app is designed for players of all levels who want to understand why openings work—not just memorize moves. Whether you're a complete beginner or an improving club player, you’ll learn to start every game with confidence, clarity, and a solid plan. This is your complete opening trainer: structured lessons, guided practice, real-game examples, and smart repetition that helps you remember lines naturally. Why Learn Openings With This App? Chess openings are the foundation of every game. A strong opening: - Saves you from early blunders - Gives you active, well-placed pieces - Helps you understand plans and typical ideas - Leads to better middlegames and more wins This app teaches you the principles behind every move, so you’re never memorizing blindly. You’ll learn ideas, motifs, tactical patterns, and strategic plans that appear repeatedly in real games. Key Features - Guided Lessons for Every Skill Level Clear explanations that show what each move does, common goals, and pitfalls to avoid. Perfect for beginners and intermediates. - Popular Openings and Variations Learn the most important and practical openings, including: - Italian Game - Ruy Lopez - Sicilian Defense - French Defense - Caro-Kann - Queen’s Gambit - King’s Indian Defense - London System - Scandinavian Defense …and many more. - Principles Over Memorization Instead of forcing long, complex lines, the app focuses on: - Key ideas for each opening - Typical middlegame plans - Model games explained step by step - Tactical themes that regularly occur - Smart Practice Mode Train openings the same way strong players do. Repetition helps you build instinct, recognize patterns faster, and remember your repertoire naturally. - Personalized Training The app tracks your progress, identifies weak openings, and guides you toward what to practice next. - Progress Tracking & Statistics See your improvement over time and gain insight into which openings give you the best results. - Real Position Drills Solve puzzles and play through key moments taken from real games to reinforce understanding. Built for Real Improvement The goal is simple: help you play better chess in actual games. No complicated theory, no overwhelming lines—just clear, practical instruction. Perfect For: - Beginners who want a solid starting point - Intermediate players stuck in opening traps - Casual players who want to win more online games - Club players wanting a clean, structured repertoire Anyone who wants to understand chess, not memorize it Become Confident in the Opening Phase With consistent training, you’ll feel the difference in your play: - You’ll avoid early mistakes - Your positions will be more comfortable - You’ll know what plans to follow - You’ll start games with confidence instead of guessing Chess becomes more fun—and more winnable—when you’re not struggling from move one. Start Learning Chess Openings Today Whether you have 5 minutes or an hour, this app makes it easy to improve. Build a strong foundation, master the key ideas, and play better chess every day. Download now and begin your journey toward smarter, stronger opening play!

Screenshots

Elite Chess Database4 screens
ChessLift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ChessLift at none against Elite Chess Database's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Elite Chess Database sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ChessLift sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Elite Chess Database versus ChessLift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElite Chess DatabaseChessLift
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequency—Every 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size423 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNguyen PhamDebuggers Bartosz Pydzinski

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Elite Chess Database

One-time1
  • Remove Advertisement$9.99
10 purchases

ChessLift

One-time10
  • Italian Game C54$0.99
  • Caro-Kann Defense B19$0.99
  • Sicilian Defense B33$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Neo-Gruenfeld Defence D75$0.99
  • Queen's Gambit Declined D59$0.99
  • Sicilian Defense B74$0.99
  • Vienna Game C29$0.99
  • English Opening A28$0.99
  • Ruy Lopez C80$0.99
  • French Defense C19$0.99

Questions

Is Elite Chess Database free?
Elite Chess Database is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ChessLift free?
ChessLift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Elite Chess Database or ChessLift have ads?
Elite Chess Database shows ads; ChessLift does not.

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