# Chess Notation Trainer vs Chess Puzzles & Tactics

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Notation Trainer at none against Chess Puzzles & Tactics's shown. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). Chess Puzzles & Tactics's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (487 vs 18). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chess Puzzles & Tactics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Chess Notation Trainer against 4.5 for Chess Puzzles & Tactics. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Puzzles & Tactics has 487 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's written reviews are positive against 76% of Chess Puzzles & Tactics's.

Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, Chess Puzzles & Tactics weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Notation Trainer | Chess Puzzles & Tactics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060/reviews) | **[4.5 (487 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **487** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 26 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nishat Majid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727207034) | [Sajed Nahian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494597866) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Notation Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060)

Master chess squares and notation with this training app. Improve your ability to identify coordinates, translate moves, and visualize the board, even without one. Ideal for serious players looking to enhance calculation speed and chess understanding.

**Highlights:** Identify squares by coordinate, Translate move sequences to notation, Determine square color instantly, Stay oriented on the board, Follow chess tutorials without a board, Speed up calculation, Practice blind chess

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |


### Chess Puzzles & Tactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614)

Enhance your chess skills with an extensive collection of puzzles and tactical exercises. Tailor your training by customizing puzzle difficulty and Elo ratings to target specific weaknesses and accelerate improvement, suitable for players of all levels.

**Highlights:** Infinite chess puzzles, Tactics training, Customizable puzzles, Elo rating adjustment, All player levels, Extensive tactic list

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Forever | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🆓 Free to use, no ads
- ♾️ Seemingly endless puzzles
- 🧠 Great for chess improvement
- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎯 Puzzles tailored to skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Progress resets (ELO, history)
- ⚠️ Login issues (Apple/Google)
- ⏳ Puzzles take a long time to load
- 🥶 Freezes and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to login
- Application resets to starting value (1000elo)
- History/review chapters remain unlocked
- In-application feedback not functioning
- Rating feature broke

**Requested features**

- Option to mute sounds
- Ability to disable audio
- Allow loading custom puzzle sets
- Better interface and cable


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Notation Trainer free?

Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess Puzzles & Tactics free?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Notation Trainer or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics is rated higher. Chess Notation Trainer averages 4.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Chess Puzzles & Tactics averages 4.5 from 487 ratings.

### Do Chess Notation Trainer or Chess Puzzles & Tactics have ads?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics shows ads; Chess Notation Trainer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, and Chess Puzzles & Tactics weekly. Most recently, Chess Notation Trainer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chess Puzzles & Tactics on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*