Chess Notation Trainer vs SquareSight
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Notation Trainer
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
Serious about chess? But struggling to identify the squares, remembering sequences and follow chess notations? Well, you just landed on the perfect app! This training app is designed to dramatically uplift your mastery over chess squares. There are 5 training sessions. A small dose of regular practice will make you: 1. Spot a square as soon as you hear or see its coordinate 2. Translate a sequence of moves into their notation at ease 3. Immediately identify the color of a square 4. Stay oriented regardless of you facing white or black 5. Follow along with chess tutorials, books or any discussion without a board 6. Massively speedup your thought process on any calculation 7. Finally, start playing blind chess! Don't be surprised if you see a sudden surge of rating simply increasing your strength on square reading. The free version is already good enough to cause a major spike in your chess career. However, a one time purchase will unlock the full version which includes: - Extended time controls - Untimed practice mode - Milestones and achievements - Board assistance during training - And a complete visualization of your records There will be no ads, neither in the full version nor in the free one. Just a beautiful and satisfyingly addictive way to your square mastery. Caution: If you are rated below 1500, this app is probably not gonna be as useful for you, and tactics training is something you should prioritize.
SquareSight
This app provides real-time visualization of chess board control, pressure, and space. It helps players understand their strategic advantages and weaknesses during games or post-game analysis. Train smarter and see the board from a new perspective.
- Real-time square control visualization
- Post-game analysis insights
- Intuitive board interface
- Strategy breakdown
- Pressure and space visualization
Read full descriptionHide full description
SquareSight is a chess analysis tool that visualizes control, pressure, and space across the board in real time. See which squares you dominate, which positions are contested, and where your strategy breaks down. Whether you're reviewing games or playing live, SquareSight helps you understand the board at a deeper level. Features: - Real-time square control visualization - Post-game analysis insights - Clean, intuitive board interface - Designed for both casual and competitive players Train smarter. See the board differently. Subscription Details: • Title: SquareSite Pro • Length: Monthly / Yearly • Price: $3.99/month or $24.99/year • Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. • You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N6nJYqz1Ya-UQd_mYPQB_MxBfjxJV35yMiI4WVWE4xk/edit?usp=sharing
Screenshots
Verdict
Chess Notation Trainer and SquareSight both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's written reviews are positive against 50% of SquareSight's. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days) and ratings volume (18 vs 3). SquareSight's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SquareSight sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. 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 4.3 for SquareSight. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Notation Trainer has 18 ratings behind it against 3, 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 50% of SquareSight's.
Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, SquareSight every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Notation Trainer | SquareSight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (18 ratings) — better | 4.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nishat Majid | Earle McGinnis |
Customer experience
Chess Notation Trainer
SquareSight
In-app purchases
Chess Notation Trainer
- Full Version$4.99
SquareSight
- SquareSight Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- SquareSight Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Is SquareSight free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Notation Trainer or SquareSight?
Do Chess Notation Trainer or SquareSight have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or SquareSight?
Other comparisons















