Comparison

Chess Notation Trainer vs ChessCoda

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read 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.

About

ChessCoda

Features
Read full description

ChessCoda is chess coaching from your own games. Your AI Coach finds the moment that decided each game, explains what you missed in plain language, and turns it into practice. REVIEWS THAT TALK YOU THROUGH IT Import your games from Lichess or Chess.com, or play right in the app. Every game is analyzed by the ChessCoda Coach Engine. Your coach talks you through the key moments on the live board: what happened, why you missed it, and what to play instead. TWENTY OPPONENTS, ONE AT YOUR LEVEL Spar any time against twenty opponents rated 800 to 2000, each with a style of their own: attackers, tricksters, grinders and strategists. They play the moves a real person at their rating would play, not perfect engine chess. Finished games land in your library and get reviewed like any other game. DRILLS FROM YOUR OWN GAMES An endless stream of puzzles built from the mistakes you actually make, themed around what your coach wants you to sharpen next. The positions you got wrong come back until the pattern sticks. INSIGHTS THAT TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See your recurring weaknesses and how they change over time, which phase of the game costs you the most, and your opening repertoire with the move where you usually leave theory. HONEST BY DESIGN We can't promise rating points. Nobody honestly can. What we promise is that you'll always know the single most useful thing to work on next. FREE AND PLUS Free: analysis of every game with accuracy and move-quality marks, puzzles at your level, progress insights, one coached review and 10 Coach games each week. Plus: the one lesson of every game and why it happened, reviews your coach picks for you plus 2 of your choice each week, deeper Insights into your leaks, and practice drills built from your own mistakes. Available monthly or yearly. Subscriptions are billed to your Apple Account and renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Service: https://chesscoda.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://chesscoda.com/privacy

Screenshots

Chess Notation Trainer4 screens
ChessCoda4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess Notation Trainer at every 2 days against ChessCoda's weekly. 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 Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ChessCoda sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, ChessCoda weekly. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Chess Notation Trainer versus ChessCoda: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Notation TrainerChessCoda
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (18 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNishat MajidMaritacas OÜ

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99
2 purchases

ChessCoda

Subscriptions2
  • Plus Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Plus Yearly$49.001 Year

Questions

Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ChessCoda free?
ChessCoda is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Notation Trainer or ChessCoda have ads?
Neither Chess Notation Trainer nor ChessCoda shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or ChessCoda?
Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, and ChessCoda weekly. Most recently, Chess Notation Trainer was updated on October 14, 2026 and ChessCoda on October 14, 2026.

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