Comparison

OpenChess vs Chessbits

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

Head to head
About

OpenChess

Master chess openings by playing against a specialized AI. Explore specific defenses or move sequences, and gain insights into positional advantages and piece values. Improve your game from the very first moves.

Highlights
  • Learn specific chess openings
  • Play against AI focused on opening lines
  • Analyze positional advantages
  • Evaluate piece values and mobility
  • Understand pawn structure
  • Track defended and attacked pieces
Read full description

Learn chess openings with OpenChess: An Opening Explorer. Play against the computer, or play as both sides, and be shown the lines that are within any opening that you are interested in learning. Want to learn the Sicilian Defense or the Queen’s Gambit? Choose that category and play against that a computer that only follows lines within that opening category. Wany to focus on learning all of the openings that start with a specific move, such as pawn to “e4”? This category can also be selected, and you can play against a computer that only plays lines that start with “e4”. The chess engine in this app is not Stockfish, and it does not look very far ahead. It is meant to provide a decent base evaluation and allow the majority of the reason behind the evaluation of the current position to be shown to the user. The following information can be shown to the user: • Positional advantages for each piece type (pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen and king) • Piece value advantages for each color • Mobility scores for each piece where mobility plays a big role (bishop, rook, queen, king) • Pawn advantages and disadvantages (passed pawns, isolated pawns, backwards pawns, doubled pawns) • Total value of pieces attacked by each color as well as total value of pieces defended by each color A lot of chess games are won and lost within the opening moves, this app was designed to help players learn solid openings that either help them gain a winning advantage out of the opening, or at the very least help them not lose due to the opening moves played. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Chessbits

Read full description

Fetch interesting game bits from the cloud See color coded game notation to identify good moves, blunders and transpositions Show or hide the game evaluation at any time Hide the pieces at any time to play blindfold Change moves as often as you wish Change sides at any time to play from the Stockfish position Create and play your own positions Choose any Chess960 starting position or let the app choose one randomly Choose to receive a warning if you make a weak move Choose to announce draw by 50 move rule Choose to announce draw by repetition Use dark or light mode along with a selection of board colors

Screenshots

OpenChess4 screens
Chessbits4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chessbits at none against OpenChess's 10. OpenChess's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. OpenChess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Chessbits asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenChess ships an update fortnightly, Chessbits every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
OpenChess versus Chessbits: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenChessChessbits
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid BryantDavid Sybert

In-app purchases

10 purchases

OpenChess

One-time10
  • Tarrasch Defense Opening$0.99
  • Trompowsky Attack Opening$0.99
  • Scandinavian Defense Opening$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Three Knights Opening$0.99
  • Zukertort Opening$0.99
  • Van't Kruijs Opening$0.99
  • Vienna Game Opening$0.99
  • Ware Opening$0.99
  • Opening Explorer$4.99
  • OpenChess Premium$19.99
None

Chessbits

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenChess free?
OpenChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessbits free?
Chessbits is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do OpenChess or Chessbits have ads?
Neither OpenChess nor Chessbits shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenChess or Chessbits?
OpenChess ships an update fortnightly, and Chessbits every 3 weeks. Most recently, OpenChess was updated on September 30, 2026 and Chessbits on October 7, 2026.

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