Comparison

Chessmate vs chess.ceo

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

Head to head
About

Chessmate

Analyze chess positions with multiple top-tier engines, including Stockfish. Customize engine settings, compare results, and explore any chess position with full FEN support. Ideal for serious players looking to sharpen their tactics and prepare for tournaments.

Highlights
  • Next Best Move Analyser
  • Multi-Engine Support (Stockfish)
  • Local & Remote Engines
  • Custom Engine Profiles
  • Time Travel Through Moves
  • Full FEN Support
  • Deep Engine Customisation
Features
Read full description

Chessmate is the ultimate companion for serious chess players and enthusiasts who want to go beyond the board. Analyse positions with unmatched precision, compare results from multiple top-tier chess engines (including Stockfish 16.1, 17 and 17.1), and dive deep into engine configuration - all in one sleek, powerful app. Whether you're prepping for a tournament or just want to sharpen your tactics, Chessmate lets you load, tweak, compare, and explore any chess position like never before. Local or remote engines, flexible setups, full FEN support - your next best move is always within reach. Key Features: > Next Best Move Analyser Instantly evaluate and visualise the optimal next move from any position using powerful chess engines. > Multi-Engine Support Run multiple engines side-by-side, including Stockfish 16.1, 17, and experimental builds — with more on the way! > Local & Remote Engines Use engines installed on your device or connect to remote ones for advanced cloud-based analysis. > Custom Engine Profiles Per Board Save multiple boards, each with their own engine configurations for tailored analysis. > Time Travel Through Moves Navigate backward and forward through board changes to revisit and reanalyse past positions. > Full FEN Support Easily load or export boards using the FEN format for seamless sharing and documentation. > Deep Engine Customisation Fine-tune engine options and search depth to match your strategy or test different scenarios.

About

chess.ceo

This app provides professional chess analysis tools, including engine analysis, a vast game database, and opponent preparation features. It allows users to analyze games, study master-level games, and follow live tournaments. An optional subscription unlocks advanced features like offline database access and a distraction-free analysis board.

Highlights
  • Engine analysis with Stockfish
  • 14 million master-level game database
  • Opponent search and repertoire study
  • Live tournament broadcasts
  • Full game analysis with PGN import
  • Organize and sync PGN files
  • Chess960 and chess clock
Features
Read full description

Whether you're a beginner learning openings or a tournament player preparing for your next opponent, Chess.ceo gives you professional chess analysis tools right on your phone. Engine Analysis Analyze any position with Stockfish, the world's strongest chess engine, running locally on your device, no internet required. Need more power? Cloud Engines let you run analysis on a dedicated cloud machine, billed per minute and only while it's running. 14M Game Database Explore over 14 million master-level games with real-time opening statistics. For any position, instantly see which moves were played, how often they led to wins, and at what rating level. Filter by rating range and time control to find data relevant to your level. Endgame positions are covered by seven-piece Syzygy tablebases showing perfect play with distance-to-mate. Opponent Preparation Search any player by name, country, or FIDE title. View their game history, ratings, and most-played openings. Study their repertoire and identify weaknesses before your next tournament game. Link players across FIDE, Lichess and Chess.com profiles. Live Tournament Broadcasts Follow ongoing tournaments with live game boards, per-board evaluation bars, and live standings. Jump straight into any player's games while a round is in progress. Full Game Analysis Import games via PGN, paste from clipboard or load from file. The engine evaluates every move and shows where mistakes were made. Build a complete variation tree with main lines and sidelines, annotate key moments, and save your analysis for later. PGN Files Organize your analyzed games into files and folders, synced across devices when you sign in. Import hundreds of games at once, or export to share with coaches and training partners. Additional Features • Chess960 (Fischer Random) with one tap • Chess clock with customizable time controls • Position editor for setting up any position • Search games by position across your files • Landscape and tablet support • Seven languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic Free to Use All of the above is free, no ads. Create an account and start analyzing. CEO Tier: Optional Subscription For players who want more: • Pro Board: full-screen, distraction-free analysis • Full database offline: all 10 million games on your device, no connection needed • Higher daily limits on search, preparation, and database queries • More storage for your PGN files Subscribe monthly, cancel any time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://chess.ceo/docs/tos Privacy Policy: https://chess.ceo/docs/privacy

Screenshots

Chessmate4 screens
chess.ceo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: chess.ceo at 5.0 against Chessmate's 4.3. chess.ceo also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). Chessmate's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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.ceo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Chessmate asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

chess.ceo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Chessmate's written reviews are positive against 100% of chess.ceo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chessmate ships an update every 5 weeks, chess.ceo every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Chessmate versus chess.ceo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessmatechess.ceo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB151 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdward MannCHESSGM OU

Customer experience

Chessmate

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

chess.ceo

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chessmate

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

chess.ceo

Subscriptions1
  • CEO tier$5.991 Month
One-time1
  • Cloud Credits$8.99

Questions

Is Chessmate free?
Chessmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is chess.ceo free?
chess.ceo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chessmate or chess.ceo?
chess.ceo is rated higher. Chessmate averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while chess.ceo averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Chessmate or chess.ceo have ads?
Neither Chessmate nor chess.ceo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chessmate or chess.ceo?
Chessmate ships an update every 5 weeks, and chess.ceo every 4 weeks. Most recently, Chessmate was updated on November 4, 2026 and chess.ceo on November 5, 2026.

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