Comparison

ChessFirst vs ChessSnap

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

Head to head

Scan Chess Scoresheets to PGN

Free

📚 Education

No ratingsView app →

About

ChessFirst

Features

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ChessFirst helps to learn playing chess

About

ChessSnap

Features

Read full description

Turn handwritten chess scoresheets into PGN in seconds. Just snap a photo. ChessSnap uses AI to read your moves, validates them with chess rules, and delivers a clean PGN ready for analysis in Lichess, Chess.com, or any engine. HIGHLIGHTS No more typing Capture and convert instantly. Smart move validation AI recognition + rule-based verification. Learns your handwriting Improves with every game. Multiple player profiles Perfect for coaches, families, and clubs. 11 notation languages Including English, German, French, Spanish, and more. Cloud sync Access your games on all devices. Share instantly Open in Lichess or Chess.com, or export PGN. FREE TRIAL & LIFETIME Free trial: 5 scans in total, 1 player profile Lifetime, one-time purchase: Unlimited scans Up to 10 player profiles One purchase. No subscription, nothing to renew. PRIVACY Your data stays private. No ads. No tracking. EU-based secure storage. PERFECT FOR Tournament players Coaches Chess parents Anyone digitizing scoresheets Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.chesssnap.app/privacy

Screenshots

ChessFirst4 screens

ChessSnap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChessFirst at none against ChessSnap's 2. ChessFirst also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. ChessSnap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per year. ChessFirst asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessFirst ships an update monthly, ChessSnap every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level

ChessFirst versus ChessSnap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	ChessFirst	ChessSnap
Price	Free	Free
Update frequency	Monthly — better	Every 3 months
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	No — better	Yes
Devices	iPhone, iPad, iPod	iPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS	15.1	15.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size	29 MB	2 MB
Age rating	4+	4+
Developer	Oleg Borkin	Junqing Zhang

In-app purchases

None

ChessFirst

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ChessSnap

Subscriptions1

ChessSnap Pro7 Days trial$11.991 Year

One-time1

ChessSnap Lifetime$11.99

Questions

Is ChessFirst free?

ChessFirst is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

Is ChessSnap free?

ChessSnap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Do ChessFirst or ChessSnap have ads?

Neither ChessFirst nor ChessSnap shows ads.

Which is updated more often, ChessFirst or ChessSnap?

ChessFirst ships an update monthly, and ChessSnap every 3 months. Most recently, ChessFirst was updated on October 10, 2026 and ChessSnap on September 26, 2026.