Comparison

MindChess vs MaiChess AI

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

Head to head
About

MindChess

This app offers daily chess training designed to enhance mental visualization and blindfold play. It features mini-games that improve calculation, memory, and concentration, inspired by grandmaster training methods. Practice exercises focus on board elements without needing a physical board.

Highlights
  • Mental visualization training
  • Blindfold chess practice
  • Calculation and memory improvement
  • Concentration exercises
  • Mini-games inspired by grandmasters
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

MindChess is a daily chess gym and a study companion. Train board vision, memory and calculation in 60-second sessions, then take what you learn to your own games. THE GYM • Thirteen short drills: Square Color, Coordinates, Same Color, Same Diagonal, Bishop Captures, Two Knights, Collision, Memory, Mate in 1, Fork Finder, Piece Snapshot, Knight Distance and Opening Flash. • Timed mode (60 seconds, Game Center leaderboards) and Training mode (3 lives). • A daily challenge and a daily streak, with streak freezes and an optional reminder. • 39 achievements: badges at 10, 50 and 100 games of every drill, also in Game Center. THE STUDY TOOLS • Repertoire: play through your opening lines and the app brings each one back right before you'd forget it. • My games: game databases, PGN import and a viewer with variations, notes and marks. • Analysis: Stockfish 19 on your device, offline, with an evaluation bar and the top 3 lines. With Pro, the game report marks your mistakes. • Diagram scanner: snap a diagram and get the position ready to edit. Free. • Chess clock: increments, stages and time odds, for games with your phone on the table. • Notation your way: English, Spanish or figurines. The same board, with your look, across the app. • Public roadmap: see what's coming and vote for ideas. ON EVERY SCREEN MindChess works on iPhone, iPad, iPhone Duo and Mac. MINDCHESS PRO Pro unlocks Stockfish analysis and the game report, unlimited repertoires, lines and PGN imports, full statistics, unlimited game databases and clock controls, every drill every day and 11 Pro piece sets. Free stays useful: the scanner, the PGN viewer and the basic drills. MindChess is not an app for playing online games. It is the place where you train between them. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

MaiChess AI

Features
Read full description

**MaiChess AI (aka My AI Chess)- The Ultimate Chess Experience** Experience chess like never before with MaiChess AI, featuring four distinct artificial intelligence engines that offer unique playing styles and challenge levels. Whether you're a beginner learning the ropes or a grandmaster seeking the ultimate challenge, MaiChess AI adapts to your skill level. **Four Unique AI Opponents:** **• Stockfish AI** - The world-renowned chess engine known for its tactical brilliance and deep positional understanding. Perfect for serious players seeking tournament-level competition. **• Maia AI** - Human-like chess AI trained on millions of human games. Plays naturally and helps you improve by mimicking human decision-making patterns at different skill levels. **• Minimax AI** - Classical algorithm with alpha-beta pruning. Ideal for learning fundamental chess strategies and experiencing traditional computer chess. **• NEAT AI** - Neural Evolution AI that adapts and evolves its playing style. Offers unpredictable and creative gameplay that keeps every match exciting. **Smart Difficulty System:** - **Easy** - Perfect for beginners and casual play - **Medium** - Balanced challenge for intermediate players - **Hard** - Strong tactical play for advanced players - **Expert** - Maximum challenge for chess masters **Complete Chess Experience:** > Full FIDE chess rules implementation > Special moves: Castling, En Passant, Pawn Promotion > Proper checkmate and stalemate detection > Move history with undo/redo functionality > Real-time check notifications > Multiple board themes (Classic, Modern, Neon) > Responsive design for phones and tablets **Beautiful Modern Interface:** - Material Design 3 with smooth animations - Multiple visual themes to suit your preference - Intuitive touch controls with piece highlighting - Clear move indicators and game status - Accessibility features for all players **AI Analysis & Learning:** - Detailed move analysis from each AI engine - Strategic explanations to improve your game - Performance insights and tactical suggestions - Educational content for skill development **Technical Excellence:** - Optimized performance across all devices - Smooth 60fps animations - Efficient battery usage - Offline play - no internet required - Regular updates with new features Whether you want to practice openings against Maia's human-like play, test your tactical skills against Stockfish's precision, learn classical strategies with Minimax, or face the unpredictable creativity of NEAT AI, MaiChess AI provides the perfect chess companion. Download now and discover your new favorite chess opponent! Perfect for players of all levels - from complete beginners to chess masters seeking the ultimate AI challenge.

Screenshots

MindChess4 screens
MaiChess AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: MaiChess AI at 16.0 against MindChess's 18.0. On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MindChess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and MaiChess AI sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MindChess ships an update every 3 months, MaiChess AI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
MindChess versus MaiChess AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindChessMaiChess AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size140 MB185 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeromar megdadiAI MindsLab

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MindChess

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription$0.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription$9.991 Year
2 purchases

MaiChess AI

One-time2
  • MCTS AI Premium$2.99
  • Mini Games$4.99

Questions

Is MindChess free?
MindChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MaiChess AI free?
MaiChess AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MindChess or MaiChess AI have ads?
Neither MindChess nor MaiChess AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MindChess or MaiChess AI?
MindChess ships an update every 3 months, and MaiChess AI every 2 months. Most recently, MindChess was updated on October 24, 2026 and MaiChess AI on October 9, 2026.

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