SmallFish Chess for Stockfish vs TacticForge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish
This app leverages the powerful Stockfish chess engine to help you improve your game. Analyze your matches with detailed comments, study the engine's thought process, and track your progress. It offers advanced features like blunder checking and graphical evaluations without any ads or in-app purchases.
- Blunder checking
- Multiple line analysis
- Graphical game evaluation
- Game previews
- Dark mode support
- Endgame tablebase
- Opening books
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SmallFish is a project based on the Stockfish chess engine. It uses the latest Stockfish chess engine (Stockfish 19), rated about Elo 3600+ and is the strongest chess app on the App Store. SmallFish offers you three distinct ways to improve your game. You can review your game with comments, or study how Stockfish thinks, or track your progress. No in-app purchase, no ads, no data tracking. SmallFish is simply amazing. It's small but powerful, you'll be surprised. Features --------- - Blunder checking - Multiple line analysis - Graphical evaluation of your game - Game previews - Dark mode support - Endgame tablebase - Opening books Why not just download and try it yourself?
TacticForge
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TacticForge turns the mistakes in your chess games into targeted tactics training. Stop grinding random puzzles that don’t match how you play. Connect Lichess or Chess.com, pull positions from your own games, and train the patterns you actually miss — then lock them in with spaced review. TRAIN THE WAY YOU LEARN • Puzzle Rush — race the clock and solve as many as you can in 3 minutes • Daily Challenge — a fresh set every day to keep your streak alive • Practice — unlimited rated puzzles at your level • My Puzzles — tactics mined from your real blunders and misses • Review — spaced repetition so hard positions stick • Weaknesses — drill motifs and themes where you struggle most PLAY & IMPROVE • Play vs Computer — on-device Stockfish with adjustable strength • Eval bar, takebacks, hints, and opening names while you play • Private analysis that stays on your device TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Tactical rating and XP • Streaks and activity • Rating history charts on your profile FREE TO START Download free and train right away. Analysis for personal puzzles uses a daily quota on the free plan (2 games/day). Upgrade to Premium Monthly ($4.99/month, auto-renewable) in the app for 10 analyses per day. Sign in with Apple, Google, or email — one account works on iOS and web. Privacy Policy: https://tacticforge.fun/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://tacticforge.fun/terms Support: https://tacticforge.fun
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TacticForge at Free against SmallFish Chess for Stockfish's $4.99. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On 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
TacticForge is free to download; SmallFish Chess for Stockfish costs $4.99 up front. TacticForge sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.00 per month. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish asks for nothing beyond the download.
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish ships an update every 8 days, TacticForge every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmallFish Chess for Stockfish | TacticForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (4.5K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 79.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4.5K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #16 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 195 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ted Wong | Code Maker Inc. |
Bugs and requests
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when setting up positions
- Incorrect move suggestions and engine evaluations
- Freezing and unresponsiveness during gameplay
- Issues with board and coordinate display alignment
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for variations and multiple analysis lines
- Implement a two-player mode with piece flipping
- Add PGN file sorting, searching, and folder support
- Provide an option to hide the board and show captured pieces
- Integrate with chess.com and other platforms
TacticForge
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish
No in-app purchases
TacticForge
- TacticForge Premium Subscription$5.001 Month
Questions
Is SmallFish Chess for Stockfish free?
Is TacticForge free?
Do SmallFish Chess for Stockfish or TacticForge have ads?
Which is updated more often, SmallFish Chess for Stockfish or TacticForge?
Other comparisons
