PVChess Premium vs Checkmate Academy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
PVChess Premium
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Premium version of PVChess with full access, no ads, and offline play. Before purchasing PVChess Premium, try the free, ad-supported PVChess: Chess Tutor first. It offers the same core gameplay, so you can decide whether PVChess is right for you.
Checkmate Academy
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Checkmate Academy is your personal chess tutor โ learn chess from absolute zero to confident player with structured, interactive lessons. LEARN AT YOUR PACE - 20 guided lessons across 5 levels, from how pieces move to advanced tactics - 72 interactive challenges that test your understanding on a real board - Progressive difficulty that adapts to your skill level SHARPEN YOUR TACTICS - Tactical puzzles to build pattern recognition - Opening drills covering 20 popular openings - Endgame training with 10 essential positions PLAY & IMPROVE - Play against AI at multiple difficulty levels - Study famous master games move by move - Board builder to set up and analyze any position AI COACH (iOS 26+) - Get personalized move explanations powered by Apple Intelligence - On-device AI analysis โ private and fast, no internet required Built for chess lovers of all levels. No account needed. No ads. Just chess.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Checkmate Academy at Free against PVChess Premium's $0.99. PVChess Premium's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Checkmate Academy is free to download; PVChess Premium costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PVChess Premium | Checkmate Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free โ better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 โ better | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jianfeng Wu | Anupam Chugh |
In-app purchases
PVChess Premium
No in-app purchases
Checkmate Academy
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PVChess Premium free?
Is Checkmate Academy free?
Do PVChess Premium or Checkmate Academy have ads?
Which is updated more often, PVChess Premium or Checkmate Academy?
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