Comparison

ChessLab vs Chessapeake

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

Head to head
About

ChessLab

Features
Read full description

ChessLab is a complete chess trainer, a chess game, and — new — a reel studio that turns your games into videos. Study 10,000+ openings, solve 11,000+ puzzles, play Stockfish across 7 skill levels, and share your best move as a vertical video built for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. Works offline. From your first move to grandmaster strategy — ad-free with Premium. NEW: AI REEL STUDIO Paste a PGN. The engine finds the moment worth watching and builds a vertical video around it. • AI picks the key move and writes the title • Cinematic effects — pieces slam, the board reacts, the camera follows • Frame-by-frame camera control: your own zooms, shot lengths and cuts • Move call-outs (BRILLIANT, BLUNDER) in five text styles and three sizes • Any colour you like — presets or a full colour picker • Title and end cards you can restyle, resize or switch off • Lay your own music under it, and pick which part of the track to use • Move sounds mixed into the exported file • Build reels from your game, a famous game, or a puzzle PLAY CHESS • Play vs AI — 7 ELO-tuned levels: • Beginner Bot I (500) — Learn the basics • Beginner Bot II (900) • Intermediate (1300) • Advanced (1700) • Expert (2000) — Club strength • Master (2400) • Grand Master (2700) — Powered by Stockfish • Play vs Friends — Pass-and-play on one device, offline • Play Online — Challenge real players in live matches • Board Editor — Set up any position and play it against the engine CHESS OPENINGS Study 10,000+ openings covering every ECO code: • Ruy Lopez • Sicilian Defense • French Defense • Caro-Kann Defense • King's Indian Defense • Queen's Gambit • Italian Game • English Opening • Hundreds more Every opening includes move-by-move PGN playback. GAMBITS Aggressive opening traps and attacks: • Halloween Gambit • Scotch Gambit • Englund Gambit • King's Gambit • Benko Gambit • Many more TACTICS & PUZZLES 11,000+ puzzles in 57 themed sets, so you can drill one pattern until it sticks: • Checkmate Patterns — back rank, smothered, Anastasia's, Arabian, 18 in all • Tactical Motifs — pins, deflection, discovered attack, 19 in all • Attacking Play, Special Moves, Game Phase • Mate in 2 and Mate in 3 • Endgames — pawn, rook, bishop, knight and queen Daily practice is one of the fastest ways to raise your rating. COURSE A structured path from zero to grandmaster — the fundamentals in order, so you never have to guess what to learn next. GAME REVIEW & ANALYSIS • Import any PGN • Stockfish analysis, entirely on your device • Ten grades: Brilliant, Great, Best, Excellent, Good, Book, Inaccuracy, Mistake, Miss, Blunder • Sacrifices and only-moves recognised, opening theory marked as book • See what you should have played • Share games as PGN, or turn one straight into a reel GAME STATS & PERFORMANCE Connect your Chess.com or Lichess account: • Rapid, Blitz, Bullet & Classical ratings • Win / Draw / Loss breakdown • Current & Peak ELO, with rating history graphs • Best & worst openings vs database averages • Common mistakes and phase-by-phase weaknesses • Toughest opponents and best-ever wins GRANDMASTER GAME LIBRARY Replay legendary games from Carlsen, Kasparov, Fischer, Anand, Nakamura, Gukesh, Tal, Capablanca, Karpov, Alekhine, Morphy and Judit Polgar — plus World Championship archives. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE • 40 piece sets • 64 board themes • 6 sound themes • Dark Mode • Undo / Redo during practice WHO IT'S FOR Beginners learning the rules, club players (800–1500), intermediate (1500–2000), advanced (2000+), and anyone who wants to play offline. Everything except online play and imported stats works with no internet. Download ChessLab and start improving — one move at a time.

About

Chessapeake

Features
Read full description

Chessapeake is a chess app built for people who want to get better without turning chess into a grind. Play against a human-feeling opponent, review your games with a patient coach, and practice the exact skills that help you improve: tactics, openings, endgames, calculation, board vision, and practical decision-making. Whether you are learning the rules, returning after years away, or trying to sharpen your club-level game, Chessapeake gives you a calmer, more useful way to train. What you can do: • Play adjustable chess opponents with different styles • Learn with a coach that explains ideas clearly • Practice 50 focused chess skills • Review games and understand key moments • Build confidence with guided drills and mini lessons • Train openings, tactics, endgames, and calculation • Track progress through skill mastery and learning journeys • Use localized app language support across major chess markets Chessapeake is designed to feel less like a cold engine and more like a thoughtful chess partner. The goal is not just to show you the best move. It is to help you understand why a move works, what changed in the position, and what skill to practice next. A better chess routine starts here: play, learn, review, and come back stronger. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://arcofdescent1.github.io/chessapeake/privacy.html

Screenshots

ChessLab4 screens
Chessapeake4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Chessapeake at none against ChessLab's shown. ChessLab's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. ChessLab sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Chessapeake sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessLab ships an update every 4 days, Chessapeake every 11 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
ChessLab versus Chessapeake: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessLabChessapeake
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAman SinghDavid Seppi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ChessLab

Subscriptions1
  • Unlock Premium$1.991 Month
3 purchases

Chessapeake

Subscriptions2
  • Chessapeake Plus Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Chessapeake Plus Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Founder Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is ChessLab free?
ChessLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessapeake free?
Chessapeake is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ChessLab or Chessapeake have ads?
ChessLab shows ads; Chessapeake does not.
Which is updated more often, ChessLab or Chessapeake?
ChessLab ships an update every 4 days, and Chessapeake every 11 days. Most recently, ChessLab was updated on October 25, 2026 and Chessapeake on October 25, 2026.

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