Comparison

Chess Lab vs Gambito Puzzles

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

Head to head
About

Chess Lab

Analyze chess games with a powerful AI engine, practice against 30 difficulty levels, or watch live top-tier matches. Save and replay games, import PGNs, and customize your board view for a premium experience.

Highlights
  • AI-powered game analysis
  • 30 difficulty levels for CPU play
  • Local 2-player mode
  • Lichess spectating with channel selection
  • Save and replay games
  • PGN import
  • Customizable 2D/2.5D board views
Features
Read full description

Open the app and your last channel is right there. Catch world-class games in your spare moments, save the ones that catch your eye, and analyze them. Chess Lab: Arasan Engine brings a world-class chess engine and Lichess spectating together in one beautifully intuitive app. ▪ Play instantly with Web Invite ・No downloads or accounts needed for your opponent. ・Just send an invite link and they can join right from their phone or PC browser. ▪ Plenty of play modes ・Web Invite: quick private matches via URL. ・Offline vs CPU: play the powerful Arasan engine with 30 difficulty levels to practice at your pace. ・Local 2-player: face off on a single device. ▪ World chess on your phone. Lichess spectating ・Watch top-level games right in the app, just like watching TV or manga on your phone. ・Channel selection (Top Rated / Bullet / Blitz / Rapid / Classical), thumbnail/list views, and display counts (10/20/30). ・See the board, moves, clocks, playback controls, and end reason. Step back to revisit any move. ・Your last tab and channel reopen automatically, so the world's games are always moments away. ・Save games that catch your eye to History and turn them into your own study material. ▪ Rich analysis and replay ・Powered by Arasan: a robust UCI engine that computes accurate evaluations and best moves. ・Engine analysis: real-time eval bar and position graph during play. Recalculate saved games with Analyze Position and save the graph too. ・Interactive history: step through, fast-forward, or jump to any position. ・Visual insights: big evaluation swings (blunders) are highlighted automatically. Long thinks are color-coded (red/yellow) so you can see time management. ・PGN import: bring in external game data (PGN). ▪ A premium board experience ・2.5D & 2D views: switch between an immersive tilted 2.5D perspective and a classic 2D board. ・Piece design: choose between text pieces and detailed image pieces. ・Full promotion support: pick queen, rook, bishop, or knight precisely when promoting. ・Pause & resume: unfinished games are saved automatically and can be resumed later. ▪ A refreshed menu and settings ・The bottom menu now has three tabs: Match / History / Lichess. The header changes with the tab. ・Your selected tab is saved, so the same tab opens next time.

About

Gambito Puzzles

Features
Read full description

Gambito is a focused chess tactics trainer built for practical improvement. Solve puzzles from an offline database, track your progress with a Glicko-2 rating system, and develop mastery through spaced repetition — no internet connection or account required. Choose from six distinct puzzle modes to match your training goal: - Unlimited: solve at your own pace with no time pressure - Streak: keep a correct-answer streak alive - Storm: race the clock to solve as many as possible - Thematic: focus on specific tactical motifs - Blind: train calculation by hiding the board - No Tactic: practice recognizing when there is no winning combination Your Glicko-2 rating adjusts dynamically to reflect your true tactical strength. Spaced repetition surfaces puzzles at the right time to reinforce long-term retention. Terms of Use (EULA): https://gambitochess.com/terms

Screenshots

Chess Lab4 screens
Gambito Puzzles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Gambito Puzzles at none against Chess Lab's shown. Gambito Puzzles also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence 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. Chess Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Gambito Puzzles sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Chess Lab versus Gambito Puzzles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess LabGambito Puzzles
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 6 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB106 MB
Age rating4++4
Developerkoji ozonoDynadel

Customer experience

Chess Lab

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Gambito Puzzles

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Lab

One-time1
  • Chess Lab Pro$0.99
2 purchases

Gambito Puzzles

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$4.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess Lab free?
Chess Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gambito Puzzles free?
Gambito Puzzles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Lab or Gambito Puzzles have ads?
Chess Lab shows ads; Gambito Puzzles does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Lab or Gambito Puzzles?
Chess Lab ships an update every 6 days, and Gambito Puzzles every 6 days. Most recently, Chess Lab was updated on October 31, 2026 and Gambito Puzzles on October 31, 2026.

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