Comparison

Chess Lab vs PixelChess

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 previous channel is right there. Watch world-class games in your spare time. Save interesting matches and analyze the positions. Chess Lab: Arasan Engine is a chess app that combines a world-class chess engine and Lichess spectating into one beautiful, intuitive interface. ▪ Play instantly with "Web Invite" - No download or account creation required for your opponent. - Just send an invite link, and they can join immediately from their smartphone or PC browser. ▪ Diverse game modes - Web Invite Match: Easy private matches via URL. - Offline CPU Match: Play against the powerful Arasan engine (featuring the latest v26.1 / NNUE v8). Practice with 30 levels of adjustable strength. - Local 2-Player Match: Play face-to-face on a single device. ▪ Watch world chess on your smartphone. Lichess Spectating - Watch top world games right in the app, just like watching TV or manga on your phone. - Channel selection (Top Rated / Bullet / Blitz / Rapid / Classical), thumbnail/list display, and item count (10/20/30) support. - Displays board, moves, clock, playback controls, and termination reason. Rewind moves to review. - Your previous tab and channel open automatically, putting world games right in front of you during spare moments. - Save interesting games to history to use for your own learning. ▪ Extensive analysis & replay features - Powered by Arasan: Built-in UCI engine that calculates highly accurate evaluations and best moves. - Real-time Analysis: Displays evaluation bar and eval graph in real-time during games. Recalculate past games with "Analyze Position" and save the graph. The graph uses a dynamic scale that excludes mate scores and clamps at a maximum of ±15 pawns. - Candidate Moves Display: Shows top candidate moves on the board with arrows, ghost pieces, and evaluation labels. The 1st move is blue, and subsequent moves are color-coded green → yellow → red based on Loss (difference from the 1st move). Toggle visibility with the "Candidates" button. - Interactive History: Step playback, fast-forward, jump to any position, and a "Rewind" (back to start) button for efficient review. - Visualized Insights: Automatically highlights large evaluation changes (blunders). Color-codes long-thinking moves (red/yellow) to visualize time management. - PGN Import: Import external game data (PGN). ▪ Premium board experience - 2.5D & 2D Display: Switch between a tilted 2.5D perspective and a classic 2D board. - Piece Design Toggle: Choose between text pieces and detailed image pieces. - Full Promotion Support: Accurately select Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight when promoting a pawn. - Pause & Resume: Automatically saves unfinished games so you can resume later. ▪ Improved menu & settings - Redesigned bottom menu into a 3-tab layout: "Match / History / Lichess". The header switches according to the selected tab. - Tab selection state is saved, so the previous tab opens automatically on the next launch.

About

PixelChess

Features
Read full description

Rediscover Chess. Play beautiful offline chess against the computer in a handcrafted pixel art adventure. PixelChess brings the timeless strategy of chess into vibrant pixel themes, where every game feels fresh. Solve a new puzzle every day, unlock collectible pieces, and explore unique themes inspired by fantasy, history and imagination. Whether you're learning the game or mastering advanced strategies, PixelChess offers a relaxing, premium chess experience with stunning visuals and rewarding progression. Play Chess Your Way • Play offline against the computer • 4 difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert • Unlimited, Blitz, Rapid and Classical time controls • Smooth gameplay designed for beginners and experienced players • Review your recent games A New Chess Challenge Every Day Train your tactical skills with a fresh daily puzzle. • Daily chess puzzles • Helpful hints • Build your daily streak • Improve your chess vision Explore 9 Beautiful Pixel Themes Every theme completely transforms the game. Discover unique: • Chess pieces • Boards • Animated backgrounds • Original music Explore: • Classic • Medieval • Space • Prehistoric • Horror • Sports • Western • Elegant • Anime Unlock and Collect Win games to unlock new themes through achievements or purchase them instantly. Discover more than 100 collectible chess pieces, each with its own artwork and story. Designed Around You • Sign in with Google, Apple or Email • Game history • Multiple languages • Beautiful pixel art interface • Free to play Download PixelChess today. Privacy Policy https://justluck.io/apps/pixelchess/privacy.html Support admin@justluck.io

Screenshots

Chess Lab4 screens
PixelChess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess Lab at every 4 days against PixelChess's every 2 weeks. PixelChess's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 PixelChess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Lab ships an update every 4 days, PixelChess every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
Chess Lab versus PixelChess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess LabPixelChess
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkoji ozonoJust Luck LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Lab

One-time1
  • Chess Lab Pro$2.99
10 purchases

PixelChess

One-time10
  • Tema Medieval$0.99
  • Tema Espacial$0.99
  • Tema Prehistórico$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Tema Terror$0.99
  • Tema Deportes$0.99
  • Tema Western$0.99
  • Tema Elegante$0.99
  • Tema Anime$0.99
  • Pack 2 Temas$1.49
  • Pack 3 Temas$1.99

Questions

Is Chess Lab free?
Chess Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PixelChess free?
PixelChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Lab or PixelChess have ads?
Both Chess Lab and PixelChess show ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Lab or PixelChess?
Chess Lab ships an update every 4 days, and PixelChess every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess Lab was updated on November 8, 2026 and PixelChess on November 7, 2026.

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