Comparison

Chess Lab vs Cabin Chess

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

Cabin Chess

Features
Read full description

Cabin Chess is a friendly, offline chess app made for children and families. No account. No ads. No data collection. Just chess. FEATURES - Chess School: learn the game step by step, from moving pieces to winning your first game. - 3-star diploma: earn stars for progress and celebrate small victories. - Play offline: no internet needed after install. - 16 languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. - Adjustable difficulty: from beginner-friendly tutors to a stronger opponent as your skills grow. - Safe by design: no chat, no messaging, no way to interact with strangers. BUILT FOR FAMILIES Cabin Chess is designed to be a calm, distraction-free place to learn chess. No pop-ups, no in-app purchases, no notifications, no accounts. Once installed, the app works completely offline — perfect for tablets used by kids, quiet car rides, or a screen-free-ish afternoon on the couch. PRIVACY We collect no personal data. Everything — your progress, your profile, your settings — stays only on your device. See our privacy policy for details. Have questions or feedback? Write to us: cabinchess@gmail.com

Screenshots

Chess Lab4 screens
Cabin Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cabin Chess at none against Chess Lab's 1. Cabin Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 6 days). On price 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. Cabin Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Lab ships an update every 6 days, Cabin Chess daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 4 level
Chess Lab versus Cabin Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess LabCabin Chess
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkoji ozonoFaruk Dinc

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Lab

One-time1
  • Chess Lab Pro$0.99
None

Cabin Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Lab free?
Chess Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cabin Chess free?
Cabin Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chess Lab or Cabin Chess have ads?
Chess Lab shows ads; Cabin Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Lab or Cabin Chess?
Chess Lab ships an update every 6 days, and Cabin Chess daily. Most recently, Chess Lab was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cabin Chess on October 28, 2026.

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