Chess vs Chessnut Next
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess
Transform your device into a professional chess analysis board. Scan positions from photos, analyze games with a powerful engine, and organize your studies with an intuitive interface. Access opening books and a vast game database to improve your play.
- Professional analysis board
- Position scanning from photos
- Powerful analysis engine
- Opening books
- 8 million+ game database
- Personalized game organization
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PROFESSIONAL ANALYSIS BOARD Turn your iPhone or iPad into a complete analysis board. Create, modify and analyze positions with our board editor. Study every game and take your chess to the next level. POSITION SCANNING Scan positions directly from photos or screenshots, in 2D and 3D. The app automatically recognizes the pieces and board layout. Ideal for studying real games or your own moves. POWERFUL ANALYSIS ENGINE Our advanced analysis engine evaluates each position with precision. Suggests the best moves, detects errors and displays strategic alternatives. PRACTICAL OPPORTUNITIES Discover the practical opportunities of each position. Identify tactics, strategic plans and key moves you can apply in your games. ADVANCED FEATURES + Complete opening books to study strategies from the initial phase of the game. + Database with more than 8 million games, updated weekly. + Download and upload .pgn files, share your analyses and save photos. + Share your studies with other players or coaches. PERSONALIZED ORGANIZATION Save all your games and analyses in your personal database. With an intuitive drag-and-drop system, organize your studies. COMPLETE AND FLEXIBLE ANALYSIS With interactive board, position scanning, powerful analysis engine and personalized organization, this app is the ultimate tool for chess analysis and training.
Chessnut Next
Enhance your chess experience by connecting a smart board to digitally record, analyze, and practice your games. Play against AI, review your moves with detailed reports, and train your skills with puzzles and human-like engines.
- Smart board connection
- Play against chess engines
- Online chess support
- Automatic game recording
- Local Stockfish analysis
- Tactical training
- Game review reports
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Chessnut Next is the companion app for Chessnut smart chessboards, bringing physical chess and digital tools together in one seamless experience. Connect a compatible Chessnut board to play naturally with real pieces while the app synchronizes positions, records moves, and saves your games automatically. Whether you are playing against a computer, practicing tactics, reviewing a finished game, or playing face-to-face, Chessnut Next helps you get more from every move. Key Features • Smart Board Connection Connect a compatible Chessnut electronic chessboard and synchronize physical positions with the app in real time. • Play Against Chess Engines Challenge computer opponents with different strengths and playing styles using either a physical board or the on-screen board. • Online Chess Support Use a compatible physical board with supported online chess platforms for a more natural playing experience. • Automatic Game Recording Create and save complete PGN records, including moves, players, results, and time information. • Local Stockfish Analysis Review games with on-device Stockfish analysis to explore evaluations, recommended moves, and critical mistakes. • Maia and Personalized Practice Train against human-like chess engines designed to provide realistic play across different skill levels. • Game Review Reports Generate easy-to-understand reports that highlight strong moves, mistakes, turning points, and opportunities to improve. • Puzzles and Tactical Training Improve calculation, pattern recognition, and practical decision-making with chess puzzles and focused exercises. • Board Editor and Position Recognition Create custom positions manually or use supported image-recognition features to extract a chess position from a photo. • Voice Moves In supported game modes, speak origin and destination squares to enter moves hands-free. • Chess Clock and Over-the-Board Play Record face-to-face games and manage player time with compatible Chessnut devices. • Game Library and Sharing Browse saved games, filter records by source, refresh game data, and share games or review results. • Multiple Languages Choose from a range of interface and content languages. From your first move to detailed post-game review, Chessnut Next combines smart-board connectivity, game recording, engine analysis, and training tools in one app.
Screenshots
Verdict
Chess and Chessnut Next both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's. Chessnut Next's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Chessnut Next asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Chess against 4.9 for Chessnut Next. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chessnut Next has 34 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Chess | Chessnut Next |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.9 (34 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 34 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 148 MB | 369 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alvaro Ribes | Xenx Technology Limited |
Customer experience
Chess
Chessnut Next
In-app purchases
Chess
- Monthly$3.991 Month
- Annual$17.991 Year
Chessnut Next
No in-app purchases









