Comparison

Chess Engine vs Chess Trainer

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

Head to head
About

Chess Engine

Instantly analyze any chess board by scanning it to find the best next move. This tool uses advanced AI and a powerful chess engine to help you study, train, and improve your game. Digitize diagrams from books or review tournament games with confidence.

Highlights
  • Scan physical or digital chess boards
  • Instantly find the next best move
  • AI board recognition
  • Stockfish engine analysis
  • Digitize diagrams from books
  • Save and export to FEN/PGN
Features
Read full description

Capture any physical or digital chess board and instantly find the NEXT BEST MOVE. No more manual entry. No more guessing. Just scan, solve, and win. Stop wondering what you missed and start understanding why. ▶ Why Use ChessFox: Whether you are reading a chess book, playing a friend at a park, or reviewing a tournament game, ChessFox uses stockfish to "see" the board and provide instantly the next best move. - Total Confidence in Every Game: Never feel lost in a position again. Get the clarity of a 3500+ ELO engine analyzing your specific real-world setup. - Study Smarter, Not Harder: Instantly digitize diagrams from books or newspapers. Spend your time learning the theory, not setting up the pieces. - The Perfect Training Partner: Carry a Grandmaster in your pocket. Get hints, find blunders, and explore "what-if" scenarios on the fly. ▶ What Sets ChessFox Apart: - Board Recognition: Our AI identifies pieces and positions from any chess board. - Deep Engine Analysis: Powered by Stockfish, the world’s strongest chess engine, for precision accuracy. - Save & Export: Instantly convert scans to FEN or PGN to share with coaches or export to your favorite analysis tools. JOIN THOUSANDS OF IMPROVING PLAYERS From casual hobbyists to dedicated club players, ChessFox is the essential tool for anyone serious about improving their game. Stop playing in the dark and start seeing the board with total clarity. Download ChessFox now and find your next winning move. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Chess Trainer

Features
Read full description

Chess is not learned from a book — it is learned on the board. Chess Trainer makes you PLAY every idea: every lesson ends with positions you must win yourself, and every pattern becomes a move your hands know. THE ROAD Short lessons you play, not read. Watch each idea arrive move by move, replay it as often as you like, then prove it — three positions where you deliver the mate yourself, and a boss game to seal the unit. CHECKMATE PUZZLES Mate in 1, 2 and 3, every solution engine-verified. Learn the 29 named checkmate patterns — back rank, smothered, Anastasia and the rest — and collect them in the Mate-dex: a card is engraved the first time YOU deliver that mate in a real position. 5,000 RATED PUZZLES From 400 to 2400, by theme: forks, pins, mates, defence, endgames. A puzzle rating that moves after every puzzle, a daily puzzle for your level, and a streak. PLAY • Our own on-device bot: plays anywhere, no internet needed, free forever. • Rated levels from 1350 to 2850 Elo, powered by Stockfish — the world's strongest open-source engine — running on our servers. • Pass & play with a friend on one device. GAME REVIEW Every move graded, from Brilliant to Blunder, with an accuracy score for both sides. See what the engine would have played, step through the game move by move, and keep the review forever — reopening it is free, even offline. Every mistake gets a sentence — what it cost, what it allowed, what was better — and you can retry the move. FAIR BY DESIGN Journey Level 1 with its lessons and every offline opponent are free, including five characters that start at true-beginner strength and get a little harder at each step. Every day you also get 10 rated puzzles, one Stockfish game, one game review and 3 takebacks or hints in bot games. Coins buy one more. Chess Trainer Pro opens Journey Level 2 and every level after it, and makes puzzles, Stockfish games, reviews, takebacks and hints unlimited. No ads, ever. No account, no login. 13 languages. Built for iPhone and iPad. Subscription details Chess Trainer Pro is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://chesstrainer-web.web.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://chesstrainer-web.web.app/terms/

Screenshots

Chess Engine4 screens
Chess Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

Chess Engine and Chess Trainer are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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 Engine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chess Trainer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Chess Engine versus Chess Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess EngineChess Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbdullah AnwarYoussef Ziat

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Chess Engine

Subscriptions4
  • ChessFox Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • ChessScan Pro Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • ChessFox Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
Show 1 more
  • ChessFox Pro Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • ChessFox Pro Lifetime$49.99
7 purchases

Chess Trainer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Pro$19.991 Year
One-time5
  • 300 coins$1.99
  • 1,000 coins$4.99
  • 2,500 coins$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Pro — Lifetime$14.99
  • Lifetime Pro$34.99

Questions

Is Chess Engine free?
Chess Engine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Trainer free?
Chess Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Engine or Chess Trainer have ads?
Neither Chess Engine nor Chess Trainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Engine or Chess Trainer?
Chess Engine ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Trainer every 5 days. Most recently, Chess Engine was updated on November 7, 2026 and Chess Trainer on November 6, 2026.

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