Comparison

PuzzleMate vs CherryChess

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

Head to head
About

PuzzleMate

Features
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PuzzleMate is a chess trainer with 500,000 chess puzzles offline - for players who want to study chess tactics seriously. No trackers, no ad banners, no data collection. The complete chess puzzle database ships inside the app. After download, you never need an internet connection again. Nothing leaves your device. Learn chess, solve mate puzzles, crack chess problems, master endgames and openings - all in an app that looks like a well-made book instead of a typical mobile game. PERSONAL COACH Your coach gets to know your game over a 50-puzzle assessment It builds an individual training plan around your six weakest tactical motifs Set a daily target, keep your streak, get a gentle daily reminder A detailed summary after every session shows exactly what improved Difficulty stays right at your level and adapts as your rating climbs DAILY CHESS PUZZLE A new chess puzzle every day Seven-day streak indicator Daily puzzle stays available in your history ADAPTIVE CHESS ELO TRAINING Glicko-2 ratings per tactical theme and opening category Dynamic difficulty matched to your chess skill level Transparent ELO changes after every solved chess puzzle No black box - every rating change is explainable GHOST MODE - CHESS FROM MEMORY Memorize the position for ten seconds, then the pieces vanish Solve the chess puzzle from memory alone Ten chess puzzles per session Daily updated leaderboard Didn't catch everything? Five-second peek budget per puzzle CHESS BOARD VISION TRAINER Identify chess squares instantly on the board Unlimited practice mode 60-second mode with its own daily leaderboard Sharpens board awareness for real chess games WEAKNESS ANALYSIS Your six weakest tactical motifs at a glance ELO and solve rate per chess theme Tap any theme to start targeted chess training instantly PROFILE AND CHESS HISTORY ELO progression graph over time Calendar view of daily chess results Complete history of every solved chess puzzle Replay any daily puzzle with a single tap TWO TIERS OF ACCESS Free version: 1,000 chess puzzles, daily allowance for puzzles, Ghost rounds and Vision practice Pro version unlocks over 500,000 chess puzzles, unlimited Ghost mode and unlimited Vision trainer, plus weekly and monthly recaps, sparklines, manual theme boost, achievements and data export No ad banners, no advertising IDs, no in-app advertising No sign-up, no account, no email address required DESIGN WITH CHARACTER Editorial style instead of generic app aesthetics Warm cream tones on near-black background Georgia as both display and body font Hairline separators instead of cards, no rounded corners A chess app that reads like a 1970s textbook OFFLINE AND DATA-MINIMAL Complete chess puzzle database bundled with the app No internet connection required after install No trackers, no advertising IDs, no personal data shared with third parties WHO IS PUZZLEMATE FOR? For chess beginners who want a structured way to learn chess tactics. For club players between 1200 and 2000 ELO who want to close their tactical gaps. For advanced players who want to train visualization through Ghost mode. For anyone looking for a quiet, focused chess trainer without noise. HOW DOES THE CHESS TRAINING WORK? You start with an ELO rating per tactical theme (fork, skewer, discovered attack, mating nets, and more). After every solved chess puzzle, PuzzleMate adjusts the difficulty - correct solutions raise your ELO, mistakes lower it slightly. This way you always get chess puzzles right at your learning edge: hard enough to challenge you, manageable enough to see progress. The Glicko-2 calculation considers not only success or failure, but also your confidence while solving. Solving a puzzle quickly and cleanly earns more ELO than reaching the solution after several failed attempts. Languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese.

About

CherryChess

Features
Read full description

Cherry Chess is a beautifully simple chess app that helps you actually get better. Play against honestly calibrated bots or a friend, then let a full-strength Stockfish engine show you exactly where the game was won or lost – all on your device, no account, no internet required. EVERY MOVE RATED • Each move gets a verdict, from Brilliant and Best Move to Mistake and Blunder • See instantly what your move was worth – or switch it off and just play • Optional evaluation bar right next to the board OPPONENTS AT YOUR LEVEL • Bots from 300 to 2200 in steps of 100, each step measured against real playing strength • They play like humans at their level – including the mistakes – and they finish won games • Max: the engine at full strength, for when you want to see perfect chess • Rated games always put you against the bot at your own level PLAY YOUR WAY • Rated, free or against a friend on the same device, with an optional board flip • With or without a clock, from 1 to 60 minutes plus increment, with a low-time warning • Move list while you play and hints when you get stuck • Focus mode hides everything but the board SEE WHERE YOUR GAME TURNED • Full game review with the evaluation graph and the best move for every position • The move list highlights only the moves worth finding • Accuracy and a performance rating for every game • Free analysis board to explore any position with the engine A RATING THAT MEANS SOMETHING • Every rated game moves your rating, on the same scale as the bots • Track your rating curve, accuracy, streaks and activity in your profile • Your complete game history, ready to replay and review LEARN WITH A PLAN • A learning path of 42 lessons in six units: board and pieces, check and mate, material, tactics, endgames and openings • Free practice whenever you like: board coordinates, checkmate puzzles and an opening trainer with 22 opening families MADE WITH CARE • Clean, distinctive design in dark and light themes • Two piece sets: the custom-made Cherry pieces and a timeless classic set • Smooth animations, haptic feedback and VoiceOver support • Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese and Chinese PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no sign-up, no tracking. Your games and progress stay on your device, and the engine runs completely offline. Whether you're learning how the knight moves or chasing your next rating milestone, Cherry Chess meets you at your level – and helps you go further.

Screenshots

PuzzleMate4 screens
CherryChess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CherryChess at none against PuzzleMate's 1. PuzzleMate's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. PuzzleMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CherryChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PuzzleMate ships an update weekly, CherryChess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
PuzzleMate versus CherryChess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPuzzleMateCherryChess
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB86 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRonny StasiakMilan Swillus

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PuzzleMate

One-time1
  • PuzzleMate Pro$5.99
None

CherryChess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PuzzleMate free?
PuzzleMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CherryChess free?
CherryChess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PuzzleMate or CherryChess have ads?
Neither PuzzleMate nor CherryChess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PuzzleMate or CherryChess?
PuzzleMate ships an update weekly, and CherryChess every 5 days. Most recently, PuzzleMate was updated on October 28, 2026 and CherryChess on October 19, 2026.

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