Comparison

Chess Coach vs Chessnut Next

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

Head to head
About

Chess Coach

Features
Read full description

Most chess apps hand you a wall of mistakes. Chess Coach gives you one. It reads your recent games and finds the single highest-leverage weakness holding your rating back — then shows you the evidence, the resources to fix it, and tracks whether it's actually getting better over time. ONE FOCUS, NOT A FIRESALE After every analysis you get one Focus Area — "endgame conversion," "hanging pieces under time" — with a number behind it, not a dashboard of forty things you'll never read. FROM YOUR REAL GAMES Connect Chess.com or Lichess, or import a PGN. Chess Coach reads the games you actually played — blitz, rapid, classical — not generic puzzles. SEE THE EVIDENCE Every Focus Area cites the specific games it came from, with a one-line note on what went wrong. Tailored book, video, and article recommendations point you at the fix. TRACK REAL IMPROVEMENT Re-check the same weakness on your newer games and see the trend — improving, holding, or slipping — on a simple progress timeline. When you've solved it, Chess Coach moves you on to the next thing. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Runs on your device. Start free with no account and no setup. Upgrade to Pro for up to 30 sharper analyses a month on a stronger model, or bring your own Anthropic API key. Stop guessing what to work on. Fix one thing at a time. All required subscription information is presented in the in-app paywall: Terms of Use (standard Apple EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Link to our Privacy Policy: https://apps.superduper.nz/privacy/chess-coach-game-analysis

About

Chessnut Next

Enhance your chess experience by connecting a smart board to digitally record moves, play against AI, and analyze games. Offers tactical training, custom position creation, and voice input for hands-free play. Review your games with detailed reports and share your progress.

Highlights
  • Smart board connection
  • Play against chess engines
  • Automatic game recording
  • On-device Stockfish analysis
  • Tactical training and puzzles
  • Board editor and position recognition
  • Voice move input
Features
Read full description

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

Chess Coach4 screens
Chessnut Next4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chessnut Next at none against Chess Coach's 1. Chessnut Next also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). Chess Coach's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and ads 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 Coach sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Chessnut Next asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Coach ships an update every 4 days, Chessnut Next every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Chess Coach versus Chessnut Next: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess CoachChessnut Next
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB338 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSuper DuperXenx Technology Limited

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Coach

Subscriptions1
  • Pro$3.991 Month
None

Chessnut Next

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Coach free?
Chess Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessnut Next free?
Chessnut Next is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chess Coach or Chessnut Next have ads?
Neither Chess Coach nor Chessnut Next shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Coach or Chessnut Next?
Chess Coach ships an update every 4 days, and Chessnut Next every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess Coach was updated on October 3, 2026 and Chessnut Next on October 4, 2026.

Other comparisons