ChessFlow vs ZenAIya Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChessFlow
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ChessFlow is the training app built for tournament players - openings, middlegames and endgames - and the only one that lets you drill them on a real electronic chessboard. Train your lines on screen, or connect your Chessnut board over Bluetooth and practice with real pieces in hand, guided by the board's LEDs. Then let spaced repetition bring each line back right before you'd forget it, so your prep actually sticks. TRAIN ON A REAL ELECTRONIC BOARD Connect your Chessnut (Go, Air, Air+, Pro) and train with the pieces in your hands. The LEDs guide you - steady light for your opponent's move, a blink for a hint, a fast blink when the app plays the move for you. Make a mistake? Retry, ask for a hint, or let the app show you. REMEMBER YOUR OPENINGS WITH SPACED REPETITION ChessFlow uses an SM-2 algorithm adapted for chess openings: every line returns right before you're likely to forget it. Only a perfect run speeds up the schedule; anything shaky comes back tomorrow. No line ever disappears for months. A seven-day forecast shows how many lines come due each day, so you always know when a backlog clears. DRILL YOUR WEAK SPOTS ChessFlow tracks the positions where you go wrong most often and serves them back as targeted puzzles. Turn on Drill random positions for an endless stream of positions from the lines you've trained in the open repertoire - a fast way to keep it sharp. PRACTICE ANYWHERE ON THE VIRTUAL BOARD No hardware needed. Train on screen with tap-to-move and premove, just like chess.com and lichess. Your iPad becomes a training station; your iPhone keeps your repertoire in your pocket. PLAY IT OUT AGAINST STOCKFISH Stop anywhere in a line and play the position out against Stockfish 19, at a strength you choose. Explore variations in free analysis, with a slim evaluation bar beside the board, and export them. With ChessTools, our free clock app, on your iPhone, ChessFlow presses the clock for you. YOUR REPERTOIRE, FROM ANY SOURCE Keep building your repertoire in the chess app you already use - Chess Studio, for example. Link its iCloud folder and ChessFlow reads those PGN files without ever changing them: you study and edit there, you train here. Add a variation there and it's waiting the next time you open the file, with all your progress kept. You can also import single PGN files or paste FEN positions. Attach a course PDF or your notes to any repertoire; PDFs even reopen at the page you left, on every device. BUILT TO KEEP YOUR DATA SAFE Everything syncs across your iPhone and iPad via iCloud - lines, progress and colors. Training progress is merged across devices, never overwritten. Automatic daily backups, plus manual export and import. EXPORT & SHARE Copy or share your lines as PGN for lichess and chess.com. Export your games versus the computer as PGN or a tournament-style PDF scoresheet. Free to try, with a 14-day full-access trial. Subscriptions unlock unlimited training on the virtual board, or everything including the physical board. Requires iOS 17 or later. iPhone and iPad, one app. Questions or feedback? developer@chesstools.it Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.chesstools.it/chessflow/privacy.html
ZenAIya Chess
Master chess with an AI coach that provides real-time tactical advice and in-depth post-game analysis. Learn from your mistakes with interactive replays and explore alternative strategies. Play at five difficulty levels, from beginner to master.
- Real-time AI coaching
- Post-game analysis
- Interactive replay with feedback
- Five difficulty levels
- Strategy assessments (Pro)
- Competitive clock modes (Pro)
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Master chess with Zenaiya, the revolutionary AI coach that guides you in real-time. Whether you are learning how the pieces move or practicing advanced middle-game tactics, Zenaiya is right there beside you, analyzing every move and explaining the "why" behind the game. REAL-TIME AI COACHING: Chat directly with Zenaiya during the game for tactical advice. Ask why a move is bad, or how to escape a pin! POST-GAME ANALYSIS: Don't just see your blunders - understand them. Zenaiya breaks down your game into an interactive replay, highlighting key turning points. Chat with your AI coach at any move to get dynamic, personalized feedback and explore alternative strategies! PLAY AT YOUR LEVEL: Play against a fully adaptive opponent. Select your exact desired Elo rating (from 400 to 2800) and watch Zenaiya organically adjust her playstyle to match your skill level. UPGRADE TO ZENAIYA PRO: Take your training to the next level with our premium subscription: • Strategy Assessments: Our AI analyzes patterns across your recent games to uncover your unique weaknesses and playing style, giving you a personalized roadmap to improvement. • Competitive Clocks: Practice for real-world tournaments with professional FIDE time controls, including Bullet, Blitz, and Rapid increments. • Unlimited Ad-Free Play: Never see another ad. • Infinite Analysis: Unlock unlimited post-game AI reviews. • Premium Aesthetics: Access exclusive board themes like Obsidian Glass and Walnut Wood. Terms of Use: https://zenaiya.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://zenaiya.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: ChessFlow at none against ZenAIya Chess's shown. ZenAIya Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. ChessFlow sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ZenAIya Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ChessFlow ships an update every 3 days, ZenAIya Chess every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | ChessFlow | ZenAIya Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 202 MB | 130 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Giorgio Donnoli | SHAMIK NARENDRA DESAI |
In-app purchases
ChessFlow
- ChessFlow Virtual$4.991 Month
- ChessFlow Premium$8.991 Month
- ChessFlow Virtual$29.991 Year
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- ChessFlow Premium$49.991 Year
ZenAIya Chess
- ZenAIya Chess Pro$1.991 Month
- ZenAIya Chess Pro$14.991 Year









