Comparison

Chess Studio Lite vs Encyclopedia 3 by Informant

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

Head to head
About

Chess Studio Lite

Manage and analyze chess games and databases in PGN format. Study openings, practice against engines, and solve puzzles with advanced analysis tools. Supports multiple devices and cloud storage integration.

Highlights
  • PGN database management
  • Game analysis with Stockfish 18
  • Opening book creation and import
  • Diagram recognition
  • Cloud storage integration
  • Play against engine (standard & Chess 960)
Features
Read full description

Chess Studio is the first and only application for iPhone and iPad able to completely manage chess database and games in PGN format. Chess Studio is an application designed and built for those players who really want to deepen their knowledge in the field of chess, studying chess regularly and participate in tournaments. Chess Studio allows you to: • Read database and games in PGN format (also with extended notation of moves). • Create, delete and modify folders and databases. • View games with annotations and textual comments and keep track of the displayed games. • Use a double chessboard on the same screen for better game analysis. • Visualize moves and variants in compact mode or indented mode. • Modify existing games with move annotation and textual comments. • Insert new games and positions. • Insert moves with annotations and textual comments. • Insert variation, subvariations etc. • Insert and visualize graphical annotation (colored arrows and highlighted squares). • Share Databases and Games through Airdrop. • Download chess database from internet. • Download chess database from PGN Mentor site. • Import games, database and Opening Books from other applications. • Merge two or more databases. • Copy/Paste games and positions. • Analyze games with Stockfish 19 Engine with the support of the Neural Networks (up to 5 lines of analysis simultaneously) and see the results also through the Engine Evaluation Bar. • See graphic visualization of moves suggested by Stockfish 19 engine. • See Win-Draw-Loss (WDL) probabilities during engine analysis. • Replay games automatically. • Visualize Pawn structure. • Manage Variations and sub-variatons: delete and promote variations. • Read the weekly Magazine The Week In Chess and download the games. • Uploading and Downloading PGN database to/from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive. • Three different modes for moving pieces. • Analyse endgames with Endgame Tablebases. • Analyse and study Chess Openings. • Creation and management of Opening Books in Polyglot format. • Import and management of ChessBase Opening Books (ctg, cto, ctb format). • Automatically classify a database according to ECO code. • Replay, enter and analyze Chess 960 games (Fischer Random Chess). • Play against the engine both in standard mode and in Chess 960 mode. • Solving Puzzles. • Diagram Recognition: this feature allows the user to take and/or upload photos of chess diagrams and convert them into PGN format positions. Other features and technical details: • Modify the board size tapping on the board or through the Settings menu. • Professional chess fonts and figurines for moves notation and annotation. • Preview of the game in the board tapping the Info button. • Advanced search feature. • Visualization of ECO code and Opening during game replay or game insertion. • Visualization of Book Openings during game replay or game insertion. • Complete management of Null Moves with Tutorial. • Portrait/Landscape mode for all devices. • Support of Slide Over and Split View mode. • Function to move up within variants and subvariants. • Online manual frequently updated. • iOS 26 compatible and optimized for all the devices. • Sharing of databases across devices via iCloud Drive. • Sound option. • Support for iPad Pro Keyboard or bluetooth keyboard. • VoiceOver/Accessibility support. • Direct contact via email with the developer. • Languages: English, Italian, Spanish and German. Complete description at the following address: https://chessstudio.wordpress.com/chess-studio/ The application is continuously updated with new features and improvements. Chess Studio Lite is a smaller version of Chess Studio where some features are limited. To view the terms of service visit https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ No registration! No advertising! No sharing of personal data! If you own an iMac or a MacBook try the new Chess Lab!

About

Encyclopedia 3 by Informant

This educational tool offers systematic chess training with advanced-level combinations for players rated 2400 ELO. It provides interactive lessons, hints, and explanations to improve tactical skills and game knowledge. The app challenges users consistently, unveiling new intricacies as they master specific tactics.

Highlights
  • Advanced level chess combinations
  • Systematic training by theme
  • Interactive theoretical lessons
  • Hints and refutations for mistakes
  • Play positions against computer
  • Monitors ELO rating changes
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations vol. 3 (ECC vol. 3) is the ultimate educational tool with systematic, carefully selected content for player with ELO 2400. The material is based on the latest edition of the eponymous bestselling book released by Chess Informant. This volume contains chess combination of Advanced Level (ELO 2400) for solving, all hand-picked and sorted by theme to provide the most exciting and efficient training experience possible! Unlike disorganized, basic tactics you can learn all over the Internet, this Chess Sphinx will challenge you consistently and systematically, unveiling new intricacies right when you decide you have mastered that particular tactic. This course is in the series Chess King Learn (https://learn.chessking.com/), which is an unprecedented chess teaching method. In the series are included courses in tactics, strategy, openings, middle game, and endgame, split by levels from beginners to experienced players, and even professional players. With the help of this course, you can improve your chess knowledge, learn new tactical tricks and combinations, and consolidate the acquired knowledge into practice. The program acts as a coach who gives tasks to solve and helps to solve them if you get stuck. It will give you hints, explanations and show you even striking refutation of the mistakes you might make. The program also contains a theoretical section, which explains the methods of the game in a certain stage of the game, based on actual examples. The theory is presented in an interactive way, which means you can not only read the text of the lessons, but also to make moves on the board and work out unclear moves on the board. Advantages of the program: • High quality examples, all double-checked for correctness • You need to enter all key moves, required by the teacher • Different levels of complexity of the tasks • Various goals, which need to be reached in the problems • The program gives hint if an error is made • For typical mistaken moves, the refutation is shown • You can play out any position of the tasks against the computer • Interactive theoretical lessons • Structured table of contents • The program monitors the change in the rating (ELO) of the player during the learning process • Test mode with flexible settings • Possibility to bookmark favorite exercises • The application is adapted to the bigger screen of a tablet • The application does not require an internet connection The course includes a free part, in which you can test the program. Lessons offered in the free version is fully functional. They allow you to test the application in real world conditions before releasing the following topics: 1. Annihilation of defence 2. Blockade 3. Clearance 4. Deflection 5. Discovered attack 6. Pinning 7. Demolition of pawn structure 8. Decoy 9. Interference 10. Double attack

Screenshots

Chess Studio Lite4 screens
Encyclopedia 3 by Informant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Encyclopedia 3 by Informant at 4.9 against Chess Studio Lite's 4.4. Encyclopedia 3 by Informant also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Chess Studio Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. Encyclopedia 3 by Informant sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Studio Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Encyclopedia 3 by Informant holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Chess Studio Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of Encyclopedia 3 by Informant's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Studio Lite ships an update fortnightly, Encyclopedia 3 by Informant every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chess Studio Lite versus Encyclopedia 3 by Informant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Studio LiteEncyclopedia 3 by Informant
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (11 ratings)4.9 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1117 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size237 MB44 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperGiordano VicoliChess King

Customer experience

Chess Studio Lite

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral18.2%
Negative18.2%

Encyclopedia 3 by Informant

All ratings17 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chess Studio Lite

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Encyclopedia 3 by Informant

One-time1
  • Full Course$9.99

Questions

Is Chess Studio Lite free?
Chess Studio Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Encyclopedia 3 by Informant free?
Encyclopedia 3 by Informant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess Studio Lite or Encyclopedia 3 by Informant?
Encyclopedia 3 by Informant is rated higher. Chess Studio Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Encyclopedia 3 by Informant averages 4.9 from 17 ratings.
Do Chess Studio Lite or Encyclopedia 3 by Informant have ads?
Neither Chess Studio Lite nor Encyclopedia 3 by Informant shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Studio Lite or Encyclopedia 3 by Informant?
Chess Studio Lite ships an update fortnightly, and Encyclopedia 3 by Informant every 3 months. Most recently, Chess Studio Lite was updated on October 24, 2026 and Encyclopedia 3 by Informant on October 24, 2026.

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