Chess Studio Lite vs ChessGold
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- PGN database management
- Game analysis with Stockfish 18
- Opening book creation and import
- Diagram recognition
- Cloud storage integration
- Play against engine (standard & Chess 960)
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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!
ChessGold
Engage in real-time chess matches against players worldwide. This platform offers a dynamic environment for both casual and competitive play, with options for free games or challenges using virtual currency. Enjoy a fair, skill-based experience with an intuitive interface.
- Real-time global chess matches
- Competitive games with rewards
- Free and virtual coin challenges
- Intuitive interface for all levels
- Skill-based online platform
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ChessGold offers a modern and competitive chess experience designed for players who want to challenge opponents from around the world. Whether you are a casual player or a seasoned competitor, ChessGold provides a dynamic environment where you can enjoy fair, skill-based matches at any time. Key features: • Play real-time chess matches with players globally • Participate in competitive games with meaningful rewards • Choose between free matches or challenges with virtual coins • Simple and intuitive interface for all player levels ChessGold is a fresh way to play chess online, bringing together an engaged community of players in a fair, skill-focused platform.
Screenshots
Verdict
Chess Studio Lite and ChessGold both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of Chess Studio Lite's written reviews are positive against 25% of ChessGold's. Chess Studio Lite also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). ChessGold's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. ChessGold sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Studio Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Chess Studio Lite against 4.4 for ChessGold. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 18 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Chess Studio Lite's written reviews are positive against 25% of ChessGold's.
Chess Studio Lite ships an update fortnightly, ChessGold every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Studio Lite | ChessGold |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (11 ratings) | 4.4 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 237 MB | 91 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Giordano Vicoli | Artin Rexhepi |
Customer experience
Chess Studio Lite
ChessGold
In-app purchases
Chess Studio Lite
No in-app purchases
ChessGold
- 50 Coins Pack$5.99
- 100 Coins Pack$11.90
- 200 Coins Pack$23.49
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- 500 Coins Pack$59.99
- 1000 Coins Pack$114.99
- 2000 Coins Pack$199.99
Questions
Is Chess Studio Lite free?
Is ChessGold free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Studio Lite or ChessGold?
Do Chess Studio Lite or ChessGold have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Studio Lite or ChessGold?
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