Chess vs ChessLink App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess
Engage in chess with a comprehensive suite of tools for analysis, annotation, and online play. Explore game trees with side-lines, add detailed comments, and enjoy a stable FICS server connection. Features include a robust database, opening/endgame browsers, and training videos.
- Game tree representation with side-lines
- Detailed game annotation
- Stable FICS server communication
- Enhanced FICS interface
- Improved database and setup screen
- Opening and endgame browser
- Links to training videos
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With Chess-wise 3 you can play chess, analyse games, annotate game notations, play online, solve exercises, watch training videos and much more. - Games are represented as trees, so they can have side-lines. This means when analysing moves, this will not anymore overwrite the moves of the main game - On the new annotation screen, you can add comments and !! - or ?? to the moves - The communication with the FICS server has been complete rewritten and is now much more stable - The FICS interface has more features (support for multiple accounts, iMessage-like chatting, friend list) - Improved database (re-order games in a PGN file) and setup screen (move pieces on the board) - Landscape views for the opening and endgame browser, showing the possible moves next to the board - Over 250 links to free training videos - Separate screen to select the pieces orientation, when playing with 2 players - Help file with tutorial for each major use case Each screen has been re-designed to give a better user experience, focussing on the main actions that people want to do on that screen. Any suggestions for further improvements (as well as bug reports) are welcome at info@chess-wise.com
ChessLink App
Connect your electronic chessboard to play chess games on Lichess or against a local partner or engine. LEDs on the board display opponent moves, providing an authentic over-the-board experience. Setup is quick and easy.
- Play on your physical chessboard
- Connects to electronic boards
- LEDs indicate opponent moves
- Play on Lichess
- Local playing partner option
- Chess engine integration
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Online chess that feels like real chess. Connect your electronic chessboard to the app and play games on Lichess, your local playing partner or chess engine—but on your real board. LEDs show you your opponent's moves directly on the board, so you stay fully focused and enjoy an authentic “over-the-board” experience. Set up in minutes. Pair your board, launch the app, and start playing. Compatible boards: Supreme Boards, Exclusive Boards, Performance Boards, and the eONE Board. More info and links to the boards: • Supreme T2 – computerchess.com/Supreme-T2/M880 • eONE – computerchess.com/eone/M841 • ChessClassics Exclusive – computerchess.com/Supreme-T2/M880 • The King Performance – computerchess.com/the-king-performance/M830 Follow us on social media: • YouTube - youtube.com/@millenniumchess • Facebook - facebook.com/MILLENNIUM.Digital.Chess • Instagram - instagram.com/millenniumchess • TikTok - tiktok.com/@millenniumchess
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ChessLink App at 4.4 against Chess's 3.6. ChessLink App also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). Chess's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 0%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ChessLink App asks for nothing beyond the download.
ChessLink App holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of ChessLink App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Chess ships an update fortnightly, ChessLink App every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess | ChessLink App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (16 ratings) | 4.4 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marcel Nijman | Juergen Precour |
Customer experience
Chess
ChessLink App
In-app purchases
Chess
- Unlock PRO$5.99
ChessLink App
No in-app purchases
