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 and play on Lichess, against a local friend, or the built-in engine — on your real board. Your opponent's moves light up on the board via LEDs, so your eyes stay on the game. WHAT'S NEW: A LOCAL CHESS ENGINE • Get hints in 2-player mode • Play against the engine — works fully OFFLINE, no internet needed • Free Analysis: set up any position, the engine shows best lines and gives a full evaluation — the spirit of the classic TASC R30/40 chess computer FEATURES • Free online play on Lichess — millions of opponents worldwide • 2-player mode with hints on one board • Free analysis with evaluation and best-move lines • Authentic over-the-board experience: real pieces, no screen-watching SET UP IN MINUTES Pair your board, launch the app, start playing. COMPATIBLE BOARDS Supreme T2, Supreme Boards, Exclusive Boards, Performance Boards, eONE. MORE INFO • Supreme T2 – computerchess.com/Supreme-T2/M880 • eONE – computerchess.com/eone/M841 • ChessClassics Exclusive – computerchess.com/en/chessgenius-exclusive-2/ • The King Performance – computerchess.com/the-king-performance/M830
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 9 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. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Chess | ChessLink App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (16 ratings) | 4.4 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 9 |
| 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 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 34 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









