32 apps indexed · last reviewed July 17, 2026

Find the right chess app, without the listicle fluff.

A searchable, filterable directory of chess apps. Compare side-by-side, filter by feature, platform, price, and skill level. No affiliate-spam top-5s, no fake rankings.

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Featured

The apps we'd install first on a new device.

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1. Chess.com

Featured

The default home of online chess.

Free · from $4.17/mo · Web · iOS · Android

4.5

2. ChessAtlas

Featured

Build an opening repertoire that survives spaced repetition.

Free · from $6.99/mo · Web

3. Chessable

Featured

MoveTrainer + spaced repetition for openings and tactics.

Free · from $11.99/mo · Web · iOS · Android

4.5

4. DarkSquares

Featured

Blindfold chess training, broken into 7 progressive levels.

Free · from €39 one-time · Web · iOS · Android

5. Lichess

Featured

Free, open-source chess. Forever.

Free · Web · iOS · Android

4.8

Guides, not listicles

Opinionated picks from a 2250 Lichess player who's actually used the apps.

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Start here

How to Pick a Chess App That Will Actually Get You Improving

An honest framework to pick a chess app that actually gets you improving, not the vibecoded listicle junk. From a directory run by a 2250 Lichess player.

Read the guide

The Best Chess Apps for Tactics Training

Which chess puzzle app actually builds pattern recognition and which one just farms your time? Tested picks from a directory run by a 2250 Lichess player.

Best Chess Apps for Opening Preparation

Opening apps compared: what actually builds a repertoire vs. what just fills your subscription queue. Directory picks from a 2250 Lichess player.

Chess Openings for White: A Practical Repertoire

The best chess openings for White for a 1200-1800 improver, plus the app that drills them into memory. Opinionated picks from a 2250 Lichess player.

Chess Openings for Black: Defenses That Hold

The best chess openings for Black for a 1200-1800 improver, split by what White plays, plus the app that drills them. From a 2250 Lichess player.

Best Chess Apps for Beginners (Free First)

An honest pick of beginner chess apps for adults and kids starting from zero. Free apps first, paid only when they actually pay back.

Best Chess Apps for Club Players (1500-2000)

Beyond the beginner stack: a tested set of chess apps for serious club players working toward 1800-2000. Tools that actually move the needle at this rating.

The Best Chess Apps for Endgame Practice

Endgame training is where most club players underinvest and lose ELO. A tested shortlist of chess apps that actually drill the technique that wins close games.

The Best Offline Chess Apps (No Wi-Fi Required)

Tested chess apps that work without an internet connection: bots to play, engines to analyze, databases to study. Built for travel, planes, and bad networks.

Pick by what you want to do

Different apps for different stages of your chess journey.

Learn chess from scratch

You know the rules are a thing but you don't know them yet. You need an app that teaches piece movement, basic tactics, and gives you gentle bots to play against - in that order.

View apps Daily tactics training

You want a puzzle habit that compounds. What matters: a large, curated puzzle bank, spaced repetition, and a mobile UX that makes you come back.

View apps Opening preparation

You're serious about building a repertoire and drilling it until moves are muscle memory. Look for repertoire tools, spaced repetition, and engine depth.

View apps Endgame mastery

The phase most players neglect. You need a structured trainer with theoretical positions plus practical drills.

View apps Over-the-board preparation

You play in-person tournaments and need analysis, scanning of physical games, and opponent prep tools.

View apps Tools for chess coaches

You teach students. Pick apps with study/share, student tracking, and annotation features.

View apps Chess apps for kids

Safe environment, age-appropriate content, parental controls, game-like progression.

View apps Online tournament prep

Tactics, time management, opening prep against expected opponents.

View apps Casual play

You just want quick games against humans or bots without commitment to training.