The 4 Best Chess Apps in 2026
Online chess has never been healthier, and choosing a platform is no longer about who has the most players. It is about what you actually want to do: play fast, drill tactics, review your mistakes or let your child learn somewhere safe. This guide compares the 4 best chess apps in 2026 and what each one gives you for free.
Apps to play and learn chess from your phone
Mobile chess apps with online games matched by rating, daily tactics puzzles, engine analysis of your games, structured lessons and tournaments.
Top pick
Chess.com: Ajedrez
Free (with purchases) · 100M+
Best community
4.7
3.3M reviews
TopApps analysis
Chess.com finds you an opponent in seconds at any hour, with genuinely well made lessons, daily tactics puzzles and engine analysis of your games.
Chess.com is the biggest chess community in the world: millions of games a day, level-matched opponents in seconds, structured lessons, daily tactics puzzles and engine analysis of your own games. The free plan already lets you play as much as you want.
Pros
- Instant matchmaking at your level
- Genuinely well-made lessons and tactics puzzles
- Engine analysis of your games
Cons
- Unlimited analysis requires a subscription
- Daily puzzles are capped on the free plan
- Interface crowded with features and promotions
Lichess: Ajedrez Libre
lichess.org · Free · 1M+
Best free option
4.3
13K reviews
TopApps analysis
Lichess offers what Chess.com does but absolutely all of it free and ad free: unlimited analysis, unlimited puzzles and open source code.
Lichess offers exactly what Chess.com does but completely free and ad-free, funded by donations and fully open source. Unlimited engine analysis, unlimited tactics puzzles, studies and tournaments: there is no feature hidden behind a paywall.
Pros
- Absolutely everything free, no ads
- Unlimited engine analysis
- Tactics puzzles with no daily cap
Cons
- Smaller community than Chess.com
- Less structured learning content
- The app has had unstable releases
ChessKid: Ajedrez para Niños
Chess.com · Free (with purchases) · 1M+
Best for kids
4.5
22K reviews
TopApps analysis
ChessKid is a closed, moderated environment with no open chat, video lessons and opponents their own age: the safe option for under 13s.
ChessKid is Chess.com's version for under-age players: a closed, moderated environment with no open chat, video lessons, age-appropriate puzzles and opponents their own age. It is the safe way for a child to learn chess online without being exposed to strangers.
Pros
- Safe, moderated environment for children
- No open chat with strangers
- Video lessons made for kids
Cons
- Limited content on the free plan
- Falls short once the child improves
- Interface largely in English
Khan Academy
Free · 10M+
Best for theory
4.6
173K reviews
TopApps analysis
Khan Academy is not a chess app, but its free, structured approach to learning suits anyone who wants to understand the game before playing it.
Khan Academy is a non-profit offering complete, free courses in maths, science, economics and computing, with videos and exercises that adapt to your level. There are no paid plans and no advertising: it is probably the best free educational content available anywhere.
Pros
- Completely free, with no ads or subscription
- Complete courses with videos and exercises
- Exercises that adapt to your level
Cons
- Not the whole catalogue is translated into Spanish
- More academic than practical in approach
- Takes self-discipline; there's no tutor
Frequently asked questions
Chess.com or Lichess?
Lichess if you want everything free: unlimited engine analysis, no daily puzzle cap and not a single ad, funded by donations. Chess.com if you value the community and the teaching content: more players at any hour, better structured lessons and more game modes, although a fair amount sits behind the paid plan.
Can you learn chess from scratch with these apps?
Yes. Chess.com and Lichess both cover everything from how the pieces move to basic endgames, and both serve tactics puzzles matched to your rating, which is the fastest way to improve early on. Playing slow games and reviewing them afterwards with the engine teaches you more than twenty blitz games in a row.
Is it safe for a child to play chess online?
Adult platforms have open chat and users of every kind, so supervision helps. ChessKid is built for exactly this: it comes from the Chess.com team, the environment is moderated, there is no free chat with strangers and opponents are a similar age. It also has parental controls for families.
Do tactics puzzles really make you better?
They are the single fastest way to improve for beginners and intermediate players, because most games at that level are decided by a tactical slip rather than by strategy. Ten or fifteen puzzles a day on Lichess or Chess.com show visible gains within weeks. Strategy and endgames matter later.
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