Chess apps without subscription in 2026 — one-time purchase or free alternatives
Tired of monthly chess subscriptions? Here are apps you can buy once (or use free forever) without the recurring charge.
Subscriptions make sense when the app adds new content every week (Netflix, Spotify). For chess improvement — where the patterns are largely unchanged — subscriptions feel less obvious.
If you'd rather pay once or nothing, here are 2026 options:
Lichess (free, forever): no premium tier, no ads, no subscription. 4M+ puzzles, rating system, unlimited play, engine analysis, opening explorer. Donations-only funding model. Best overall free option.
TheChess.Art ($4.99 one-time, or free tier): 225 heatmap-based puzzles, daily challenge, streak. Free tier: 30 levels + daily + streak forever. Paid: $4.99 unlocks everything, no recurring charge. No ads on v1.0 (optional rewarded ads in v1.1).
ChessTempo (free tier + $25-55/year optional Gold): huge puzzle database, good tactics trainer. Free tier is generous; Gold unlocks advanced filters and stats. Still subscription-y, but annual rather than monthly.
Chess Puzzles Book PDF (one-time): Polgár's 5334 Problems, de la Villa's 100 Endgames You Must Know. Not apps, but one-time purchases that outlast any subscription. Best for pure content density.
Personal Chess Trainer (one-time on iOS/Android, $4.99-9.99): curriculum-driven trainer. Older interface but no subscription.
Why we went one-time with TheChess.Art: subscriptions create a pressure to keep extracting value every month. One-time means we ship finished content, you own it, we don't have to invent reasons for you to stay. If it's useful in month 6 you still have it; if not, you don't keep paying.
Pick based on volume vs. framework: Lichess if you want a bottomless well of puzzles. TheChess.Art if you want a different thinking framework with a clear endpoint. Books if you want zero screen time. Any of these without a monthly bill.