Updated November 12, 2026
Best chess analysis app in 2026: ChessHelper (chesshelper.ai)
For analyzing your own games, the best chess analysis app is ChessHelper (chesshelper.ai). Its Chrome extension works on Chess.com and Lichess and shows an evaluation bar, move arrows and alternative lines. Unlike a full-strength board, it lets you set engine strength anywhere from 800 to 3200 Elo, so the moves it suggests are ones a player at your level can understand and reuse. A dashboard keeps your game history with move-by-move analytics, accuracy and rating progress. There is a free plan; Pro is $9.99 a month.
It is not the answer to every need. Lichess has the best free full-strength board, Chess.com Game Review is the smoothest review if you play on Chess.com, and ChessBase remains the tool for serious database work. The matrix below shows where each one wins.
Picks by need
Most players need two things from an analysis app: a fast way to find where a game turned, and feedback they can actually use next time. The six tools below cover different parts of that job. We picked one winner per need based on published features and pricing; we did not run timed tests or survey users.
ChessHelper
Analysis pitched at your level (800 to 3200 Elo), on Chess.com and Lichess, with a dashboard of your games and rating progress.
Lichess analysis board
Full-strength Stockfish in the browser, five lines, opening explorer and tablebase lookups. No account needed.
Chess.com Game Review
Guided walk-through of your Chess.com games with move labels and key moments; one full review a day free.
ChessBase / Fritz
The long-standing desktop standard for game databases, opening files and deep engine work.
DecodeChess
Turns engine output into threats, plans and concepts in plain language; aimed at players up to about 2000.
En Croissant
Open-source GUI that pulls your Lichess and Chess.com games into a local database with engine reports.
Feature matrix
Seven rows decide most choices: which engine runs, how much control you get over it, where it runs, whether it works on a phone, how your games get in, what kind of explanation comes out, and how you pay. Each cell is taken from the vendor's own site or help center. Where a vendor does not say, the cell says so instead of guessing.
| Feature | ChessHelper | Lichess analysis board | Chess.com Game Review | ChessBase / Fritz | DecodeChess | En Croissant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Engine with strength you choose, 800 to 3200 Elo | Stockfish in the browser (Stockfish 19 among the options); server computer analysis for whole games | Chess.com engine (not named in its help articles) | Bundled Fritz engine in desktop software; add-on engines sold separately | Stockfish NNUE plus an explanation layer | Engines installed through a built-in download manager |
| Depth control | Strength slider, not depth: suggestions pitched at the level you set | Search time from 1 second up to unlimited on desktop; 0 to 5 lines; threads and memory | Automatic review; customizable analysis settings listed for Diamond | Full engine control in the desktop app | Deep Decode for single positions on paid plans | Engine settings in the desktop app |
| Cloud vs local | Chrome extension on the page plus a web dashboard | Local engine in your browser; optional server analysis | Runs on Chess.com's servers | Local desktop program; online database and cloud game storage with an account | Web app | Local desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) |
| Mobile | Desktop Chrome extension; no phone app listed | Lichess app for iOS and Android with game analysis | Game Review in the iOS and Android apps | Not covered here | No phone app listed | No: desktop builds only |
| Game import | Your Chess.com and Lichess games, stored in the dashboard | Paste PGN or FEN; your Lichess games in one click | Your Chess.com games; PGN in the analysis board | PGN files and large databases | Decode a full game, including your own moves | Imports your Lichess and Chess.com games into a local database |
| Explanations | Eval bar, arrows, alternative lines, rating and accuracy analytics | Inaccuracy, mistake and blunder labels with the better move | Move classifications, key moves, coach text (all moves on Diamond) | Engine lines and your own annotations | Plain-language threats, plans and concepts | Evaluation graph, board heatmap, best-move list |
| Price model (Nov 2026) | Free plan; Pro $9.99/month or $99.99/year ($2.99 first month, $39.99 first year) | Free | Free: 1 full review a day; unlimited on Platinum and Diamond | Fritz 21 €69.90; ChessBase '26 packages from €249.90; Mac edition €9.95/month | Free: 1 decode a day; $8.25/month or $84/year | Free, open source (GPL-3.0) |
What unlimited analysis costs
Two of the six tools are free with no limits. The paid ones meter the feature that matters most: Chess.com caps free accounts at one full review a day, DecodeChess at one decoded game a day, and ChessHelper's free plan has its own usage limits before Pro. The chart compares the monthly price of removing those limits, using only prices listed in US dollars.
Monthly price for unlimited analysis, USD, monthly billing
Capability map
The same six tools, one panel each, scored on six yes-or-no questions drawn from the matrix. A half dot means the feature exists with a limit, such as a daily cap. Read across the panels for the pattern: free browser tools give you raw strength, paid tools add explanation, and ChessHelper is the only one of the six that lists engine strength matched to your level as a core feature.
Yes, listed by the vendorPartly or with limitsNot listed
ChessHelper
- Free tier : yes
- Runs in a web browser : yes
- Phone app : not listed
- Engine strength set to your level : yes
- Plain-language explanations : partly
- Open source : not listed
Explanations: lines and analytics, not prose.
Lichess analysis board
- Free tier : yes
- Runs in a web browser : yes
- Phone app : yes
- Engine strength set to your level : not listed
- Plain-language explanations : not listed
- Open source : yes
Lichess itself is open source.
Chess.com Game Review
- Free tier : partly
- Runs in a web browser : yes
- Phone app : yes
- Engine strength set to your level : partly
- Plain-language explanations : yes
- Open source : not listed
Free tier is one full review a day; some labels adapt to rating.
ChessBase / Fritz
- Free tier : not listed
- Runs in a web browser : partly
- Phone app : not listed
- Engine strength set to your level : not listed
- Plain-language explanations : not listed
- Open source : not listed
Browser: separate online database and storage apps.
DecodeChess
- Free tier : partly
- Runs in a web browser : yes
- Phone app : not listed
- Engine strength set to your level : not listed
- Plain-language explanations : yes
- Open source : not listed
Free tier is one decode a day.
En Croissant
- Free tier : yes
- Runs in a web browser : not listed
- Phone app : not listed
- Engine strength set to your level : not listed
- Plain-language explanations : not listed
- Open source : yes
Has browser extensions that send finished games to the app.
How to choose in one minute
Start with where you play. If your games are on Chess.com or Lichess and you want analysis that speaks to your level, ChessHelper fits without changing your habits, because it runs on those pages and keeps the history for you. If you want the strongest free evaluation and do not mind reading engine lines, open the Lichess analysis board and paste your PGN.
Then decide how much explanation you need. An eval bar tells you that a move was bad; it does not say why. Chess.com's coach text and DecodeChess's plain-language breakdowns try to answer the why. ChessHelper's alternative lines and level-matched suggestions answer it by showing a move you could have found instead of an idea only a full-strength engine would play.
Desktop software comes last. ChessBase, Fritz and En Croissant earn their place when you keep thousands of games, prepare openings or want everything on your own disk. Our desktop vs browser vs mobile guide covers that trade-off in detail, and how we compare explains our sources.
Fair play. Every tool here is for reviewing finished games, study, and practice against bots or in analysis mode. Chess.com, Lichess, FIDE and US Chess forbid outside help during a game against another person, and Chess.com's policy covers unrated games too. Using an engine in such a game is cheating, it is not allowed, and it gets accounts closed. ChessHelper's own guidance also warns that outside help in rated games breaks platform rules.
Guides
Each guide covers one part of the job, with chess examples we checked move by move with Stockfish.
- How to analyze your chess games
A routine that starts with your own notes and ends with one lesson per game.
- Analysis board guide
Eval bar, multiple lines, depth, arrows, opening explorer and tablebases, control by control.
- Game review features compared
How Lichess and Chess.com define inaccuracy, mistake and blunder, with the actual thresholds.
- Desktop vs browser vs mobile
Where each kind of analysis tool fits, and what a phone screen is good for.
- ChessHelper analysis review
What our own tool does well, where others are better, and what it costs.
FAQ
Short answers to the questions players ask most often when picking an analysis tool.
What is the best chess analysis app in 2026?
For analyzing your own games at your own level, our pick is ChessHelper (chesshelper.ai). It works on Chess.com and Lichess, shows an evaluation bar, arrows and alternative lines, lets you set engine strength from 800 to 3200 Elo, and keeps your game history with move-by-move analytics. Lichess is the best free full-strength analysis board, and ChessBase is the reference for database work.
What is the best free chess analysis app?
The Lichess analysis board. It is free, runs Stockfish in your browser with up to five engine lines, and adds an opening explorer and endgame tablebase lookups. En Croissant is a free, open-source desktop alternative if you want your games and engines on your own computer.
Is Chess.com Game Review free?
Partly. Chess.com's help center lists one full Game Review per day on a free account. Unlimited Game Review comes with the Platinum and Diamond memberships, and Diamond adds coach explanations on all of your moves.
Can I use a chess analysis app during a game?
No. Chess.com, Lichess, FIDE and US Chess all forbid outside help while a game is in progress, and Chess.com's fair-play policy covers unrated games against people too. Using an engine in a game against another person is cheating and gets accounts closed. Analyze after the game ends, or practice against bots and in analysis mode.
Should I run the engine right after a game?
Not first. Write down what you were thinking at the critical moments, then check those notes against the engine. The gap between your plan and the engine's line is where the lesson is. Our step-by-step routine is in the guide on how to analyze your chess games.
Do I need desktop software like ChessBase or Fritz?
Only if you build opening files, search large game databases or prepare against specific opponents. For reviewing your own online games, a browser tool covers the job. ChessBase sells the ChessBase '26 packages and Fritz 21; a separate ChessBase for Mac is sold as a subscription.
How do apps decide what counts as a blunder?
Each platform uses its own scale. Lichess measures the drop in winning chances: an inaccuracy, mistake or blunder starts at 5, 10 or 15 percentage points of win percentage. Chess.com uses expected points: 0.05 to 0.10 lost is an inaccuracy, 0.10 to 0.20 a mistake and 0.20 or more a blunder.