The Short Answer
Quick answer: Pick Chessbook if you want to build your own repertoire from your own move choices and drill it. Pick Chessable if you want a grandmaster's prepared course to learn from. Both use spaced repetition. Chessbook's free tier caps you at 400 moves. Chessable's membership costs $11.99 a month in the US App Store.
Prices and figures here are as of October 2026.
Two Different Ideas
These apps look similar from a distance. Both train openings, and both quiz you on moves until they stick.
The difference is where the moves come from.
Chessable is a course marketplace. A titled player writes a repertoire, and you study their lines.
Chessbook is a builder. You choose your own moves, and the app helps you fill gaps and drill them.
That single difference decides most of the choice. Everything else follows from it.
How I Compared Them
I read both apps' official App Store listings on October 10, 2026, for features, prices and ratings.
Then I checked the claims each one makes about its training method against how spaced repetition actually works.
I didn't buy a subscription to either for this post. So this is a comparison of what each one offers and costs, not a long term user diary.
Our earlier Chessable review covers a longer stint on that side.
The table below pulls the key facts together.
The Key Facts Side by Side
| Feature | Chessbook | Chessable |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Build your own repertoire | Study authored courses |
| Training method | Spaced repetition | Spaced repetition (MoveTrainer) |
| Free tier | Up to 400 moves | Free courses and previews |
| Monthly price (US) | $7.99 | $11.99 |
| Annual price (US) | $79.99 | $74.99 |
| App Store rating | 4.9 from 2.1K ratings | 4.8 from 6K ratings |
| Seller | Chess Book, Inc. | Chess.com, LLC |
The annual prices are close. The monthly prices aren't.
If you plan to stay a year, Chessable is slightly cheaper on paper.
What Chessbook Does Well
Chessbook's listing names seven main features. Four of them matter most.
Find gaps automatically. It flags positions in your repertoire where you haven't prepared a reply.
Handle transpositions. If two move orders reach the same position, it treats them as one.
Avoid obscure moves. It helps you focus on lines opponents actually play.
Find mistakes in your online games. It checks where you left your repertoire in real games.
That last one is the killer feature for club players. It ties study directly to the games you lose.
What Chessable Does Well
Chessable's strength is its library.
Its listing claims more than 1,000 courses, with authors including Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri and Judit Polgar.
Courses cover openings, tactics, endgames and middlegame strategy. That's broader than a pure opening builder.
Its MoveTrainer drills each line with spaced repetition.
If you want someone strong to choose the moves and explain why, Chessable delivers that. You learn a professional's thinking, not just a move list.
The Free Tiers Compared
Chessbook's free tier lets you add up to 400 moves to your repertoire.
That's enough for a narrow repertoire. One opening as White and two defenses as Black, a few moves deep, can fit.
It isn't enough for broad coverage. Deep lines eat moves fast, because every branch counts.
Chessable's free side works differently. It offers free courses and previews of paid ones.
For a beginner, both free tiers are a fair test. Try them before paying for anything.
What the Paid Plans Add
Chessbook Pro removes the 400 move cap. You can build as large a repertoire as you like. It costs $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year in the US App Store.
Chessable's membership costs $11.99 a month or $74.99 a year. Its listing says it covers more than 300 courses, unlimited variation previews and full offline training.
Note the gap between 300 and 1,000. The membership doesn't cover the whole library.
Check whether the course you want is included before you subscribe.
Prices vary by country and platform.
Who Should Pick Chessbook
Chessbook suits players who already know what they want to play.
If you've settled on, say, the London as White and the Caro-Kann as Black, you don't need a course. You need a tool that keeps your lines organized and drilled.
It also suits players who take ideas from many sources: videos, books, a coach. Chessbook pulls them into one tree.
And it suits anyone who wants study tied to their own online games.
Our opening repertoire guide for 1200 to 1500 can help you choose the lines to build.
Who Should Pick Chessable
Chessable suits players who want guidance on what to play.
If you don't have a repertoire yet, a well written course gives you one, complete with explanations.
It also suits players who learn best from prose. Good courses explain plans, not just moves.
And it suits anyone who wants endgame or tactics training in the same app.
The risk is buying courses you never finish. A course you study is worth more than five you own.
Spaced Repetition in Both
Both apps rely on spaced repetition.
The idea is simple. You review a move just before you'd forget it. Each correct answer pushes the next review further out.
It works because memory strengthens most when recall takes a little effort.
That means both apps will feel similar during drilling. The difference is the content you drill, not the method.
So choose by content source first. The method is a tie.
Where Each One Falls Short
Chessbook doesn't explain moves the way a course does. It knows what you chose, not why a grandmaster would choose it.
You bring the understanding. That's harder for a beginner.
Chessable can lead to memorizing an author's lines without owning them. When an opponent leaves the book, you may be lost.
Its library is so large that choosing a course becomes its own problem.
Our post on learning openings by training, not memorizing covers how to avoid that trap.
Questions to Ask Before You Pay
Answer these honestly and the choice usually makes itself.
- Do I already know which openings I play? If yes, lean Chessbook.
- Do I want explanations, or just drilling? Explanations point to Chessable.
- Will I study at least four days a week? If not, stay on a free tier for now.
- Do I play online often? Chessbook's game check pays off most for active players.
- Is the course I want inside Chessable's membership, or sold separately?
Two or more answers pointing one way is a clear signal.
Using Both Together
Some players use both, and it works.
Learn a line from a Chessable course. Then enter the moves you actually like into Chessbook, along with your own additions.
That gives you an author's explanation and a repertoire you control.
It costs more, so it's worth it mainly for serious improvers.
If budget matters, pick one. Most players get most of the value from either app alone.
Our Verdict
For players who already know their openings, Chessbook is the better tool. It's cheaper monthly, it finds gaps, and it links study to your real games.
For players who need someone to choose and explain their openings, Chessable is the better teacher.
Either way, repetition does the heavy lifting. A few minutes a day beats one long session a week.
You can also drill your lines for free in our opening trainer before committing to a subscription.