BestHow we compare
This page explains how we choose and rank the tools in our guides, how we check every chess move we print, and how we handle the fact that we make one of the products we recommend.
What we compare
We rank next-move tools on what matters for the question “what should I play next?”, not on raw engine strength, because almost every tool runs a strong engine.
| Criterion | What we look for |
|---|---|
| Suggestion strength | Whether you can match suggestions to your level, or only see the full-strength move |
| Context | Whether the tool shows several lines, evaluations and the reason behind a move |
| Where it works | Browser, extension, mobile app; which chess sites it supports |
| Price | Free plan, paid tiers, and what the free plan includes |
| Privacy | Whether positions are processed on your device or sent elsewhere |
| Fair-play stance | Whether the tool is presented for learning and analysis, not for help during games |
Our sources
We compare published features and pricing taken from each company’s own website and help pages, checked in November 2026. We do not use third-party price lists. When a company’s site does not state a detail clearly, we say so (for example, “not listed on its home page”) rather than guess. We do not publish star ratings, scores, user reviews or test results we did not run.
How we check chess moves
Every move sequence on the site is checked for legality with the chess.js library before publishing. Every engine claim, such as “the top three moves are” or an evaluation like +0.63, comes from Stockfish at depth 18 with three lines, and evaluations are shown from White’s side. Engines can rank moves differently at other depths or in other versions, so treat differences under about 0.10 as ties.
Our conflict of interest
We make ChessHelper (chesshelper.ai), and we rank it first for learning at your own level. We have a financial interest in that recommendation. Here is how we handle it:
- Every page discloses the relationship in the header and footer, and the about page explains it in full.
- Each tool is ranked for a specific job, and we name the jobs where other tools are better, such as free analysis (Lichess) or reviewing games played on Chess.com.
- We state ChessHelper’s limits on the same terms as everyone else’s.
- No other company pays to be listed, ranked or left out.
Updates
We review prices and features when we update a guide and at least every few months. Each page shows its last update date. If you spot something outdated, email [email protected].