Chess.com vs. Lichess: Which Is Better?
Chess.com and Lichess are the two dominant online chess platforms, and they take radically different approaches. One is a commercial business with premium tiers. The other is a 100% free, open-source nonprofit. Here is an honest comparison to help you choose.
Pricing
Chess.com: free tier with limited features, premium memberships (£4-12/month) unlock unlimited puzzles, lessons, game review, and more. Lichess: completely free, no ads, no premium tier. Funded by donations. Every feature is available to every user.
Features comparison
- Playing: both offer all time controls, both have strong matchmaking.
- Analysis: Lichess offers free unlimited Stockfish analysis. Chess.com limits free users to one analysis per day (premium unlocks unlimited).
- Puzzles: both have excellent puzzle trainers. Chess.com limits free users; Lichess is unlimited.
- Lessons: Chess.com has structured video courses (premium). Lichess has fewer lessons but offers free Lichess Studies and broadcasts.
You can also train with our own puzzle trainer, which is completely free.
Community
Chess.com: 100+ million accounts, massive casual player base, active forums and clubs. Lichess: ~10 million accounts, more "purist" chess community, open-source ethos, tournament hosting tools. Lichess users tend to be slightly more serious on average.
Our recommendation
Use both. Play on whichever has better matchmaking at your time control, analyse on Lichess (free unlimited analysis), and explore Chess.com lessons if you have a premium subscription. Also check out our Play AI feature for practice.