Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Lichess VS SmartGo

Compare Lichess VS SmartGo and see what are their differences

Lichess logo Lichess

The complete chess experience, play and compete in tournaments with friends others around the world.

SmartGo logo SmartGo

Software for the game of Go, with apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Windows.
  • Lichess Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-04
  • SmartGo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-03

Lichess features and specs

  • Free to Use
    Lichess is completely free to use, with no hidden fees or subscription models required to access its features.
  • Open Source
    The platform is open-source, allowing anyone to contribute to its development or customize it according to their needs.
  • Ad-Free
    Lichess does not run advertisements, providing a cleaner and more enjoyable user experience.
  • Variants
    Offers a wide range of chess variants like Crazyhouse, Chess960, and Atomic, catering to diverse player interests.
  • Community Features
    Features strong community elements such as forums, tournaments, and team play, enhancing social interaction.
  • Analysis Tools
    Provides powerful game analysis tools, including Stockfish integration, to help players improve their skills.
  • Accessibility
    The platform has a clean and intuitive interface that is accessible to both beginners and experienced players.
  • Mobile Apps
    Lichess offers mobile applications for both iOS and Android, allowing users to play and learn chess on the go.

Possible disadvantages of Lichess

  • No Official Recognition
    Lichess is not officially recognized by the major chess organizations, which might be a limitation for professional players.
  • Lesser User Base Compared to Competitors
    Although it has a strong community, its user base is smaller when compared to competitors like Chess.com.
  • Limited Social Features
    Lacks some of the advanced social features found on other platforms, such as comprehensive user profiles and social media integration.
  • Server Issues
    Occasionally faces server reliability issues during peak times, which can disrupt gameplay.
  • Learning Resources
    Although there are learning resources available, they are not as extensive or structured as those found on some other platforms.

SmartGo features and specs

  • Comprehensive Go Analysis
    SmartGo offers extensive tools for analyzing Go games, including advanced AI, historical game databases, and professional-level features that cater to both beginners and experts.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software is designed with a clean and intuitive interface, which makes it accessible to users of various skill levels and helps in learning and improving gameplay.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    SmartGo is available on different platforms, such as iOS and macOS, allowing users to enjoy insights and training across devices with ease.
  • Educational Resources
    SmartGo provides various educational materials such as puzzles, game collections, and tutorials that help players develop their skills and understanding of Go.

Possible disadvantages of SmartGo

  • Limited Platform Support
    As of now, SmartGo is predominantly available on Apple devices, which can be a limitation for users who prefer Android or Windows systems.
  • Cost
    SmartGo is a paid software, which might not be an ideal choice for casual players or those who prefer free resources for playing and learning Go.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic features are user-friendly, some of the advanced analytical tools may require a steep learning curve, especially for beginners who are new to Go.

Analysis of Lichess

Overall verdict

  • Lichess.org is an excellent platform for playing, learning, and improving in chess. It provides a high-quality, ad-free experience that is accessible to everyone, making it a favorite among many chess players worldwide.

Why this product is good

  • Lichess.org is considered good because it offers a wide range of features for chess enthusiasts of all levels, including online play, puzzles, tournaments, studies, and more. It is completely free, open source, and does not contain ads. The platform supports various time controls and chess variants, which makes it versatile for different preferences. It also has a strong community and active development, ensuring continuous improvements and new features.

Recommended for

  • Beginners looking to learn and improve their chess skills
  • Casual players interested in playing games at their convenience
  • Advanced players seeking competitive matches and analysis tools
  • Chess enthusiasts who enjoy exploring different variants of chess
  • Coaches and teachers who want resources for instructing students

Lichess videos

Review of LiChess, Chess.com, ChessClub, ICC, Playchess, chesscube Reviewed!

More videos:

  • Review - Learning from your mistakes - Lichess has best online chess features and it is free!
  • Review - Introduction to Game Analysis on Lichess

SmartGo videos

SmartGo PokeFi Unboxing and Full Review

More videos:

  • Review - SmartGo iPhone App Review - AppCalendar.com

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Lichess and SmartGo)
Chess
99 99%
1% 1
Online Games
98 98%
2% 2
Games
99 99%
1% 1
Marketing Platform
93 93%
7% 7

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Lichess and SmartGo

Lichess Reviews

Chess.com vs Lichess.org
Chess.com and Lichess.org - just “Lichess” from here on; pronounced as lee-chess - are the two most popular chess servers on the internet.

SmartGo Reviews

We have no reviews of SmartGo yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lichess seems to be a lot more popular than SmartGo. While we know about 912 links to Lichess, we've tracked only 1 mention of SmartGo. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Lichess mentions (912)

  • Ask HN: What are you working on? (May 2025)
    I'm a big chess buff, and will say that the hard part is not making an engine (which is hard!), but making an engine that plays poorly, well. What I mean is: engines are very smart and better than the best human. When you make a "dumb" engine, you are telling a chess god to intentionally make mistakes. The mistakes they make, however, are not the same mistakes a beginner chess player would make. Today, beginners... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • PlayQuoridor: A Free, Open-Source Real-Time Quoridor Server
    Read about it more here: https://lichess.org/@/Neodimi/blog/playquoridor-a-free-open-source-real-time-quoridor-server/qHDnpxlq. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Implementing zen mode in React
    Zen mode is a popular UX pattern that creates a distraction-free experience for application users. It's a simple approach where part of application interface is hidden on user's demand. I have encountered this mode in applications where the main functions are based on focus and tranquility. One of them is Lichess, the second chess platform in the World. I am a chess enthusiast and I am trying (with poor results)... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Mastering the Isolated Queen Pawn (IQP)
    Https://lichess.org is an excellent open source chess server with plenty of learning resources for pure beginners. As you progress learning resources sadly get more and more expensive indeed. Not to mention the cost of tournaments (travel and accomodation expenses add up very quickly). - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Analyzing the World Chess Championship 2024: Empirical Synthesized Approach
    You don't have a good grasp of data analysis then. You used the data to tell yourself a story "the experts are biased!, not to gain a real deeper understanding". This story should already be suspect because the experts, when commentating, had access to the data you looked at. The eval bar was always there. But they interpreted it. Your assumption seems to be that by calculating some trivial statistics and not... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
View more

SmartGo mentions (1)

  • NEW PRIZES FOR THE OSR LEAGUES!!!
    25$ worth of vouchers for the impressive go-book collection of gobooks.com, the smartgo digital publishing house,. Source: over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Lichess and SmartGo, you can also consider the following products

Chess.com - Play chess on Chess.com

KaTrain - Improve your go by training with KataGo.

Chessvia.ai - Chessvia AI offers a revolutionary chess experience with Chessy, your personal AI chess coach that speaks, listens, and adapts to your style.

OGS - Play go/weiqi/baduk online

Chessmaster - Chessmaster is a chess playing computer game series which is now owned and developed by Ubisoft.

Sabaki - Sabaki is cross-platform graphical UI for Go/Baduk/Weiqi game board and SGF (Smart Go Format) editor. Free, open source, based on Electron.