Lichess icon

LICHESS.ORG

For competitive and casual chess players seeking ad-free play, deep engine analysis, and community-driven tournaments without subscription barriers.

Known forLichess
1app3.5(9.1K)Games

Snapshot

Who is LICHESS.ORG?

Providing a comprehensive, ad-free, and open-source chess ecosystem for players to learn, play, and analyze games without financial barriers.

Target audience

CompetitiveCasual chess players seeking ad-free playDeep engine analysis

Active nemesis

Optime Software

Other rivals

Portfolio

Free 1
1
app
Games1

Last updated

Lichess

v0.22.7

5mo ago

Intense

Publisher DNA

What defines LICHESS.ORG?

Publisher DNA

Primary focus

Open-source chess platform and analysis tools

Scale

indie

Target audience

Competitive and casual chess players seeking ad-free play, deep engine analysis, and community-driven tournaments without subscription barriers.

Signature Patterns

  • 100% free and ad-free monetization model supported by community donations
  • Heavy emphasis on technical utility including engine analysis and study features
  • Open-source development philosophy with frequent iterative updates
  • Cross-platform ecosystem connecting mobile play to a robust web-based community
Intense

Portfolio momentum

Actively developing with 10 updates released in the last 6 months for their flagship title, indicating a high-frequency iteration cycle.

Last release 36d agoActive apps 1

Portfolio

What does LICHESS.ORG ship?

Apps

1 app analysed

Lichess icon
Lichess

The one open-source chess game

3.5(9.1K)
View Intel →

Collaborative study features create deep community network effects

  • Open-source engine authority drives high organic traffic

Single-market publisher, every app ships only to United States.

Based on 1 of 1 app with localized market data · last scanned .

Americas (1)

  • United States1 / 1

Core markets (1/1 apps)

United States

Rivals

Who does LICHESS.ORG compete with?

The rivals identified

Nemeses(1)

Optime Software

known forChess ∙

1 app4.6Games

With over 1.7 million ratings, this app dominates the casual chess market through sheer install volume and long-term retention.

Contenders(2)

Kings of Games, d.o.o.

known forChess Universe+

1 app4.6Games

High release velocity indicates an aggressive strategy to capture market share through gamification and frequent content updates.

Vintolo

known forChess

1 app4.7Games

Maintains a high rating and significant review volume, serving as a direct alternative for users seeking a polished, standard chess experience.

Same space(3)

Chess.com

known forPlay Magnus - Play Chess

1 app4.0Games

Leverages high-profile branding to attract users interested in learning from and playing against engine-simulated personalities.

Heynow Software

known forChess King

1 app4.8Games

Operates in the board game category with a focus on high-quality engine analysis and tactical training.

Zach Gage

known forReally Bad Chess

1 app4.1Games

Targets the adjacent sub-genre of experimental and non-standard chess variants for players seeking novelty.

The Analyst's Read

The bottom line on LICHESS.ORG

Bottom line

Lichess.org is the primary open-source disruptor in the chess category, maintaining a competitive feature set through community contributions rather than traditional revenue models. Their positioning as a high-utility, free alternative makes them a permanent fixture that forces commercial competitors to justify their subscription costs.

Frequently asked questions

How many apps does LICHESS.ORG publish?
LICHESS.ORG has 1 app tracked by Marlvel, primarily in the Games category.
What kind of apps does LICHESS.ORG make?
LICHESS.ORG's portfolio is concentrated in Games, with an average rating of 3.5/5 across rated apps.
What is LICHESS.ORG's top app?
By review volume across the portfolio, Lichess is LICHESS.ORG's best-known app tracked by Marlvel.
In how many countries are LICHESS.ORG's apps available?
Marlvel has tracked LICHESS.ORG's apps across 1 country.

What fed this analysis

Apps analyzed:
1
With full intel:
0
With overview:
1
Website scraped:
yes
Social presence:
yes

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with automated quality gates, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LICHESS.ORG, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “LICHESS.ORG intelligence.” Updated 2026-04-28. https://marlvel.ai/publishers/lichess-org

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Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0