Offline · No ads · Coaching-first
A Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi alternative
that tells you why the game went wrong.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi has earned its place: a free, offline xiangqi app with eight AI opponents, hundreds of endgame puzzles, western or Hanzi pieces, hints and unlimited undo, rated 4.6 from about a thousand ratings on the US App Store. Xiangqiful plays offline too, but it is built for what comes after the game: Pikafish reviews every move on your device, names each mistake in xiangqi's own terms, and turns those mistakes into drills and mate problems. No ads, no tracking, nothing collected.
How does Xiangqiful compare to Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi?
Both are offline xiangqi apps you play against the computer. The difference is what happens after the game.
Opponents
Xiangqiful: Ten AI opponents with personalities across four tiers, from strength 400 to 1900 on Xiangqiful's own scale; beat one twice to unlock the next. Games are untimed.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Eight AI opponents, from ‘A Lucky Child’ to ‘The Centenarian Elder’, plus AI-versus-AI and sacrifice modes.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Eight AI opponents, from ‘A Lucky Child’ to ‘The Centenarian Elder’, plus AI-versus-AI and sacrifice modes.
After the game
Xiangqiful: Pikafish grades every move on seven steps from best to blunder, gives accuracy for both sides and names mistakes in xiangqi terms — a screenless cannon, a trapped horse, broken advisors, a missed Iron Bolt mate.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Hints and unlimited undo while you play; a structured post-game review is not a listed feature.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Hints and unlimited undo while you play; a structured post-game review is not a listed feature.
Puzzles & training
Xiangqiful: 902 mate problems, mate-in-1 to mate-in-7, most from eight classical manuals such as the Shiqing Yaqu (1570), each line re-checked by the app's own solver. 150+ drills in nine modules and 80 lessons in 8 tracks.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: 600+ endgame puzzles and a custom board for setting up your own positions.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: 600+ endgame puzzles and a custom board for setting up your own positions.
Reading the pieces
Xiangqiful: Traditional, western-symbol and hybrid sets; traditional or simplified characters; WXF or Chinese notation; optional 3D board; more than 30 languages.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Western symbols, Hanzi characters and vintage designs; English only.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Western symbols, Hanzi characters and vintage designs; English only.
Ads & privacy
Xiangqiful: No ads in either tier, no tracking. App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: No in-app purchases. Its privacy label lists identifiers used to track you and for third-party advertising.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: No in-app purchases. Its privacy label lists identifiers used to track you and for third-party advertising.
Price & platforms
Xiangqiful: Free; Premium $1.99/month or $9.99/year (one-week free trial), or $19.99 once. iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Free. iPhone and iPad, and Apple-silicon Macs.
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi: Free. iPhone and iPad, and Apple-silicon Macs.
| Feature | Xiangqiful | Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi |
|---|---|---|
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| AI opponents | 10, with personalities, strength 400–1900 | 8, beginner to expert |
| Post-game engine review | Yes — Pikafish on device, seven-step grades, accuracy for both sides | Not a listed feature; hints during play |
| Mistakes named in xiangqi terms | Yes | No |
| Training from your own games | Yes — drills and mate problems chosen from your weaknesses | No |
| Puzzles | 902 mate problems, solver-checked | 600+ endgame puzzles |
| Lessons | 80 lessons in 8 tracks | Not a listed feature |
| Western-style pieces | Western and hybrid sets | Western symbols |
| Languages | More than 30 | English |
| Ads & tracking | None — Data Not Collected | Identifiers used for tracking and third-party advertising |
| Price | Free; Premium $1.99/mo or $9.99/yr (one-week free trial), or $19.99 lifetime | Free, no in-app purchases |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad and Mac | iPhone, iPad and Apple-silicon Macs |
| Best for | Understanding your games and training what they show | Free offline games and endgame puzzles against the computer |
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi details were checked on 1 October 2026 against its public US App Store listing (developer Tuyen Mai) and can change — verify opponents, puzzles and the privacy label on the current listing before installing.
Honest verdict — free games or a coach
Pick Xiangqiful if you want…
- A review of every game, with each mistake named in xiangqi terms
- Drills and mate problems chosen from what you keep missing
- 80 lessons, with a hybrid set that teaches the characters as you play
- No ads and no tracking — the privacy label says Data Not Collected
- The app in your own language, from more than 30
Pick Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi if you want…
- A completely free offline opponent with no purchases at all
- Hundreds of endgame puzzles and a custom board
- AI-versus-AI and sacrifice modes to experiment with
- A long-established app with about a thousand ratings
If you just want a free opponent on the train, Best XiangQi does the job; if you want to know why you lost and what to practise next, try Xiangqiful.
About Xiangqiful
Questions
FAQ
What is a good alternative to Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi?
Xiangqiful, if you want your games explained as well as played. Both apps let you play xiangqi offline against the computer. Xiangqiful adds a review of every game: Pikafish grades each move on your device, names mistakes such as a screenless cannon or a missed Iron Bolt mate, and turns them into drills and mate problems. It has no ads and its App Store privacy label is Data Not Collected.
Does Xiangqiful work offline like Best XiangQi?
Yes, completely. The engine, the analysis, the lessons, the puzzles and all ten opponents run on your device, so it plays the same in airplane mode. There is no account and no server.
Is Best XiangQi free? Is Xiangqiful?
Chinese Chess - Best XiangQi is free with no in-app purchases; its privacy label lists identifiers used for tracking and third-party advertising. Xiangqiful is free to download with no ads: unlimited games against all ten opponents, all 80 lessons, the first drill set in every drill module, 2 full game analyses, 3 training puzzles and 2 coach hints a day. Premium is $1.99/month or $9.99/year (one-week free trial), or $19.99 once. On price alone, Best XiangQi wins.
Which app has more puzzles?
They count different things. Best XiangQi lists more than 600 endgame puzzles. Xiangqiful has 902 mate problems — consecutive-check puzzles from mate-in-1 to mate-in-7, most taken from eight classical manuals such as the Shiqing Yaqu (1570), with 194 original — plus 150+ drills across nine modules. Every mate line was re-checked by Xiangqiful's own solver, and book problems that don't work were left out.
Can I play with western pieces in both apps?
Yes. Best XiangQi offers western symbols as well as Hanzi and vintage pieces. Xiangqiful has three sets — traditional characters, western symbols, and a hybrid that shows both, so you learn the characters as you play — with traditional or simplified characters and WXF or Chinese notation.
How strong are Xiangqiful's opponents?
The ten opponents run from strength 400 to 1900 on Xiangqiful's own scale, not an Elo rating, in four tiers. Each has a personality and a playing style; beat one twice and the next one opens. The analysis itself always uses full-strength Pikafish, the open-source engine that tops the computer-xiangqi rating lists.
Try it
Open Xiangqiful
Offline xiangqi that explains itself. No ads, no account, nothing collected.