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A PlayOK xiangqi alternative
for when you'd rather improve than queue.
PlayOK has been a free home for classic board and card games since 2002, and its xiangqi room does exactly what it says: open a browser, join as a guest or sign up, and play a live opponent within moments, with rankings and game records to follow. Xiangqiful does the other half of the job. Ten AI opponents with personalities, Pikafish reviewing every move on your device, each mistake named the way a xiangqi teacher would name it, and lessons, drills and mate problems to fix what the review found. No account, no connection needed.
How does Xiangqiful compare to PlayOK?
A quick online game and a training app. Here's where each one fits.
Core purpose
Xiangqiful: Single-player training — play, get every game reviewed, train what the review found.
PlayOK: Live xiangqi against people, in game rooms, as part of a site with dozens of other classic games.
PlayOK: Live xiangqi against people, in game rooms, as part of a site with dozens of other classic games.
Getting started
Xiangqiful: Install, open, play — no account ever. The first two opponents are open from the start, and 80 lessons begin with the board and the pieces.
PlayOK: Open the page in any browser and play as a guest, or sign up for free to keep a profile, stats and game records.
PlayOK: Open the page in any browser and play as a guest, or sign up for free to keep a profile, stats and game records.
Analysis & coaching
Xiangqiful: Pikafish grades every move on seven steps from best to blunder, with accuracy for both sides, and names mistakes in xiangqi terms — a screenless cannon, a trapped horse, broken advisors, a missed Iron Bolt mate.
PlayOK: Rankings, stats and game records; engine analysis and coaching are not among the listed features.
PlayOK: Rankings, stats and game records; engine analysis and coaching are not among the listed features.
Puzzles & lessons
Xiangqiful: 902 mate problems from mate-in-1 to mate-in-7, 150+ drills in nine modules and 80 lessons in 8 tracks.
PlayOK: Not the focus — PlayOK links to the rules and gets you into a game.
PlayOK: Not the focus — PlayOK links to the rules and gets you into a game.
Offline & privacy
Xiangqiful: Fully offline, no account, no ads, no tracking. App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected.
PlayOK: Online only. Guest play needs no sign-up; an account adds profiles, contact lists and private messaging.
PlayOK: Online only. Guest play needs no sign-up; an account adds profiles, contact lists and private messaging.
Price & platforms
Xiangqiful: Free; Premium $1.99/month or $9.99/year (one-week free trial), or $19.99 once. Native on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
PlayOK: Free. Plays in the browser, on desktop or mobile.
PlayOK: Free. Plays in the browser, on desktop or mobile.
| Feature | Xiangqiful | PlayOK |
|---|---|---|
| Core mechanic | Play → review → train, against ten AI opponents | Live games against people in game rooms |
| Online play against people | No (intentional) | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes — everything runs on device | No |
| Account | None | Optional — guest play available |
| Engine analysis of your games | Pikafish on device, every game | Not a listed feature |
| Mistakes named in xiangqi terms | Yes | No |
| Mate problems, drills, lessons | 902 / 150+ / 80 | Not the focus |
| Rankings & stats | Skill radar, trends and weekly progress (Premium) | Yes — rankings and extensive stats |
| Other games | Xiangqi only (siblings: Chessful, Shogiful) | Dozens of board and card games |
| Price | Free; Premium $1.99/mo or $9.99/yr (one-week free trial), or $19.99 lifetime | Free |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad and Mac | Web browser, desktop or mobile |
| Best for | Finding out why you lose, and fixing it | A quick live game against a person, from any browser |
PlayOK details were checked on 1 October 2026 against its public xiangqi page (playok.com/en/xiangqi) and can change — check the site for current features before relying on them.
Honest verdict — PlayOK for a game, Xiangqiful for the lesson
Pick Xiangqiful if you want…
- Every game reviewed by Pikafish, with each mistake named in xiangqi terms
- Lessons, drills and mate problems that follow your weaknesses
- Western and hybrid piece sets while you learn the characters
- No account, no ads, nothing collected, fully offline
- One purchase across iPhone, iPad and Mac
Pick PlayOK if you want…
- A live opponent within moments, no install needed
- Guest play without signing up
- Rankings and stats against real people
- Lots of other classic games on the same site, free
For a quick game against a person, PlayOK is hard to beat; for working out what to do differently next time, use Xiangqiful.
About Xiangqiful
Questions
FAQ
What is a good PlayOK xiangqi alternative?
It depends on what you're after. For more games against people, Xiangqi.com, PyChess and Club Xiangqi are the other free online options. If you want to improve, Xiangqiful is a native iPhone, iPad and Mac app that reviews every game you play against its ten AI opponents with the Pikafish engine, names each mistake in xiangqi terms, and builds drills and mate problems from what you missed — offline, with no account.
Can I play people on Xiangqiful like on PlayOK?
No. Xiangqiful has no multiplayer and no online play, by design. You play ten AI opponents with personalities, from strength 400 to 1900 on Xiangqiful's own scale (not Elo), in untimed games; beat one twice and the next one opens.
Does PlayOK analyze xiangqi games?
PlayOK's xiangqi page lists rankings, stats, profiles and game records; engine analysis is not among its listed features. Xiangqiful analyzes every game on your device with Pikafish, grading each move on seven steps from best to blunder and naming mistakes such as a screenless cannon, a trapped horse or a missed Iron Bolt mate.
Is Xiangqiful free like PlayOK?
Xiangqiful is free to download and its free tier never expires: 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, with no ads. Premium is $1.99/month or $9.99/year (one-week free trial), or $19.99 once. PlayOK is free, so on price alone PlayOK wins.
Can I learn xiangqi from zero in Xiangqiful?
Yes. The 80 lessons in 8 tracks start with the board and the pieces, and the two opponents at the bottom of the ladder play like real beginners. If the characters on the pieces put you off, start with the western-symbol set or the hybrid set, which shows each symbol with its character.
Can I analyze my PlayOK games in Xiangqiful?
If you have a game's moves as WXF or ICCS movetext, you can import it into Xiangqiful and analyze it like any other game. Other formats such as XQF are not supported in this version.
Try it
Open Xiangqiful
The game is over — now find out why. Free to try, no account, works offline.