Native · Offline · Coaching-first
A PyChess alternative
that fits in your pocket and works on a plane.
PyChess is the free, open-source home of chess variants on the web — xiangqi alongside janggi, shogi, makruk and dozens more, with the look and feel of Lichess, online play, Fairy-Stockfish analysis and puzzles, all paid for by donations. Xiangqiful is a different kind of thing: a native iPhone, iPad and Mac app that does one game and is built entirely around getting better at it. Pikafish runs on your device, every mistake is named in xiangqi's own terms, and your training comes from your own games. No browser, no connection, no sign-in.
How does Xiangqiful compare to PyChess?
A free platform and a native coach. Here's where each one fits.
What it is
Xiangqiful: A native single-player training app for xiangqi — ten AI opponents, game review, lessons, drills and mate problems.
PyChess: A free, open-source (AGPL-3.0) variants server at pychess.org — online games against people, analysis, puzzles and tournaments across many chess variants.
PyChess: A free, open-source (AGPL-3.0) variants server at pychess.org — online games against people, analysis, puzzles and tournaments across many chess variants.
Native app vs browser
Xiangqiful: Native on iPhone, iPad and Mac (iOS 18+, macOS 15+ on Apple silicon), one purchase for all three.
PyChess: Runs in the browser on any device — no install. No native iOS app is listed on the site.
PyChess: Runs in the browser on any device — no install. No native iOS app is listed on the site.
Engine & analysis
Xiangqiful: Pikafish, the xiangqi-specific engine derived from Stockfish, on your device. Every move graded on seven steps with accuracy for both sides, and mistakes named in xiangqi terms — a screenless cannon, a trapped horse, broken advisors, a missed Iron Bolt mate.
PyChess: Fairy-Stockfish, a multi-variant fork of Stockfish, for analysis and computer play. You read the engine's lines and evaluations yourself.
PyChess: Fairy-Stockfish, a multi-variant fork of Stockfish, for analysis and computer play. You read the engine's lines and evaluations yourself.
Offline & sign-in
Xiangqiful: Fully offline. No account, no server, no ads, no tracking; App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected.
PyChess: Needs a connection. You sign in through Lichess, Lishogi, Google or Discord.
PyChess: Needs a connection. You sign in through Lichess, Lishogi, Google or Discord.
Reading the pieces
Xiangqiful: Traditional, western-symbol and hybrid sets; traditional or simplified characters; WXF or Chinese notation.
PyChess: Internationalized pieces for every Asian variant, xiangqi included — a good option for players who don't read Chinese.
PyChess: Internationalized pieces for every Asian variant, xiangqi included — a good option for players who don't read Chinese.
Price
Xiangqiful: Free tier; Premium $1.99/month or $9.99/year (one-week free trial), or $19.99 lifetime.
PyChess: Entirely free and donation-funded.
PyChess: Entirely free and donation-funded.
| Feature | Xiangqiful | PyChess |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Native iPhone, iPad and Mac | Web browser |
| Works offline | Yes — everything runs on device | No |
| Online play against people | No (intentional) | Yes — free, with tournaments |
| Games covered | Xiangqi only | Xiangqi plus many other chess variants |
| Engine | Pikafish (xiangqi-specific), on device | Fairy-Stockfish (multi-variant) |
| Mistakes named in xiangqi terms | Yes — screenless cannon, trapped horse, broken advisors, missed mates | No — engine lines and evaluations |
| Training from your own games | Yes — drills and mate problems chosen from your weaknesses | No — a general puzzle section |
| Mate problems | 902, mate-in-1 to mate-in-7, solver-checked | Puzzle section |
| Sign-in | None | Lichess, Lishogi, Google or Discord |
| Open source | No (the Pikafish engine is GPL-3) | Yes — AGPL-3.0 |
| Price | Free; Premium $1.99/mo or $9.99/yr (one-week free trial), or $19.99 lifetime | Free, donation-funded |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad and Mac | Any device with a browser |
| Best for | Structured offline improvement with a coach in your pocket | Free online xiangqi — and every other variant — in a browser |
PyChess details were checked on 1 October 2026 against pychess.org (FAQ and xiangqi guide) and its public GitHub repository, and can change — check the site for current features before relying on them.
Honest verdict — PyChess is free and excellent
Pick Xiangqiful if you want…
- A native app on iPhone, iPad and Mac that works fully offline
- Mistakes named in sentences, in xiangqi's own terms, not just engine lines
- Drills and mate problems chosen from your own weaknesses
- Western and hybrid pieces with lessons that introduce the characters
- No sign-in, no ads, nothing collected, and a $19.99 lifetime ceiling
Pick PyChess if you want…
- Free online xiangqi against people, right now
- Tournaments and a community that plays many variants
- A fully open-source platform with no paid tier at all
- To play from any device with a browser
If you only ever play online in a browser, stay with PyChess — it's superb and free. Xiangqiful earns its place when you want native, offline and coached.
About Xiangqiful
Questions
FAQ
Is there a native iPhone or Mac app like PyChess for xiangqi?
PyChess is a web platform and lists no native iOS app. Xiangqiful is a native iPhone, iPad and Mac app for the training side of xiangqi: Pikafish analysis on your device, mistakes named in xiangqi terms, 902 mate problems, 150+ drills and 80 lessons, all working fully offline with no account. For free online games against people, PyChess in the browser is still the better choice.
How is Xiangqiful different from PyChess?
PyChess is a platform: online games, Fairy-Stockfish analysis, puzzles and tournaments across many chess variants, free and open source. Xiangqiful is a coach for one game: it reviews every game you play against its ten AI opponents, grades each move on seven steps from best to blunder, names mistakes such as a screenless cannon or a missed Iron Bolt mate, and builds your drills and mate problems from what you missed.
Is Xiangqiful free like PyChess?
Xiangqiful has a permanent free tier: 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 (both with a one-week free trial), or $19.99 once. PyChess is entirely free and donation-funded — if cost is the only criterion, PyChess wins.
Which engine is better for xiangqi, Pikafish or Fairy-Stockfish?
Both descend from Stockfish. Fairy-Stockfish is built to play many variants; Pikafish is built for xiangqi alone and tops the computer-xiangqi rating lists. PyChess's FAQ notes that its strongest computer level is limited to under a second per move. Xiangqiful runs Pikafish with its 53 MB neural network entirely on your device.
Can I play xiangqi offline with Xiangqiful?
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. PyChess needs a connection.
Can I use both PyChess and Xiangqiful?
Yes. Play people on PyChess, then train offline in Xiangqiful. If you have a game's moves as WXF or ICCS movetext you can import it into Xiangqiful and analyze it; XQF files are not supported in this version.
Try it
Open Xiangqiful
Native, offline, and built to make you better at xiangqi. No sign-in required.