Chess.ceo
ChessBase alternative
Everything you'd buy ChessBase for.
100% free, in your browser.
14.7 million games, an opening explorer, Stockfish and Leela analysis, opponent prep. Runs in the browser on whatever machine you have. The database alone is 3 million games bigger than Mega Database 2026.
Side-by-side
| Chess.ceo | ChessBase '26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (optional Premium €4.99/mo) | €199.90–€499.90 packages; Mega Database €229.90 |
| Platform | Browser: Windows, macOS, Linux + iOS/Android apps | Windows 10+; no native macOS version (Parallels/Boot Camp; limited Apple Silicon mobile app) |
| Mobile | Full workspace on iOS/Android: offline Stockfish, offline database, opponent prep, live boards, synced collections | Companion app: puzzles, blitz, cloud analysis; the heavy lifting needs a connection |
| Game database | 14.7M OTB games, included free | Mega Database 2026: 11.7M games, €229.90 extra |
| Database updates | Continuous: live broadcasts flow in as games finish | Weekly downloads (~5,000 games), via paid update service |
| Opening explorer | Per-move win/draw/loss stats, performance deltas, rating-filtered databases | Reference database book / LiveBook |
| Extra databases | 2.4M correspondence + 9.6M engine games + 10M-game offline download (Premium, €4.99/mo) | Correspondence Database sold separately (in the €499.90 Premium Package) |
| Endgame tablebases | Syzygy built in, exact results for up to 7 pieces | Via Let's Check / online, or local install |
| Engine analysis | Stockfish in-browser, free; cloud GPU instances (Stockfish + Leela) at 3×+ lower cost; any local UCI engine via the desktop app (Premium) | Any local UCI engine, ready instantly (Windows); cloud engines paid in Ducats |
| Opponent preparation | Prep tree from any player's games: FIDE, Chess.com and Lichess accounts | Strong, on your local database |
| Your PGN files | Cloud collections, annotations, position search, sharing, optional end-to-end encryption | Mature local database editing |
| Live tournaments | Built-in boards with real-time clocks, free | Via ChessBase account services |
| Getting started | Open the site, no install, no account needed | Purchase, download, install on Windows |
ChessBase prices from the official ChessBase shop, July 2026.
The advanced opening explorer
Statistics on every move
Play through any line and see games, score, win/draw/loss split and performance delta for each continuation, over 14.7 million games.
Choose your reference
Switch between the full database, elite-rated slices, correspondence games, engine games or the Lichess explorer. One click, same board.
Endgames solved exactly
With 7 or fewer pieces on the board the explorer switches to Syzygy tablebases: every position win, draw or loss. Proven, not estimated.
From stats to games
Any position, one click to the actual games that reached it: replay, filter by Elo, year, result or ECO code, preview without leaving your analysis.
Engines: browser to cloud GPU
Stockfish runs in the browser, multi-threaded, the moment you open a board. For serious depth you can rent a dedicated GPU instance running Stockfish and Leela side by side, usually 3× or more cheaper than ChessBase's Ducat-priced cloud engines. One caveat: the instance takes a couple of minutes to boot; browser Stockfish covers the wait. And if you'd rather use your own hardware, the desktop app (Windows, macOS and Linux, Premium) hooks up Leela or any UCI engine running on your machine, the same openness ChessBase offers on Windows.
Built for preparation
Search any player, FIDE-rated, Chess.com or Lichess, and Chess.ceo builds an interactive opening tree from their games: every line they play, how often, and where they score worst. For FIDE players you can slice the tree by year and time control, or leave out their online games entirely. Browse ~45,000 player profiles with repertoires, rating history and head-to-head records, e.g. Magnus Carlsen or Hikaru Nakamura.
What ChessBase still does better
Some things it genuinely does better. Heavy offline editing of big private databases is more mature there. Its engines are ready the second the program opens, where our GPU instances take minutes to boot and local-engine support sits in the Premium desktop app. And there's a whole commercial training world around it: Fritztrainer videos, opening courses, ChessBase Magazine. If that's your workflow, it's worth the money. Our focus is the everyday work: querying master games, exploring openings, analysing, preparing. Free, in the browser.
Other alternatives, honestly compared
Scid vs. PC (free, desktop)
Powerful open-source database program in the ChessBase mould. Very capable, but a dated interface, a desktop install, and you must source and update game databases yourself.
ChessX / En Croissant (free, desktop)
Lighter open-source database readers and organisers. Good PGN tools; no included master database, prep tooling or live data.
Lichess studies (free, web)
Excellent for building and annotating repertoires collaboratively. Not a master-games database at scale, and no per-opponent preparation workflow.
Chess.ceo (free, web)
Each of the above does a piece of what ChessBase does. This site has the database, the explorer, the engines and the prep tooling in one place, which is the point.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chess.ceo really free?
Yes. The database, explorer, search, engine analysis and opponent prep are free, with no trial and no expiry. Premium is €4.99/month if you want no daily limits, the extra databases (2.4M correspondence and 9.6M engine games, plus a 10M-game offline download), 500 preparations a day and no ads.
How does the database compare to Mega Database 2026?
14.7 million games against Mega's 11.7 million. It also doesn't wait for a weekly download; broadcast games land in the database as they finish.
Does it work on Mac and Linux?
Yes. ChessBase has no native macOS version (Mac users go through Parallels or Boot Camp). Chess.ceo runs identically in any browser on Windows, macOS and Linux, with iOS/Android apps that sync.
Can I bring my PGN files?
Yes. Import or paste PGNs into cloud collections, annotate with variations, comments and glyphs, search your own games by position, share collections, and optionally encrypt them end-to-end.
Open a board, explore 14.7 million games, prepare against your next opponent.