Pick Chessable if
- You want an author to explain the ideas behind the moves through written lessons or video.
- You want to combine and customise material from courses you study.
- You train tactics, endgames and strategy in the same place as openings.
OnlyMove vs Chessable: courses and personal opening practice
Chessable combines instruction with spaced-repetition practice, and it also lets you build and edit a custom repertoire. OnlyMove focuses on maintaining your opening preparation, reviewing it with FSRS and using your games to update what needs practice. You can choose the workflow you prefer or use Chessable for course study alongside OnlyMove for your personal repertoire.
No subscription, no credit card.Last updated
The short version
Pick OnlyMove if
- You want free opening practice without a move cap or subscription.
- You want to maintain your preparation with PGN import, board editing and PGN export.
- You want correct moves and repertoire mistakes in your synced games to update your review schedule automatically.
OnlyMove vs Chessable, feature by feature
A tick marks the product that wins the row. Rows where neither one does are left unmarked, which is why some of them are.
| Feature | Chessable | OnlyMove |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free courses available; paid courses priced individually. Optional PRO: $11.99/month on the website | Advantage OnlyMove: Opening Trainer: $0, with no move cap or subscription |
| Building and editing your repertoire | Create custom courses; combine course lines and chapters with Repertoire, then edit the copies | Import PGN, edit in the explorer, or create a starter repertoire from your recent games |
| Spaced repetition | MoveTrainer, with settings for study priorities, repetition and review schedules | FSRS per position, with autoplay through mastered moves |
| Learning from your online games | Puzzle Connect turns tactical mistakes from Chess.com and Lichess games into exercises | Reviews both platforms against your opening repertoire; correct moves and repertoire mistakes feed FSRS |
| Teaching material | Advantage Chessable: Authored courses with explanations, including video options, across openings, tactics, strategy and endgames | Opening-repertoire training and suggested fixes from your games; no authored lesson catalogue |
| Mobile access | Advantage Chessable: iOS and Android store apps; offline course practice with PRO | Installable web app for your phone’s home screen |
Chessable feature information checked on .
What OnlyMove offers for your opening practice
Free training for a growing repertoire
OnlyMove’s Opening Trainer currently includes training, game import, repertoire review and PGN export for $0. Add the branches you need without a move cap, whether you keep a compact repertoire or prepare many sidelines.
See what is includedKeep your preparation in one place
Import PGN files from your own analysis, a study or a coach, then edit the repertoire on the board as your preparation changes. You can export your OnlyMove lines as PGN whenever you need a copy.
Read the PGN import guideReview the positions that need work
OnlyMove uses FSRS to schedule reviews per position. Autoplay carries you through mastered moves toward the material you need to practise, with surrounding moves for context. Your workload depends on what you add and what is due.
See how opening training worksLet your games update your reviews
Link Lichess or Chess.com and your synced games become review signals. Correct repertoire moves reinforce their cards; a repertoire mistake sends its position back to Learning. Review uncovered positions and add new lines for future practice.
See how games feed spaced repetitionWhere Chessable is the better pick
- Instruction alongside practice. Courses from coaches and titled players explain the ideas behind the moves, with written material and video options.
- Adapting a course to your needs. Repertoire lets you combine and edit course material, and turn additional subvariations into trainable lines.
- Study beyond openings. The catalogue covers tactics, strategy and endgames as well as opening repertoires.
Chessable can be both your source of instruction and your trainer. OnlyMove is a free alternative for maintaining and practising your personal opening repertoire. Using both also makes sense if you value Chessable’s lessons and want OnlyMove’s game-based review schedule for your own preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Is OnlyMove really free, or is it a trial?
The Opening Trainer is currently free with no subscription or credit card required. There is no move cap, and game import, repertoire review and PGN export are included.
Do I need Chessable PRO to study a purchased course?
No. Course purchases and PRO membership are separate. PRO adds benefits such as offline practice, access to short courses and course discounts; it does not include every paid course. Chessable also offers free courses. Individual course prices and promotional offers vary.
Can I build my own repertoire on Chessable?
Yes. Chessable supports custom courses. Its Repertoire feature lets you combine lines or chapters from courses you study and edit the copies. You can also turn course subvariations into trainable lines. OnlyMove offers another workflow based on PGN files, board editing and your online games.
Can I import a Chessable course into OnlyMove?
Chessable supports PGN export for custom-made variations. Catalogue variations, including those copied into a Repertoire, are excluded. OnlyMove can import the opening lines from an exported PGN. Chessable videos and review history do not transfer.
How is FSRS different from Chessable’s MoveTrainer?
MoveTrainer is Chessable’s course-learning and review system, with settings for repetition and review schedules. FSRS is the scheduling algorithm used by OnlyMove. OnlyMove applies it per position and updates reviews from both practice sessions and your synced games.
Can I use Chessable and OnlyMove together?
Yes. Study explanations and practise courses on Chessable, then use OnlyMove to maintain the personal repertoire you build from your analysis and games. The products keep separate repertoires and training progress; there is no automatic sync between them.
Other comparisons
All comparisons- vs ChessbookCompare Chessbook’s repertoire-building tools and 200-move free website plan with OnlyMove’s free trainer without a move cap.
- vs LichessUse Lichess to play, analyze and develop your studies. Add OnlyMove for scheduled opening reviews and feedback on your repertoire from your games.
- vs ChessAtlasBoth use FSRS and learn from your games. Compare free-plan limits, training, the course library and mobile access.
OnlyMove is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Chessable. Chessable and its trademarks are the property of their respective owner. This comparison is written and maintained by the OnlyMove team from publicly available information.
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