ChessMessHow ChessMess is funded (and why it stays free)
Playing and learning stay free. Here's what ChessMess costs to run, where ads appear (never during games), and what supporters get, including no ads.
Playing and learning stay free. Small ads and optional short videos help pay the bills, never during your games. Supporters see none.
Why ChessMess can be free
The expensive part of chess software is the engine. ChessMess runs Stockfish 19 in your browser, so bots, coaching, Game Review, the analysis board and the mistake trainer cost nothing per game to provide.
What still costs money
Some things can't run in your browser: the servers for accounts, saved games, friend rooms and streamer queues; sending account emails; and the domain. Those are the running costs that ads and supporters help cover.
Ads, kept away from your games
- Small banners on some menu and reading pages. Never on the game screen, in friend games, in the mistake trainer or on the streamer screens. On phones, one tap closes the banner for the rest of your visit.
- Short videos, only when you choose to watch one:
- Coach: one video unlocks Coach for 24 hours.
- Takebacks in bot games: one video unlocks takebacks for the rest of that game.
- Premium boards and piece sets: one video unlocks one for 3 days. They aren't for sale.
- If no video is available, the feature unlocks anyway.
- Ads are served by Google AdSense. See the Privacy Policy for cookies and consent.
How you can help
On the Support page:
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Supporter, 1 month | $3 | 30 days of supporter extras |
| Supporter, 1 year | $24 | 365 days of supporter extras |
| Tip | $3, $5, $10 or $25 | Our thanks; $5 or more also adds 30 days of supporter extras |
- Every payment is one-time through Stripe Checkout. Nothing renews automatically, and ChessMess never sees your card.
- Supporter time stacks: buying while you're a supporter extends your end date.
- You need a free, confirmed account so the extras can attach to it.
Supporter extras
- no ads and no videos, anywhere on ChessMess;
- a small crown next to your name on your profile, in friends lists and search, and in friend games;
- the Gilded world and board (gold and ivory), marked "Supporters only".
That's it: nothing that affects play, learning or ratings. When your time ends, ads and videos come back, the crown disappears and Gilded switches back to the default look.
Free ways to help
Share ChessMess with a friend, invite someone to a game, leave an honest review, or report a bug to [email protected].
See also the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Questions and answers
- Do supporters get better tools?
- No. Every tool for playing and learning is free for everyone. Supporters see no ads or videos and get a crown badge and the Gilded theme as a thank-you.
- Are there ads during games?
- No. There are no ads on the game screen, in friend games or in the mistake trainer. Videos only play when you choose to unlock something.
- Does supporting renew automatically?
- No. All payments are one-time; nothing renews and you're only charged when you choose to pay.
Play free now — no sign-up needed