Comparison

chesstactics vs ChessTempo

Facts about ChessTempo checked September 5, 2026 against their own site.

ChessTempo is the deep, granular tactics trainer. chesstactics is a taught path through the motifs. An honest comparison of what each one is for.

What ChessTempo is

ChessTempo has been training tactics for well over a decade: a large problem set, a tactics rating, filtering by theme, a database and an opening trainer alongside it. Standard tactics training is free; membership tiers add custom problem sets, deeper statistics and more of the database. It is the reference point for serious, high-volume tactics practice.

What ChessTempo does better

The problem set and the rating system are older and better calibrated than ours, and that is not a small thing in a tactics trainer.
Its statistics per theme, per rating band and over time are more granular than anything we ship.
It does things we do not do at all: a games database, an opening trainer, endgame training.

Side by side

What it is: ChessTempoA deep tactics problem set with a rating, plus a database and other trainers; chesstacticsA tactics trainer built as a course: each motif taught, then drilled, then tested
Learning path: ChessTempoYou choose what to practise; the depth is yours to navigate; chesstacticsOne trail per level: lesson → drill → test, in order, unlocked as you go
Motif accuracy: ChessTempoThemes from its own problem set; chesstacticsThe puzzle's MAIN theme, not merely a tag, and five motifs are re-verified by our own tagger
Reads your own games: ChessTempoNot a scan of your Lichess or Chess.com account; chesstacticsYes, the scan reads those accounts, finds the tactics you missed and replays them until fixed
Missed tactics come back: ChessTempoThrough custom sets you build yourself (a membership feature); chesstacticsAutomatically, on a dated queue: +1 day, +3, +7
Timed rush: ChessTempoNot its focus; chesstacticsThree modes, every move server-verified, one leaderboard each
Price shape: ChessTempoFree tactics training, with paid membership tiers above it; chesstacticsFree tier, then one payment for the rest, no subscription

Feature	ChessTempo	chesstactics
What it is	A deep tactics problem set with a rating, plus a database and other trainers	A tactics trainer built as a course: each motif taught, then drilled, then tested
Learning path	You choose what to practise; the depth is yours to navigate	One trail per level: lesson → drill → test, in order, unlocked as you go
Motif accuracy	Themes from its own problem set	The puzzle's MAIN theme, not merely a tag, and five motifs are re-verified by our own tagger
Reads your own games	Not a scan of your Lichess or Chess.com account	Yes, the scan reads those accounts, finds the tactics you missed and replays them until fixed
Missed tactics come back	Through custom sets you build yourself (a membership feature)	Automatically, on a dated queue: +1 day, +3, +7
Timed rush	Not its focus	Three modes, every move server-verified, one leaderboard each
Price shape	Free tactics training, with paid membership tiers above it	Free tier, then one payment for the rest, no subscription

Use ChessTempo if…

Pick ChessTempo if you already know which motifs you are weak at and want volume and control: filter by theme, grind, watch a well-calibrated rating move. For a strong player who does not need to be taught, it is still the best tool of its kind.

Use chesstactics if…

Pick chesstactics if you do not yet know what you are missing. The path names the motif before it tests you on it, and the scan answers the question ChessTempo cannot: which tactics did you actually walk past, in your own games, last month.

Questions

Is ChessTempo free?

Its standard tactics training is free, and has been for years. Membership tiers sit above that and unlock things like custom problem sets and deeper statistics. We are not quoting their prices here because we could not load their pricing page on 2026-09-05. Check it yourself rather than trusting a competitor's number.

Which has more puzzles?

ChessTempo's problem set is larger and older. Ours is drawn from the Lichess puzzle database, stratified by rating and motif, enough that no path runs out, but volume is not the argument we are making.

Which rating is more meaningful?

Theirs is better established. Ours is a classification of first attempts on server-verified puzzles, which means it cannot be inflated by a browser, but it is younger and calibrated against fewer players. Do not expect the two numbers to match.

Try it before you decide

Every motif has a page with puzzles you can play without an account, and the sixty-second rush needs no account either. Pro is €39, once.

Play a rush See pricing

chesstactics is an independent product, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ChessTempo. ChessTempo and its marks are the property of their owner. This comparison is written and maintained by us, which is exactly why it names what ChessTempo does better. Check the claims at the source and tell us if one has gone stale.