Lichess
Lichess is a French nonprofit (loi 1901), founded in 2010, that operates a free, ad-free, open-source online chess platform serving global casual players, competitive and titled players, learners, spectators, and developers, funded solely by voluntary user donations and merchandise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLa Mure, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Lichess does
Lichess is a French nonprofit association (loi 1901), founded in 2010 and headquartered in La Mure (Grenoble), France, that operates lichess.org — a free, libre, open-source online chess server with no advertising, no trackers, and no paywalls. The platform serves a global, horizontally segmented user base spanning casual players, competitive and titled players (including GMs such as Magnus Carlsen and Ding Liren), chess learners and students, spectators following elite tournaments, and developers consuming its public API and data. The product surface covers online play across all time controls and variants (including chess960 and antichess), arena/Swiss/simul tournaments, a 6M+ puzzle training system, analysis boards, collaborative studies, broadcasts of professional events (notably FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz 2026), and a community layer of teams, forums, blogs, coaches, and streamers.
The underlying technology is a Scala full-stack application (lila) with a TypeScript/Sass frontend, a dedicated WebSocket service (lila-ws) for low-latency gameplay, a Flutter/Dart mobile app, and a distributed analysis system (fishnet) that runs the Stockfish and Fairy-Stockfish engines. Skill is rated using the Glicko-2 system, and the codebase is released under AGPLv3, allowing third-party self-hosting. Anti-cheat relies on two in-house ML/AI tools — kaladin for anomaly detection and irwin for pattern-based cheating identification — while analysis is powered by the third-party Stockfish engine compiled to WebAssembly. A public HTTP API, the lichess-bot bridge, and downloadable datasets (including on Hugging Face and Kaggle) extend the platform into the developer and research ecosystem.
Lichess has no premium tier, no advertising revenue, and no venture or institutional ownership. Its sole revenue streams are voluntary user donations through the Patron system (processed via PayPal and Stripe) and merchandise sales via the Swag Store on Spreadshirt. Growth is product-led and community-led: there is no sales motion, marketing budget, or formal pricing model — features are universal and free, and distribution is global via web, mobile, API, and open-source channels. The organization employs 51–100 staff plus a large volunteer contributor base, and its long-term operating durability rests on sustained donation flow and ecosystem engagement rather than commercial monetization.
Lichess firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lichess
- Legal name
- Lichess.org (association governed by the Law of Associations of July 1, 1901)
- Website
- https://lichess.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Lichess is a French nonprofit (loi 1901), founded in 2010, that operates a free, ad-free, open-source online chess platform serving global casual players, competitive and titled players, learners, spectators, and developers, funded solely by voluntary user donations and merchandise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Lichess is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Mure
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lichess business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- User Donations (Patron): Voluntary donations from users who want to support the platform. Donors receive public recognition on the site and a Patron icon on their profile. Donations are framed as gifts rather than purchases of services. As a French charitable organization (association loi 1901), Lichess is entirely dependent on these donations to operate.
- Swag Store: Online merchandise store selling Lichess-branded apparel and goods. Available through Spreadshirt platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Tier - Full Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Lichess product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lichess operates a free, libre, no-ads, open-source online chess server that delivers real-time gameplay (lobby, arena, Swiss, simultaneous exhibitions), a 6 million+ puzzle training system, learning tools, an analysis board with Stockfish engine, collaborative studies, live tournament broadcasts, and community features. The offering is provided globally via the web platform at lichess.org and through native Flutter mobile apps for iOS and Android, with a public API and open databases for developers and researchers.
Product overview
Lichess is a single unified platform offering free, libre, open-source online chess. The core product is the lichess.org website, complemented by a Flutter/Dart mobile app. The platform integrates multiple interconnected modules: puzzle training (Puzzles, Learn), competitive play (Arena/Swiss tournaments, Lobby games), analytical tools (Analysis Board, Study, Openings), community features (Teams, Forum, Blog, Streamers), and broadcast/watch features (Lichess TV, Broadcasts). Additional offerings include the Lichess API for developers, downloadable database of games/puzzles, and a patron donation system. The platform hosts professional chess broadcasts and is used by top players including world champions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lichess Online Chess Platform The flagship free, libre, no-ads, open-source online chess platform providing real-time lobby games, arena and Swiss tournaments, simultaneous exhibitions, puzzles, learning resources, analysis tools, broadcasts, and community features for chess players worldwide.
- Lichess Mobile App The official Lichess mobile application built with Flutter and Dart, providing full chess platform access including gameplay, puzzles, and analysis on iOS and Android devices.
- Lichess API Public HTTP API providing programmatic access to games, players, puzzles, tournaments, broadcasts, teams, and other platform data for developers, with OAuth support and rate limits for non-commercial use.
- Lichess Open Database Open database of all rated Lichess games and 6 million+ chess puzzles, freely available for download and research, also distributed on Hugging Face and Kaggle for machine learning and data science use.
- Lichess Swag Store Online merchandise store selling Lichess-branded clothing and items, operated through the Spreadshirt platform.
- Patron Donation System Voluntary donation system supporting Lichess as a French charitable association; donors receive visible Patron status on their profile and public recognition on the site.
Quantifiable outcome
- 16 years of continuous operation as a free, ad-free platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lichess
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Lichess technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
Lichess partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Take Take TakecoreTake Take Take, the chess app co-founded by Magnus Carlsen, has partnered with Lichess to expand from live game following into 'play and learn' functionality. This partnership enables Take Take Take to leverage Lichess's infrastructure for playing and learning tools, positioning itself between casual and serious players. The partnership allows Carlsen's startup to accelerate market entry into the play-and-learn sector while avoiding conflicts with his Chess.com ambassador role.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lichess competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Lucas Chess: Open-source chess training and analysis software providing engine-based practice against AI opponents. Comparable on the training/learning axis of Lichess's offerings, though desktop-focused rather than a community platform.
- Aimchess: Modern online chess platform focused on rapid time controls and casual competitive play. Overlapping product positioning in online gameplay and tournaments for a similar user demographic.
- PyChess: Open-source web-based chess server (similar AGPL philosophy to Lichess), offering free play with a smaller community. Most directly comparable as a fellow free/open-source chess platform, though at materially smaller scale.
Broad incumbents
- ChessBase: Long-established commercial chess software and database company offering desktop tools (Fritz, ChessBase), online platforms, and broadcast infrastructure. Broader portfolio but overlapping on chess databases, analysis, and broadcast tooling.
- Chessable: Chess learning platform (owned by Chess.com) using spaced-repetition courses for openings and endgames. Comparable on the learning/coaching side of Lichess's Study and Learn modules, though delivered via paid courses.
Direct peers
- Chess24: Online chess platform (now owned by Chess.com) that previously competed with Lichess as an independent, well-funded European player. Comparable in offering online play, broadcasts, and learning content.
- Chess.com: The dominant commercial online chess platform and Lichess's primary direct competitor. Offers similar core features (gameplay, puzzles, tournaments, broadcasts, lessons) but via a freemium subscription model with paid tiers — making it the most directly comparable peer.
- FIDE Online Arena: The official online platform of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), offering rated games and tournaments. Directly comparable as an online chess play-and-tournament platform tied to the same governing body whose events Lichess broadcasts.
- Internet Chess Club (ICC): One of the oldest online chess servers, offering real-time rated play and tournaments for serious players. Operates on a paid subscription model and targets a similar serious-player segment that Lichess serves for free.
- Take Take Take: Chess app co-founded by Magnus Carlsen, focused on live game following and now expanding into play-and-learn via its partnership with Lichess. Overlapping product surface (chess content, learning) and shared user base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lichess social profiles
Digital presenceLichess compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Lichess financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lichess leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lichess funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lichess M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lichess
What does Lichess do?
Lichess operates a free, libre, no-ads, open-source online chess server that delivers real-time gameplay (lobby, arena, Swiss, simultaneous exhibitions), a 6 million+ puzzle training system, learning tools, an analysis board with Stockfish engine, collaborative studies, live tournament broadcasts, and community features. The offering is provided globally via the web platform at lichess.org and through native Flutter mobile apps for iOS and Android, with a public API and open databases for developers and researchers.
Is Lichess a public or private company?
Lichess is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Lichess founded?
Lichess was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Lichess based?
Lichess is headquartered in La Mure, France, in the Europe region.
How does Lichess make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. User Donations (Patron) is the primary driver. The others are swag Store.
Who are Lichess's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Lucas Chess, Aimchess and PyChess. Broad incumbents are ChessBase and Chessable. Direct peers are Chess24, Chess.com, FIDE Online Arena, Internet Chess Club (ICC) and Take Take Take.
Does Lichess have an API?
Yes. Lichess offers a public HTTP API at https://lichess.org/api for accessing games, players, puzzles, tournaments, broadcasts, teams, and other platform data. The API is free for non-commercial use with rate limits applied. Documentation is available at https://lichess.org/api and https://lichess.org/api/ui for interactive exploration. OAuth is supported for authenticated access. Sample code and demos are available at https://github.com/lichess-org/api-demo. The API powers the lichess-bot bridge for connecting HTTP API with chess engines. Developer documentation is at lichess.org/api.