Chess database and PGN reader software for Mac

Your games, on your own Mac

Manifest Chess makes two desktop apps for chess players. Manifest Chess Studio is the full database: every game you own in one searchable library, with engine analysis and game review. Manifest Chess Lite is the fast PGN reader: double-click a file and it is on the board. Each is a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.

Manifest Chess Studio app iconManifest Chess Studio: chess database for Mac with position search, engine, and game review

Your whole chess library, in one place

Manifest Chess Studio keeps every game you own in searchable databases on your Mac, with deep engine analysis and game review built in. Built for serious players and professionals.

Millions of games on your own MacOrganised into databases you control, searchable in an instant.
Find any position in millisecondsThe explorer searches every game you own, not a curated subset.
Review a loss the way a coach wouldReturn to the critical moment and find the move you missed.
Your Lichess and Chess.com games, waitingNew games arrive on their own, already queued for review.
Manifest Chess Lite app iconManifest Chess Lite: fast offline PGN reader for Mac with Stockfish and annotations

Open a PGN. That is the whole setup.

Manifest Chess Lite is the fast, private PGN reader. Double-click a chess file and it is on the board instantly. No account, no setup, and nothing ever leaves your computer.

On the board instantlyDouble-click any chess file and it opens, fully offline.
Stockfish, built inMulti-line analysis with nothing to install, nothing to configure and nothing sent anywhere.
Annotate it your way, keep it your wayVariations, comments and symbols saved back into your own file.
Make it look the way you see chessLight or dark, your board colours, your pieces, your sounds.
Manifest Chess Studio vs Manifest Chess Lite

Which app is for you

Lite is the reader; Studio is the database, built for serious players and professionals. Both are one-time purchases on the Mac App Store, with prices set per region by Apple.

Manifest Chess Lite app iconManifest Chess Lite€19 one-time
Manifest Chess Studio app iconManifest Chess Studio€129 one-time
What it is
A fast reader and editor for one .pgn file at a time
A full chess database holding every game you own
Built for
Opening the PGN files you download, receive, or collect
Serious players and professionals building one library
Chess engine
Stockfish 18, up to five lines
Stockfish 18, fully configurable
Search
Filter one file by player, rating, year, or result
Position search across every database at once
Online accounts
No account and no sign-in
Lichess and Chess.com sync, plus automated game review
Works offline
Completely, nothing is ever sent anywhere
Databases and engine work offline, sync and review need the internet
Frequently asked questions

The honest answers

The questions we hear most, answered without the marketing spin.

Bring your chess games into Manifest Chess

A full desktop chess database and a fast PGN reader, built for Mac. Each is a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.

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