Pricing
Pay for the talking. The chess is free.
Playing the engine, the opening trainer, post-game review, and full analysis are unlimited on every plan, including free. Paid plans start at $9 for 40 voice minutes, and every paid tier includes all five personas. When your minutes run out nothing breaks. Your opponent goes quiet and keeps playing.
Accounts aren’t open yet. The prices below are what we plan to charge at launch, and every button joins the waitlist.
Free
$0
A first conversation, then a little more each week you return.
15 minutes to start, then 5 more each week you come back
- Unlimited silent games
- The Hustler
- Full analysis and move quality
- Opening trainer and post-game review
The Regular
$9/month
or $90/year
A talking opponent for a game or two each month.
40 voice minutes a month
- Unlimited silent games
- All five personas
- Persona memory across games
- Full analysis and move quality
- Opening trainer and post-game review
- Top-ups at $9 per 40 minutes
Coffeehouse
Featured$19/month
or $190/year
More room to talk through positions and play a few focused games.
90 voice minutes a month
- Unlimited silent games
- All five personas
- Persona memory across games
- Full analysis and move quality
- Opening trainer and post-game review
- Top-ups at $9 per 40 minutes
Coffeehouse Pro
$39/month
or $390/year
For frequent games and an opponent you write yourself.
200 voice minutes a month
- Unlimited silent games
- All five personas
- Persona memory across games
- Full analysis and move quality
- Opening trainer and post-game review
- Custom personas you write yourself
- Top-ups at $9 per 40 minutes
On monthly plans, the included voice time works out to $13.50 an hour on The Regular, $12.67 on Coffeehouse, and $11.70 on Pro. Top-ups are $9 for 40 minutes. That is the same $13.50 an hour, and buying one is always your choice.
Free starts with 15 minutes, then adds 5 more each week you come back; the weekly grants don’t stack up while you’re away. A session runs up to one hour on every tier.
- What happens when my voice minutes run out?
- Your opponent goes quiet and keeps playing. Nothing locks. Moves arrive as text, while analysis, post-game review, and the opening trainer keep working. The game finishes normally. We never auto-bill you for going over. If you want the voice back sooner, top-ups are available at $9 per 40 minutes.
- How long can one session run?
- One hour, on every plan including the free one. After that the session ends and it is time for a break.
- Can I cancel?
- Paid plans are not available yet, so there is nothing to cancel today. If they open before self-service billing does, email hello@coffeehousechess.com. We will confirm cancellation within 30 days, and you will keep the minutes already paid for until the period ends. Within 14 days of paying we will refund you.
- Will you charge me for going over?
- Never automatically. The bucket is a hard limit. When it is empty, the voice stops and the game carries on. If you want more minutes, you buy them deliberately. A surprise bill for talking too much is not something we are willing to send anyone.
- Why is voice metered at all?
- Because live conversation has to be processed continuously while you speak and listen; silent chess does not. A stated allowance you can see is more honest than an unlimited plan with a hidden ceiling.