SwissSys 11 is a Windows pairing program costing $99 for a perpetual license. The $49 FIDE-only edition excludes USCF pairing. It supports Swiss, round-robin, quad, ladder, and team events, with USCF, FIDE, and CFC reports.
ChessRoster provides online registration, PayPal/card payments, group checkout, club memberships, and published results. It syncs with SwissSys, where the TD reviews incoming registration changes and web-reported results. Chess67 handles signup, checkout, pairings, and results in the browser.
Keep SwissSys if you depend on its desktop pairing controls or report formats. ChessRoster adds registration and publishing. Chess67 puts these tasks in one browser application with club and family records.
Try Chess67 for one event. Check registration, pairings, and reporting before moving other events from SwissSys.
| Fact | Chess67 | SwissSys |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Web platform for chess clubs and tournaments: registration, payments, pairings, standings, and member management | Windows pairing program with connected ChessRoster web services |
| Runs on | Browser on a phone, tablet, or computer | Windows PCs; ChessRoster adds hosted registration and publishing |
| Price | No required core subscription*; standard 2% on processed sales plus processor fees; optional paid club plans | $99 SwissSys 11; $49 FIDE-only edition; ChessRoster lists $1 USD / $1.50 CAD per registration plus processing |
| Payments | Stripe or PayPal checkout, subject to merchant, currency, and purchase eligibility; Venmo for eligible US/USD transactions | PayPal/card checkout through ChessRoster; registration is labeled Public Preview |
| Formats & reporting | Swiss, round robin, double round robin, quads, single elimination, and double elimination; USCF tiebreaks and rating report export; FIDE TRF preparation | Swiss, quads, round robin, ladder, and teams; USCF/FIDE/CFC reports; native elimination support unverified |
| Best for | Organizers who want signup, checkout, and pairings in one browser application | Directors who want Windows pairing controls with connected registration and publishing |
Public SwissSys and ChessRoster rates were checked on August 30, 2026. SwissSys includes updates within the purchased major version; ChessRoster report hosting is free.
Sources and review notes*Core club and tournament tools have no subscription fee. Chess67's standard fee is 2% on processed sales, plus payment processing. Optional paid club plans increase messaging, member insight, and custom page limits. See the pricing page. Eligible nonprofits can apply for discounted processing rates; see Stripe's eligibility requirements.
The free Pawn plan includes an unlimited roster, 500 emails and 50 SMS per month, insights for 50 families (linked children included), and one custom club page. Paid plans raise these limits and add unlimited pages and Offline Mode (beta) for tournaments. Messages remain subject to recipient preferences and delivery restrictions.
Venmo appears only where PayPal marks it eligible: US merchant and buyer, USD checkout, supported browser/device, and the Venmo app installed. PayPal eligibility docs
Chess67 uses the same roster for registration, pairings, and results. Directors review and submit rating reports outside Chess67. Joining a club during signup is optional.
Markers show where a product or its companion service has relevant features. This does not mean it includes every Chess67 feature listed; check the comparison notes for details.
Player profiles retain registration history. Players can also join eligible clubs during signup; registration alone does not create a club membership.
SwissSys: ChessRoster provides public event pages, checkout, group registration, and club memberships. SwissSys pairs rounds and prepares rating reports.
Download the initial ChessRoster roster as SJSON. Once linked, SwissSys publishes pairings and results automatically and retrieves new entries, withdrawals, section changes, and bye requests. The TD can apply, reject, or defer each registration change. In Chess67, signup, checkout, and pairings use the same roster.
SwissSys runs on Windows; ChessRoster adds mobile web administration and player views. Version 11.80 introduced TD review of results reported on the web. ChessRoster's SMS pairings and texted results remain a staff-enabled preview, and its browser FIDE engine is for testing, without FIDE approval. Chess67 staff can check in players, pair rounds, and enter results in the browser while online.
Chess67 runs single- and double-elimination brackets with advancement on the live tournament page. SwissSys's documented formats include Swiss, teams, round robin, ladder, and double rounds; native elimination support remains unverified.
Both products prepare USCF reports. SwissSys also provides FIDE and CFC reports. ChessRoster checks USCF IDs and memberships at signup; Chess67 offers configurable warnings or restrictions during registration and prepares reports from those records.
Screenshots show the pages linked below and may include older prices or features. Use the dated source notes for current details.
Chess67Chess67's round controls for pairings, results, and byes, shown with sample data.
Source
SwissSysSwissSys desktop pairing software with ChessRoster registration and publishing.
SourceComparison notes: SwissSys handles pairings on Windows; ChessRoster handles registration and publishes results. Chess67 runs these tasks in a browser.
Chess67 screens with sample data.
Open Details for feature limits and Source for the documentation. Not verified means we couldn't confirm whether the feature is supported.
| Capability | What we checked | Chess67 | SwissSys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public online registration pages | Players can enter online; entries populate the organizer's roster. | Yes Details for Chess67: Public online registration pagesPublic event signup feeds the tournament roster. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Public online registration pagesImport the ChessRoster roster, then review later registration changes through sync. |
| Payments collected at signup | Entry payments are recorded alongside registration. | Yes Details for Chess67: Payments collected at signupStandard 2% plus processor fees; merchant, currency, and purchase-type eligibility apply. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Payments collected at signupChessRoster companion provides checkout, separately from the desktop license. |
| Pairings and tiebreaks built in | Generates pairings and calculates standings within the product. | Yes Details for Chess67: Pairings and tiebreaks built inNative pairings and configurable tiebreaks; not a claim of FIDE certification. | Yes Details for SwissSys: Pairings and tiebreaks built inNative SwissSys pairing; distinct from ChessRoster's experimental browser engine. |
| Round-robin pairings | Round-robin scheduling. Notes identify any support for automatic quad grouping. | Yes Details for Chess67: Round-robin pairingsSupports round robin, double round robin, and quads. | Yes Details for SwissSys: Round-robin pairingsNative round robin; documented maximum of 20 players per section. |
| Single- and double-elimination brackets | Tracks bracket advancement. The notes distinguish single from double elimination. | Yes Details for Chess67: Single- and double-elimination bracketsTracks advancement through single- and double-elimination brackets. | Not verified Details for SwissSys: Single- and double-elimination bracketsNeither native bracket format is established by the reviewed tournament-type list. |
| Online pairings and standings for players | Players can view published boards and scores. Notes distinguish live updates from uploaded reports. | Yes Details for Chess67: Online pairings and standings for playersPublished standings update online; offline edits need review and synchronization. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Online pairings and standings for playersChessRoster receives reports through manual or background synchronization. |
| USCF rating report export | Creates a USCF rating report for a director to review and submit. | Yes Details for Chess67: USCF rating report exportThree-file DBF ZIP; the director reviews and submits it externally. | Yes Details for SwissSys: USCF rating report exportNative three-file USCF DBF report generation. |
| FIDE report (TRF) preparation | Prepares a FIDE report for arbiter and federation review; certification is separate. | Yes Details for Chess67: FIDE report (TRF) preparationNative TRF16 preparation for eligible sections with required reporting data; not FIDE-certified. | Yes Details for SwissSys: FIDE report (TRF) preparationFIDE reports are distinct from its simplified TRF exports. |
| Custom registration questions | Organizers can add questions beyond standard player, section, and bye fields. | Yes Details for Chess67: Custom registration questionsCustom questions and required registration fields are configurable. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Custom registration questionsSection questions and registration settings in the ChessRoster companion. |
| Family accounts (one parent, several kids) | Parents can reuse saved profiles for several children. | Yes Details for Chess67: Family accounts (one parent, several kids)Parent-managed child profiles and shared checkout for up to ten registrants. | Not verified Details for SwissSys: Family accounts (one parent, several kids)ChessRoster supports multi-player checkout/history; reusable parent/child profiles not verified. |
| Check-in from a phone on site | Staff can mark players present from a phone. | Yes Details for Chess67: Check-in from a phone on siteStaff and family check-in after organizer setup; requires internet. | Not verified Details for SwissSys: Check-in from a phone on siteWeb management is documented; exact phone attendance controls not verified. |
| Messaging and announcements to players | Send event notices or club announcements. Confirmation-only mail, arbiter chat, and delivery through separate tools are marked Partial. | Yes Details for Chess67: Messaging and announcements to playersFree club allowance: 500 emails and 50 SMS monthly. Paid plans expand quotas; preferences apply. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Messaging and announcements to playersDesktop email needs SMTP setup; ChessRoster's separate SMS/results delivery remains a staff-enabled preview. |
| Member history (attendance, payments, engagement) | Member attendance, payment history, and engagement reports. | Yes Details for Chess67: Member history (attendance, payments, engagement)Unlimited roster; free insights cover 50 families, including linked children. Paid plans expand insights. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Member history (attendance, payments, engagement)Membership/subscription and payment history; broader engagement analytics not verified. |
| Organizer tools on phones and tablets | Registration and tournament controls usable on a phone or tablet. | Yes Details for Chess67: Organizer tools on phones and tabletsSignup, check-in, pairings, and result entry work in a mobile browser. | Partial Details for SwissSys: Organizer tools on phones and tabletsMobile web administration alongside a Windows desktop pairing application. |
| Offline pairing and result entry | Pairs rounds and records results without internet. Notes explain setup and availability. | Partial Details for Chess67: Offline pairing and result entryBeta, included with the Bishop plan and above. Pair rounds and enter results on one prepared device; check-in and checkout stay online. | Yes Details for SwissSys: Offline pairing and result entryWorks offline after activation; hosted services and lookups need internet. |
Offline Mode is in beta and included with the Bishop plan ($15/mo billed yearly) and above. Prepare the tournament on one device while online. You can then pair rounds and enter results without a connection. Check-in, registration, payments, rating lookups, and public updates still need internet. Review and sync saved changes when you reconnect.
Create a tournament page, add a sample roster, and test pairings and reporting before using it for a live event.
We make Chess67. We checked competitors' public documentation and Chess67's source code. We haven't tested every product or confirmed the production availability of every feature. Source links include the date checked.
Updated 2026-08-30
