En Croissant review: scores and evidence
Open-source desktop software (v0.15.0, 17 March 2026) that imports Lichess and Chess.com games, produces a UCI-engine annotated report, manages databases and engines, and trains a repertoire by spaced repetition with a practice mode. It names no recurring weakness and has no teaching content.
Read on August 30, 2026 from the service’s public pages — every score cites the page read.
Overall score
3.8/ 10
Rank
19/ 128
Languages
2
Listed price
€0 (free, GPL-3.0)
What the service is
En Croissant is a free, open-source desktop chess GUI released under the GPL-3.0 licence for Windows, macOS and Linux. The GitHub repository (github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant) is maintained by an individual developer, Francisco B. Salgueiro; no company, country or founding date is published on the website (encroissant.org) or in the repository, and the release notes consulted go back to v0.11.0 of August 2025. The software is built on Tauri, Rust and React. It imports Lichess and Chess.com games into a personal database and reads PGN files, produces an annotated report for each game with an evaluation graph, a heatmap and best continuations, runs several UCI engines side by side, downloads engines and databases from a built-in manager, searches positions in databases, and builds an opening repertoire trained by spaced repetition with, since v0.15.0 of 17 March 2026, a full practice mode and automatic difficulty selection. It is entirely free, with optional donations, and its interface is translated into 16 locales including French. En Croissant names no recurring weakness across games, contains no courses or teaching content, does not let you play against humans and publishes no privacy policy (local software with no observed data collection).
Activity history
- 2026-03v0.15.0 of 17 March 2026: new full practice mode with automatic difficulty selection, Polyglot/PGN/EPD books and an overhauled files page.
- 2026-02v0.14.0 (21 February 2026): premoves in engine games, new repertoire building, themes filter on the puzzle database, migration to React 19; v0.14.2 (27 February) prepares for the Lichess database API change.
- 2026-01v0.13.0 of 31 January 2026: major database performance improvements (no more loading at startup), complete rewrite of engine games, WDL evaluation bar.
- 2025-11v0.12.0 of 23 November 2025: migration to Tauri 2, German, Turkish, Norwegian and Russian translations added; v0.12.1 (26 November) fixes a startup freeze on macOS.
- 2025-08v0.11.0 of 17 August 2025: engines stay active outside the Analysis tab, Chinese and Portuguese translations, WDL graphs in the report.
The scores, evidence by evidence
Every score points to the page read and the fact found there. A fact documented nowhere is not credited: document it, then write to us.
APersonalized diagnosis
2.5A1 :3Importing your games (Chess.com, Lichess, PGN files)
https://encroissant.org/: Lichess and Chess.com games in a personal database; PGN files (docs)
A2 :2Automatic engine analysis of every game
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: annotated report of the whole game, engine/MultiPV chosen by the user; on demand
A3 :0Recurring mistakes identified across all your games
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: each game gets its own report; nothing aggregated across several games
A4 :0Types of mistakes covered (tactics, strategy, endgame, time…)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: brilliant…blunder classes only, no typology
A5 :1Written explanation of each mistake
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: Dubious/Mistake/Blunder labels by probability loss, with no explanatory text
A6 :0Stated verification of the diagnoses (procedure, rates)
no mention on https://encroissant.org/docs/
A7 :0Tracking each weakness over time
no history on https://encroissant.org/docs/
A8 :0Comparison with players of the same rating
no comparison on https://encroissant.org/docs/
BOpenings
5.0B1 :2Building a personal repertoire
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire: Build mode, PGN, most played moves from the reference database, coverage
B2 :2Training the repertoire (drills, games)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire: Train mode + spaced repetition; full game against the repertoire not observed
B3 :0Spotting where you left your repertoire in your games
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: "novelty" = deviation from the database, not from the repertoire
B4 :2Verification of the lines taught (engine, practice)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire: lines sourced from the reference database + engine evaluations
B5 :3Opening explorer and statistics
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire + https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant/releases: reference database, personal database, ChessDB.cn (evals)
B6 :0Explanation of opening plans and ideas
no teaching on https://encroissant.org/docs/
CTargeted training
0.7C1 :0Exercises drawn from your own games
no exercises drawn from games on https://encroissant.org/docs/
C2 :0Bank of tactical exercises (size, themes, rating)
no tactics bank mentioned on https://encroissant.org/docs/ or https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant
C3 :0Endgame training
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: Lichess tablebase in the report; no endgame module
C4 :0Strategic and positional training
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: no positional exercises in the guides (Analyze, Repertoire, Engines)
C5 :0Training defense and alertness
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: no defensive exercises
C6 :0Training calculation and visualization
no mention on https://encroissant.org/docs/
C7 :0Difficulty matched to your real level
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant/releases: "difficulty auto-selection" of the repertoire practice mode; no exercise rating
C8 :2Spaced repetition (named algorithm)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire: "rate how easy it was to remember the move on a scale from 1 to 4", positions "due for review"; algorithm not named
C9 :0Personalized training plan
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: no training plan
DPrice and value
10.0D1 :3What the free plan actually lets you do
https://encroissant.org/: free
D2 :3Annual price of the full plan
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant: GPL-3.0, EUR 0
D3 :3Commercial transparency (price shown, trial, cancellation)
https://encroissant.org/: no price
D4 :3Number of paid tiers (how simple the offer is)
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant: free software, GPL-3.0 licence, optional donations
EEvidence and transparency
4.2E1 :0Published evidence of effectiveness
no data on https://encroissant.org/
E2 :0Chess verification of the content (positions, lines)
no information on https://encroissant.org/docs/
E3 :3Transparency of the method (algorithms, code)
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant: public GPL-3.0 source code
E4 :2Marketing claims that can be checked (no overselling)
https://encroissant.org/: "powerful, customizable and easy to use"; no promise
FContent and method
0.7F1 :0Courses organized by rating level
no courses on https://encroissant.org/
F2 :0Course authors named and titled
no content author on https://encroissant.org/
F3 :0Content formats (text, video, interactive)
no content on https://encroissant.org/
F4 :0Published method of progression
no method on https://encroissant.org/
F5 :1How often the content is updated
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant/releases: v0.15.0 of 17 March 2026 (> 3 months)
GPlaying and practice
0.8G1 :0Playing humans online (pool, anti-cheating)
no play against humans on https://encroissant.org/
G2 :1Realistic artificial opponents
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/configure-engines: installable UCI engines (strength limiting depends on the engine)
G3 :0Replaying one specific position against the machine
replaying a position against the engine not mentioned on https://encroissant.org/docs/
G4 :0Tournaments and organized competition
no tournaments on https://encroissant.org/
HExperience and accessibility
2.7H1 :0Platforms available (web, iOS, Android, desktop)
https://encroissant.org/download: Linux, Windows, macOS only
H2 :0User ratings and reviews (stores, press)
no store rating; https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant 1.8k stars with no third-party review cited
H3 :1Interface languages available
at least two languages (French interface observed, total count not recorded) — https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant i18next.config.ts: fr-FR locale among 16 (src/translation/fr-FR.json)
H4 :0Accessibility (keyboard, screen reader)
no accessibility information on https://encroissant.org/docs/
H5 :3Offline use and known incidents
https://encroissant.org/download: local software, local engines and databases
IPreparation and study
4.2I1 :1Preparing for a named opponent
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant: "Store and analyze your games from lichess.org and chess.com" and reference databases: browsing a player’s games, no report
I2 :1Annotating and sharing games (studies)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game: report with the "engine’s best continuation line" for mistakes; variations/comments in local PGN files, no sharing by link
I3 :0Entering a game played at a club (photo, scoresheet)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game and https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire: no mention of move entry or a position editor on the pages consulted
I4 :3Searching your games (filters, position)
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant: "Absolute or partial position search in the database"
JHuman coaching and community
2.5J1 :0Access to human coaches
no coach on https://encroissant.org/
J2 :1Size and activity of the community
discord.com/api/invites/tdYzfDbSSW: "En Croissant" server, 1,400 members; daily activity not observed
J3 :0Tools for trainers, clubs and schools
no coach tools on https://encroissant.org/
J4 :2Engagement mechanics (streaks, virtual currency, reminders)
https://encroissant.org/: no engagement mechanic
KPersonal data and interoperability
6.7K1 :3Exporting your data (games, repertoire)
https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire: local PGN files; local personal database
K2 :0Protection of personal data (GDPR, hosting)
https://encroissant.org/: no privacy policy published (local software with no observed data collection) — level 0 "policy absent", aligned with Lucas Chess J2=0 (same situation).
K3 :3Public API and source code
https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant: open GPL-3.0 code
Also, outside the grid
Features found that no criterion measures. They do not count towards the score.
- Side-by-side multi-engine UCI analysis
- Novelty detection against a reference database
- Repertoire gap explorer ("biggest gap")
Sources consulted
- https://encroissant.org/
- https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant
- https://github.com/franciscoBSalgueiro/en-croissant/releases
- https://encroissant.org/download
- https://encroissant.org/docs/
- https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/analyze-game
- https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/manage-repertoire
- https://encroissant.org/docs/guides/configure-engines
Services with a similar profile
The three services whose category profile is closest — a distance over the eleven scores, computed, never chosen.