How to Cancel Your
Lichess Patron
Good news: Lichess is free and always will be. Patron is just a voluntary donation, so canceling it changes nothing about your chess experience. Here is how to stop the recurring donation in about 2 minutes.
Quick Overview
Monthly Cost
$5.00/mo
Difficulty
EasyTime
~2 minutes
Refund
Donations non-refundable
Cancel Lichess Patron via Website
Log in to Lichess
Go to lichess.org and sign in to your account. The site is delightfully fast -- no waiting around here.
Go to the Patron page
Navigate to lichess.org/patron. You can find this from your account menu or by going there directly. This is where your donation details live.
Click Cancel recurring donation
Find and click Cancel recurring donation. Lichess will not guilt-trip you or throw up obstacles -- they are as classy about this as they are about everything else.
Confirm cancellation
Confirm when prompted. Your Patron wings icon will eventually go away, but every single feature on Lichess remains exactly the same. Because Lichess is cool like that.
Remember: Lichess is free and open-source. Patron is purely a voluntary donation -- you are not losing any features by canceling. Every puzzle, every game, every analysis tool stays free.
What Happens After You Cancel Lichess Patron?
All features remain completely free
Unlimited games, puzzles, analysis, tournaments, studies -- everything stays exactly the same. Lichess has no premium tier. None. Zero. Zilch.
You lose the Patron wings badge
The only visible change is that the little wings icon next to your username on Lichess goes away. That is literally the only difference.
Lichess still needs support
Lichess runs on donations and volunteers. If you enjoyed the platform, consider coming back to donate when your budget allows. Every dollar helps keep the servers running.
Alternatives to Lichess Patron
Already on the best free chess platform? Here are other ways to enjoy chess:
Lichess (Free)
You are already here! Keep playing for free with no limitations whatsoever. No Patron needed.
Always freeChess.com
Larger player base with free and premium tiers. Good for finding opponents at any skill level.
Free tier + premium from $4.99/moOver-the-Board Chess
Find a local chess club and play in person. Nothing beats the sound of a real chess clock ticking down.
Local clubs & tournamentsFrequently Asked Questions
Will I lose any features if I cancel Lichess Patron?
No. Lichess is 100% free and open-source. You lose the Patron badge next to your name, but every feature -- unlimited games, puzzles, analysis, studies, tournaments -- remains fully available.
Is Lichess Patron the same as a subscription?
Not really. It is a recurring donation to support a non-profit. Unlike most subscriptions, it does not unlock any features because everything is already free.
Can I make a one-time donation instead?
Yes! Lichess accepts one-time donations as well. Visit lichess.org/patron to make a single contribution without setting up a recurring payment.
Why is Lichess free when Chess.com charges for premium?
Lichess is run by a non-profit organization funded entirely by donations and volunteer developers. It has no ads, no investors, and no premium features. It is one of the internet's great success stories in open-source software.
Track All Your
Subscriptions in One App
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Download Subcut FreeRecurring donations count as subscriptions too. Subcut helps you track them all.