# Shredder Chess Lite vs Pulsar Chess Engine

The clearest difference is price: Shredder Chess Lite at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Shredder Chess Lite also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Shredder Chess Lite is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pulsar Chess Engine holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Shredder Chess Lite's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Shredder Chess Lite ships an update every 7 months, Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shredder Chess Lite | Pulsar Chess Engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shredder-chess-lite/id343795703/reviews) | **[4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 24 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eiko Bleicher, Skizzix.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/288297104) | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) |

## What reviewers say

### Shredder Chess Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shredder-chess-lite/id343795703)

Play chess against a world champion program that mimics human play and makes mistakes at lower levels. Solve puzzles, track your progress, and get advice to improve your game. Features adjustable difficulty and a built-in coach.

**Highlights:** Adjustable playing strength, 100 built-in chess puzzles, Coach warns of mistakes, Elo rating calculation, Opening book with over 1 million moves, Two player mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean, simple, and intuitive user interface
- 🎮 Excellent adaptive difficulty that adjusts to player skill level
- 🧠 Strong chess engine with intelligent gameplay
- 📚 Comprehensive puzzle collection for learning
- 💰 Free version with substantial features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Illegal chess moves by computer player
- 📱 Not optimized for newer iPhone screen sizes
- 🎮 Inconsistent endgame performance
- ❌ App crashes and freezing issues
- 🔧 Compatibility problems with iOS updates

**Reported bugs**

- Pawns moving sideways or diagonally without capturing
- Pawns captured by opponent pawns when not adjacent
- Illegal moves allowed by computer player
- App crashes on iOS 8 and later versions
- App won't open or load on startup

**Requested features**

- Full screen optimization for modern iPhones
- Time delay option before computer moves
- Multiplayer mode for human vs human play
- HD/universal app for iPad compatibility
- Detailed explanations for puzzle solutions


### Pulsar Chess Engine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447)

Play chess and six popular variants with adjustable AI difficulty levels. Review logged games, access master game collections, and utilize Crafty engine analysis for standard chess and Chess960. Offers accessibility features for blind users.

**Highlights:** Plays 7 chess variants, Adjustable AI difficulty levels, Game logging and review, Master game collections, Crafty engine analysis, VoiceOver accessibility

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shredder Chess Lite free?

Shredder Chess Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shredder Chess Lite or Pulsar Chess Engine?

Pulsar Chess Engine is rated higher. Shredder Chess Lite averages 4.0 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 from 12 ratings.

### Do Shredder Chess Lite or Pulsar Chess Engine have ads?

Neither Shredder Chess Lite nor Pulsar Chess Engine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shredder Chess Lite or Pulsar Chess Engine?

Shredder Chess Lite ships an update every 7 months, and Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. Most recently, Shredder Chess Lite was updated on October 16, 2026 and Pulsar Chess Engine on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*