# Chess Problems Lite vs Pulsar Chess Engine

The clearest difference is price: Chess Problems Lite at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Chess Problems Lite also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and chart position (#200 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Chess Problems 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Chess Problems Lite against 4.3 for Pulsar Chess Engine. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 12 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Chess Problems Lite's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's.

Chess Problems Lite ships an update every 7 months, Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Problems Lite | Pulsar Chess Engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-problems-lite/id369822228/reviews) | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **12** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% 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 |
| Best chart rank | — | **#200** |
| Size | 7 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gano Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/333237652) | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Problems Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-problems-lite/id369822228)

Sharpen your chess skills with directmate puzzles. This app offers 10 interactive problems, from easy mate-in-one to challenging mate-in-four moves. It features a revamped chess engine, a timing clock, customizable piece sets and color schemes, and social leaderboards with Facebook integration.

**Highlights:** Directmate chess puzzles, Mate in 1 to 4+ moves, Revamped chess engine, Timing clock for puzzles, Customizable piece sets and color schemes, Leaderboards and Facebook integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pulsar Chess Engine

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

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

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 Chess Problems Lite free?

Chess Problems 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, Chess Problems Lite or Pulsar Chess Engine?

Chess Problems Lite and Pulsar Chess Engine are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 12 ratings respectively.

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

Neither Chess Problems Lite nor Pulsar Chess Engine shows ads.

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

Chess Problems Lite ships an update every 7 months, and Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Problems Lite was updated on September 21, 2026 and Pulsar Chess Engine on October 10, 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.*