# HIARCS Chess for iPad vs Pulsar Chess Engine

The clearest difference is price: Pulsar Chess Engine at $1.99 against HIARCS Chess for iPad's $9.99. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and device support (4 vs 1). HIARCS Chess for iPad's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (86% vs 70%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

HIARCS Chess for iPad costs $9.99 and Pulsar Chess Engine $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HIARCS Chess for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HIARCS Chess for iPad has 195 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of HIARCS Chess for iPad's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's.

HIARCS Chess for iPad ships an update every 5 months, Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HIARCS Chess for iPad | Pulsar Chess Engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (195 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess-for-ipad/id462201312/reviews)** | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **195** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **85.8% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 38 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157) | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) |

## What reviewers say

### HIARCS Chess for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess-for-ipad/id462201312)

This app offers a powerful chess engine for playing and analyzing games. It caters to all skill levels, from beginners to Grandmasters, with adjustable opponent strengths and coaching features to help you improve your game. Explore classic matches and learn from a vast opening theory database.

**Highlights:** Extremely strong chess engine, Suitable for all player levels, Advanced coaching features, Multiple playing modes, Adjustable Elo strengths, PGN database transfer, Large tournament book

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful chess engine
- 👍 Adjustable playing strength
- 👍 Realistic human-like play
- 👍 Excellent coaching and analysis features
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Small and hard-to-read text
- 🔍 Cluttered and outdated UI design
- 💰 Expensive compared to other chess apps

**Reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with iOS 8 and newer
- Graphical issues with move quality display
- Inability to resign or stop the game clock

**Requested features**

- Add ability to view and navigate variations
- Improve visibility and placement of game clocks
- Implement FEN clipboard/email import function
- Add back/forward buttons to navigate games
- Increase font size and readability of text


### 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 HIARCS Chess for iPad free?

HIARCS Chess for iPad costs $9.99, 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, HIARCS Chess for iPad or Pulsar Chess Engine?

HIARCS Chess for iPad is rated higher. HIARCS Chess for iPad averages 4.7 out of 5 from 195 ratings, while Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 from 12 ratings.

### Do HIARCS Chess for iPad or Pulsar Chess Engine have ads?

Neither HIARCS Chess for iPad nor Pulsar Chess Engine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HIARCS Chess for iPad or Pulsar Chess Engine?

HIARCS Chess for iPad ships an update every 5 months, and Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. Most recently, HIARCS Chess for iPad was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pulsar Chess Engine on October 29, 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.*