# Next Chess Move vs Pulsar Chess Engine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulsar Chess Engine at none against Next Chess Move's 1. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Next Chess Move's advantage is ratings volume (133 vs 12) and chart position (#46 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Next Chess Move costs $2.99 and Pulsar Chess Engine $1.99 up front. Next Chess Move sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pulsar Chess Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

Next Chess Move holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Next Chess Move has 133 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Next Chess Move's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's.

Next Chess Move ships an update monthly, Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Next Chess Move | Pulsar Chess Engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-chess-move/id595697977/reviews)** | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **133** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **76.3% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#46** | — |
| Size | 143 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Next Chess Move LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/458768443) | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) |

## What reviewers say

### Next Chess Move

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-chess-move/id595697977)

**Currently charting:** #46 Top Paid · Board, #127 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

This application provides a powerful chess move calculator utilizing advanced engines like Stockfish 17.1 directly on your device. It also offers free access to numerous other engines running on remote hardware, with an optional upgrade for enhanced calculation strength and access to powerful servers and GPUs.

**Highlights:** On-device Stockfish 17.1, Free remote engine access, Large selection of chess engines, Optional Pro upgrade, Access to powerful cloud hardware, GPU acceleration for LcZero

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NCM Pro | $18.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great tool for analysis
- 👍 Helpful for learning chess
- 👍 Strongest engines available
- 👍 Improves game understanding
- 👍 Convenient mobile access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Neglected and buggy mess
- 🐛 Critical bugs break game
- 🐛 Outdated and poorly maintained UI
- 🐛 Feels abandoned while charging
- 🐛 Waste of money

**Reported bugs**

- Critical bugs that break the game (e.g., same color pieces moving consecutively)
- App doesn't turn on
- Update has challenges
- Cannot play anything
- LC0 version 0.30 with Networks Family T81 causes 'engine disconnected' error

**Requested features**

- Fix critical bugs
- Update UI
- Release a proper update
- Maintain the app properly
- Update to current stockfish 17


### 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 Next Chess Move free?

Next Chess Move costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Next Chess Move or Pulsar Chess Engine?

Next Chess Move is rated higher. Next Chess Move averages 4.5 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 from 12 ratings.

### Do Next Chess Move or Pulsar Chess Engine have ads?

Neither Next Chess Move nor Pulsar Chess Engine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Next Chess Move or Pulsar Chess Engine?

Next Chess Move ships an update monthly, and Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. Most recently, Next Chess Move was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pulsar Chess Engine on October 22, 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.*