# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Middlegame II

The clearest difference is price: Chess Middlegame II at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Chess Middlegame II also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess Middlegame II is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Chess Middlegame II sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pulsar Chess Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Middlegame II holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 11 respectively.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess Middlegame II every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Middlegame II |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-middlegame-ii/id1121655684/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 71.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Chess Middlegame II

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-middlegame-ii/id1121655684)

This app offers a comprehensive chess middlegame training course designed by a Grandmaster. It covers various opening variations and provides interactive lessons with practice exercises and hints. Improve your chess knowledge, learn new tactics, and track your progress.

**Highlights:** Grandmaster-composed middlegame course, Interactive theoretical lessons, Practice exercises with hints and refutations, Covers multiple opening variations, Tracks ELO rating changes, Offline play capability, Tablet optimized

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full course | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Chess Middlegame II free?

Chess Middlegame II is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Middlegame II?

Chess Middlegame II is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess Middlegame II averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Middlegame II have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Chess Middlegame II shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Middlegame II?

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Middlegame II every 4 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on November 11, 2026 and Chess Middlegame II on November 6, 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.*