# Pulsar Chess Engine vs CT

The clearest difference is price: CT at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. CT also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (90% vs 70%). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 3 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CT holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CT has 111 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 90% of CT's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, CT every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | CT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.8 (111 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ct-art-mating-combinations/id1125477001/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **111** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 41 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


### CT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ct-art-mating-combinations/id1125477001)

Enhance your chess skills with interactive lessons and exercises focused on mating combinations. This program offers high-quality theoretical material and a unique learning technology with hints, explanations, and refutations for mistakes. It adapts to your progress and allows you to practice positions against the computer.

**Highlights:** 1200 instructive examples on 14 themes, 700 exercises for practice, Interactive theoretical lessons, Hints and refutations for mistakes, Play positions against the computer, Monitors ELO rating changes, Offline functionality

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

**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 CT free?

CT is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or CT?

CT is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while CT averages 4.8 from 111 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or CT have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor CT shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and CT every 3 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 22, 2026 and CT on October 24, 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.*