# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Combinations Vol. 1

The clearest difference is price: Chess Combinations Vol. 1 at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Chess Combinations Vol. 1 also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Chess Combinations Vol. 1 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Combinations Vol. 1 has 91 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 100% of Chess Combinations Vol. 1's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess Combinations Vol. 1 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Combinations Vol. 1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.7 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-combinations-vol-1/id1130258561/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **91** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **100.0% 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 | 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 Combinations Vol. 1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-combinations-vol-1/id1130258561)

Master chess tactics with over 1300 exercises and interactive lessons. This program acts as a personal coach, providing hints, explanations, and refutations to improve your game. It tracks your ELO rating and offers a free section to test its capabilities.

**Highlights:** Over 1300 chess exercises, 40 tactical methods and motifs, Interactive theoretical lessons, Hints and explanations, Refutation of mistakes, ELO rating tracking, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full course | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Chess Combinations Vol. 1 free?

Chess Combinations Vol. 1 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Combinations Vol. 1?

Chess Combinations Vol. 1 is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess Combinations Vol. 1 averages 4.7 from 91 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Combinations Vol. 1 have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Chess Combinations Vol. 1 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Combinations Vol. 1?

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Combinations Vol. 1 every 3 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 22, 2026 and Chess Combinations Vol. 1 on October 21, 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.*