# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles

The clearest difference is price: Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles 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). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 30 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.8 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-escape-chess-puzzles/id1144051108/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **30** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 42 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


### Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-escape-chess-puzzles/id1144051108)

Enhance your chess defense skills with a structured course featuring 380 exercises on avoiding checkmate, interference, and support. This app acts as a personal coach, providing hints, explanations, and refutations for mistakes.

**Highlights:** 380 defense exercises, Hints and explanations, Refutation of mistakes, Play against computer, Rating monitoring, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full course | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles free?

Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles?

Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles averages 4.8 from 30 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pulsar Chess Engine or Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles?

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles every 2 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 29, 2026 and Mate Escape. Chess Puzzles 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.*