# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Karjakin

The clearest difference is price: Karjakin at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Karjakin also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (100% 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 ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Karjakin holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Karjakin's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Karjakin every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Karjakin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karjakin-elite-chess-player/id1175282450/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 8 |
| 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 | 45 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


### Karjakin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karjakin-elite-chess-player/id1175282450)

Enhance your chess skills with interactive lessons and exercises based on grandmaster Sergey Karjakin's games. Practice tactics, strategy, and openings with personalized coaching and feedback. Play against the computer in any position.

**Highlights:** Play like Karjakin, Play against Karjakin, Interactive theoretical lessons, Personalized coaching and hints, Rating (ELO) 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 Karjakin free?

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

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

Karjakin is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Karjakin averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Karjakin shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Karjakin every 3 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 29, 2026 and Karjakin 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.*