# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess

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

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

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.7 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-capturing-pieces-1/id1181402167/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| 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


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-capturing-pieces-1/id1181402167)

Enhance your chess skills with over 1400 tactical exercises designed for beginners. This app offers interactive lessons, hints, and explanations to help you learn new combinations and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Over 1400 tactical exercises, Interactive lessons with hints, Difficulty levels, Refutation of mistakes, Play positions against computer, Offline play, Rating monitoring

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

**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 Chess free?

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

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

Chess is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess averages 4.7 from 27 ratings.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Chess shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chess on October 12, 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.*