# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Botvinnik

The clearest difference is price: Botvinnik at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Botvinnik also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Botvinnik holds the better App Store score, 4.6 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 Botvinnik's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Botvinnik every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Botvinnik |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/botvinnik-chess-champion/id1253441044/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 7 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 48 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


### Botvinnik

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/botvinnik-chess-champion/id1253441044)

Explore over 1000 chess games from a legendary player, with interactive quizzes and lessons. Improve your tactical skills and strategic understanding through a structured learning method. Play against the computer and track your ELO rating.

**Highlights:** 1069 Botvinnik games, 350 interactive quiz positions, Personalized coach feedback, Interactive theoretical lessons, ELO rating tracking, Offline play

**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 Botvinnik free?

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

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

Botvinnik is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Botvinnik averages 4.6 from 8 ratings.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Botvinnik shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Botvinnik every 7 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on November 1, 2026 and Botvinnik on November 2, 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.*