# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Capablanca

The clearest difference is price: Capablanca at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Capablanca also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). 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.

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

Capablanca holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 18 respectively.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Capablanca every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Capablanca |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[5.0 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capablanca-chess-champion/id1253441713/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 46 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


### Capablanca

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capablanca-chess-champion/id1253441713)

Master chess with a comprehensive training program featuring annotated games from a world champion. Interactive lessons, tactical puzzles, and theoretical explanations help improve your game. Practice positions against the computer and track your ELO rating progress.

**Highlights:** Annotated games from a world champion, Interactive lessons and tactical puzzles, Practice positions against computer, ELO rating tracking, Offline play, Tablet optimized

**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 Capablanca free?

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

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

Capablanca is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Capablanca averages 5.0 from 18 ratings.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Capablanca shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Capablanca every 7 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 22, 2026 and Capablanca 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.*