# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Kramnik

The clearest difference is price: Kramnik at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Kramnik also leads on rating (4.6 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.

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

Kramnik holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 7 respectively.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Kramnik |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kramnik-chess-champion/id1253446919/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 7 |
| 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


### Kramnik

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kramnik-chess-champion/id1253446919)

Master chess with a legendary World Champion's games and interactive lessons. Improve tactics, strategy, and openings with personalized coaching and exercises.

**Highlights:** 2537 World Champion games, 394 commented games, 126 training exercises, Interactive theoretical lessons, Personalized coaching and hints, 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 Kramnik free?

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

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

Kramnik is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Kramnik averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Kramnik shows ads.

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

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