# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Steinitz

The clearest difference is price: Steinitz at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Steinitz also leads on rating (4.9 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 4 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Steinitz holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 15 respectively.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Steinitz every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Steinitz |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steinitz-chess-champion/id1278837494/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **15** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 44 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


### Steinitz

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steinitz-chess-champion/id1278837494)

Master chess by studying the games of a legendary World Champion. Engage in interactive lessons, solve tactical puzzles, and play against the computer to improve your skills. Offers hints, explanations, and refutations for mistakes, with a free section to test its features.

**Highlights:** Study 517 games of a World Champion, 55 training exercises, Play like and against Steinitz, Interactive theoretical lessons, Hints and mistake refutations, Offline play, Rating (ELO) 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 Steinitz free?

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

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

Steinitz is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Steinitz averages 4.9 from 15 ratings.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Steinitz shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Steinitz every 4 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 22, 2026 and Steinitz on October 15, 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.*