# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Move

The clearest difference is price: Chess Move at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Chess Move also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 12) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 28%) and in-app purchases (none vs 17). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Chess Move is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Chess Move sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Pulsar Chess Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Pulsar Chess Engine against 4.3 for Chess Move. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Move has 1.1K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 28% of Chess Move's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess Move every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Move |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | [4.3 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-move-stockfish-engine/id1661430804/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 27.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [Setse LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291639719) |

## 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 Move

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-move-stockfish-engine/id1661430804)

This app helps chess players find the best moves using a powerful cloud-based engine. It allows users to set up board positions manually or via camera scan, and customize analysis depth and engine settings for in-depth game review.

**Highlights:** Best move calculation, Cloud-based Stockfish engine, Board setup via drag-and-drop, Camera position scanning, Customizable engine presets, Multiple analysis lines

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| ChessMovePro - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro (Weekly) | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| ChessMovePro - Hidden Discount | $9.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Quarterly) | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| ChessMovePro | $29.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Yearly) | $39.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great app
- 🚀 Works well
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🧠 Helpful for improving chess skills
- 🏆 Allows beating difficult opponents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Inconsistent performance after updates
- 🤯 Confusing or misleading about free trial

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces not detected correctly
- Moves suggested in wrong direction
- App crashes on launch or during use

**Requested features**

- Add ability to save board positions
- Improve piece detection and move suggestions
- Provide more free analysis options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Move free?

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

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

Pulsar Chess Engine and Chess Move are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12 and 1.1K ratings respectively.

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

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Chess Move shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Move every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on September 22, 2026 and Chess Move on September 25, 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.*