# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Game

The clearest difference is price: Chess Game at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Chess Game also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13 vs 15.6). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (70% vs 50%). On rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess Game is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Chess Game holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pulsar Chess Engine has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 50% of Chess Game's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess Game weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Game |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-game-chess-puzzle/id6446031928/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 11 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [Du Duong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1064564759) |

## 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 Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-game-chess-puzzle/id6446031928)

Engage in classic chess matches with a powerful engine and adjustable difficulty. Solve over 2500 tactical puzzles across five categories to hone your skills. Enjoy offline play, including a two-player mode on a single device, and save your progress automatically.

**Highlights:** Strong chess engine, 20 difficulty levels, 2500+ chess puzzles, Unlimited and timed game modes, Offline two-player mode, Custom board setup, Automatic match saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Chess Game free?

Chess Game is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess Game is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess Game averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

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

Chess Game shows ads; Pulsar Chess Engine does not.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Game weekly. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 22, 2026 and Chess Game on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*