# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Openings Mastermind

The clearest difference is price: Openings Mastermind at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Openings Mastermind also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 50%) and device support (4 vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Openings Mastermind 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Pulsar Chess Engine against 4.3 for Openings Mastermind. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 6 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 50% of Openings Mastermind's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Openings Mastermind fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Openings Mastermind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [Christian Heise](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632898424) |

## 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


### Openings Mastermind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251)

Master chess openings with this app. Import studies, explore with advanced engines, and practice specific lines through repetition. Track your progress and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Import Lichess Studies or PGNs, Explore openings with Stockfish 15, Practice openings by repetition, Smart practice queue, Track learning progress

**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 Openings Mastermind free?

Openings Mastermind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Openings Mastermind?

Pulsar Chess Engine and Openings Mastermind are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Openings Mastermind have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Openings Mastermind shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Openings Mastermind fortnightly. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on September 22, 2026 and Openings Mastermind on September 19, 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.*