# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Mate Puzzle

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pulsar Chess Engine at 70% against Chess Mate Puzzle's 0%. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). Chess Mate Puzzle's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess Mate Puzzle 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.

Pulsar Chess Engine holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. 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 point the same way: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess Mate Puzzle's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess Mate Puzzle fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Mate Puzzle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-mate-puzzle/id6467399152/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [CENK YILDIRIM](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584484979) |

## 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 Mate Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-mate-puzzle/id6467399152)

Sharpen your strategic thinking with over 3,000 checkmate puzzles. This app offers interactive lessons and progress tracking to improve your chess skills. Enjoy offline play for on-the-go training.

**Highlights:** Over 3,000 checkmate puzzles, Beginner to grandmaster levels, Enhance strategic thinking, Interactive lessons with explanations, Progress tracking, Offline play

**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 Mate Puzzle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Mate Puzzle?

Pulsar Chess Engine is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess Mate Puzzle averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Mate Puzzle have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Chess Mate Puzzle shows ads.

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

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Mate Puzzle fortnightly. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chess Mate Puzzle on October 21, 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.*