# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess960 ™

Pulsar Chess Engine and Chess960 ™ both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess960 ™'s. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months). Chess960 ™'s advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and ratings volume (61 vs 12). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess960 ™ is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Chess960 ™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 4.4 for Chess960 ™. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess960 ™ has 61 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess960 ™'s.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess960 ™ every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess960 ™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.4 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess960/id6478382405/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **61** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [VM Mobile Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/646128457) |

## 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


### Chess960 ™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess960/id6478382405)

Experience a unique chess variant where the starting position of pieces changes with each game. Test your strategic thinking with fresh challenges and play against AI or friends. Customize your game with different themes and join a growing community.

**Highlights:** Randomized starting positions, Play against AI or friends, Progress from beginner to pro, Customizable pieces and boards, Community sharing and leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Chess960 ™ free?

Chess960 ™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess960 ™?

Chess960 ™ is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess960 ™ averages 4.4 from 61 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess960 ™ have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Chess960 ™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess960 ™?

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess960 ™ every 10 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chess960 ™ on October 5, 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.*