# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Stockfish Chess Analysis

Pulsar Chess Engine and Stockfish Chess Analysis both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 14% of Stockfish Chess Analysis's. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Stockfish Chess Analysis's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Stockfish Chess Analysis is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Stockfish Chess Analysis sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 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 4.4 for Stockfish Chess Analysis. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stockfish Chess Analysis has 77 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 14% of Stockfish Chess Analysis's.

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Stockfish Chess Analysis fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Stockfish Chess Analysis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.4 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stockfish-chess-analysis/id6744956284/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **77** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [Krishna Sangeeth KS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796652653) |

## 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


### Stockfish Chess Analysis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stockfish-chess-analysis/id6744956284)

Analyze chess positions from a photo or by inputting moves. Get AI-powered best move suggestions, learn tactics, and play against the engine with live tips. Ideal for players of all levels looking to improve their game.

**Highlights:** Scan chessboards from photos, AI-powered best move suggestions, Learn new chess tactics, Play against Stockfish engine, Live help and tips during play, Multiple difficulty levels

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $17.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Stockfish Chess Analysis free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Stockfish Chess Analysis?

Stockfish Chess Analysis is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Stockfish Chess Analysis averages 4.4 from 77 ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Stockfish Chess Analysis have ads?

Neither Pulsar Chess Engine nor Stockfish Chess Analysis shows ads.

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

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