# Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

The clearest difference is price: Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) at Free against Pulsar Chess Engine's $1.99. Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 12). Pulsar Chess Engine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Pulsar Chess Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) has 3.7K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 90% of Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-chess-engine/id839640447/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-pro-puzzles/id903380719/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **3.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) | [Emmanuel Mathis](https://appshunter.io/developer/892041879) |

## 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 Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-pro-puzzles/id903380719)

Sharpen your chess skills with a vast library of puzzles for all levels. Practice daily, offline, or track your progress with adaptive challenges. Analyze your moves with a built-in engine and customize your experience with various themes.

**Highlights:** Daily puzzles, Offline puzzle packs, Progress mode with Elo rating, Puzzle analysis engine, Bookmark puzzles, Multiple board themes

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Easy mates | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate mates | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard mates | $1.99 | one-time |
| Easy tactics | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate tactics | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard tactics | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mates in 2, 3 and 4 moves | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate Tactics - Vol. 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard Tactics - Vol. 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Easy Tactics - Vol. 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| All-Access Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Offline functionality
- 💡 Wide variety of puzzles
- 🎯 Helpful for improving tactics
- 🕰️ Daily puzzles of varying difficulty

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some puzzles have flawed or ambiguous solutions
- 🤔 Difficulty levels not always accurate
- 📊 Lack of explanation for best moves
- 🔀 Inability to accept alternative winning solutions

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Incorrect move validation in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add option to see captured pieces
- Provide more context and analysis for puzzles
- Improve difficulty categorization of puzzles
- Allow for user feedback on puzzle issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?

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

### Is Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) free?

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is rated higher. Pulsar Chess Engine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) averages 4.7 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) have ads?

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) shows ads; Pulsar Chess Engine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?

Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. Most recently, Pulsar Chess Engine was updated on September 22, 2026 and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) on September 25, 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.*