# Asciilizer vs PIXEL86

The clearest difference is rating: PIXEL86 at 4.6 against Asciilizer's 3.0. PIXEL86 also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 73%). Asciilizer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Asciilizer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PIXEL86 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PIXEL86 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PIXEL86 has 42 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Asciilizer's written reviews are positive against 100% of PIXEL86's.

Asciilizer ships an update every 5 weeks, PIXEL86 every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Asciilizer | PIXEL86 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asciilizer/id1031080663/reviews) | **[4.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | 73.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nooon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/500647633) | [Peter Tretyakov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1072835768) |

## What reviewers say

### Asciilizer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asciilizer/id1031080663)

Transform your photos into unique text-based art. Choose from various detail levels to create custom ASCII images from your camera or existing pictures. Save and share your creations easily.

**Highlights:** Generate ASCII art from photos, Six fineness modes, Save art as image, Clip art as text, Share to social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Super Mode | $1.99 | one-time |


### PIXEL86

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991)

Transform photos and videos with vintage pixel art aesthetics. Apply true black-and-white dithering, custom color palettes, and unique dithering styles to create retro media. Supports video editing and sharing your creations.

**Highlights:** True B/W dithering, Video editing support, Customizable color palettes, Three dithering styles (Natural, Pattern, Flat), Vintage-inspired aesthetics, Social media sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License Discount | $9.99 | one-time |
| Perpetual License | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Asciilizer free?

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

### Is PIXEL86 free?

PIXEL86 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Asciilizer or PIXEL86?

PIXEL86 is rated higher. Asciilizer averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while PIXEL86 averages 4.6 from 42 ratings.

### Do Asciilizer or PIXEL86 have ads?

PIXEL86 shows ads; Asciilizer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Asciilizer or PIXEL86?

Asciilizer ships an update every 5 weeks, and PIXEL86 every 5 days. Most recently, Asciilizer was updated on November 1, 2026 and PIXEL86 on November 3, 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.*