# Retro Commander vs Pico Islands

The clearest difference is ads: Retro Commander at none against Pico Islands's shown. Retro Commander also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Pico Islands's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (131 vs 16). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retro Commander sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pico Islands sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pico Islands holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pico Islands has 131 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Retro Commander's written reviews are positive against 71% of Pico Islands's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, Pico Islands every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retro Commander | Pico Islands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-commander/id1274342935/reviews) | **[4.2 (131 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pico-islands/id1476541055/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **131** |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 71.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 152 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Noble Master LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/310121642) | [BitSpree GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476541054) |

## What reviewers say

### Retro Commander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-commander/id1274342935)

Engage in post-apocalyptic real-time strategy battles. Command diverse units and technologies in a rich story campaign or test your skills against AI and players in cross-platform multiplayer. Features include a map editor and extensive modding capabilities.

**Highlights:** Post-apocalyptic RTS gameplay, Story campaign with unique factions, Single-player skirmish matches vs AI, Cross-platform multiplayer, Map editor and modding support, Diverse units and research options, Multiple game modes (capture the flag, battle royale)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Map: Chapter 02 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 02 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 05 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Clan Manager | $1.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 03 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 08 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map A1 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 04 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Modded Maps | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Maps & Modding | $19.99 | one-time |


### Pico Islands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pico-islands/id1476541055)

Lead settlers to build a thriving medieval city, manage resources, and expand your empire across islands. Engage in trade, conquest, and technological discovery to achieve global domination or enjoy a peaceful simulation.

**Highlights:** Build and expand your city, Manage resources and production, Trade with neighbors, Conquer new islands, Research new technologies, Optimize building placement and transportation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy 20 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy 110 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $13.99 | one-time |
| Buy 500 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Buy 1500 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Promising game
- 👍 Fun and addictive
- 👍 Charming game
- 👍 Interesting game
- 👍 Good game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🔋 High battery drain
- 🐛 Purchase records lost
- 🐛 Crashes when changing islands
- 🐛 Unintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- Forester lookups result in 404 errors
- Inability to undo 10 map limit
- Crashes when redeploying roads
- Inconsistent cookie consent management

**Requested features**

- Add map selection/replay
- Improve tutorial and documentation
- Implement graphics settings
- Add more content and progression
- Introduce multiplayer/competitive modes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retro Commander free?

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

### Is Pico Islands free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retro Commander or Pico Islands?

Pico Islands is rated higher. Retro Commander averages 3.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Pico Islands averages 4.2 from 131 ratings.

### Do Retro Commander or Pico Islands have ads?

Pico Islands shows ads; Retro Commander does not.

### Which is updated more often, Retro Commander or Pico Islands?

Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, and Pico Islands every 5 weeks. Most recently, Retro Commander was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pico Islands 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.*