# Cinematical vs Retroscope

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cinematical at 75% against Retroscope's 0%. Cinematical also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Retroscope's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retroscope sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Cinematical asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cinematical holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cinematical has 26 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Cinematical's written reviews are positive against 0% of Retroscope's.

Cinematical ships an update monthly, Retroscope every 36 months. The most recent releases landed on August 30, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cinematical | Retroscope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cinematical/id1397700409/reviews)** | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroscope-retro-filters/id1619085683/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 36 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Freemium |
| Size | 28 MB | 184 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [REAFO CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/622345531) | [ALKAMANAS BILISIM TEKNOLOJILERI SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1606442302) |

## What reviewers say

### Cinematical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cinematical/id1397700409)

Easily add black bars to your videos for a cinematic look. Select your video, apply filters, and adjust positioning to achieve the desired effect before saving.

**Highlights:** Add black bars (letterboxing), Apply video filters, Adjust scale and position, Simple save function, Select videos easily

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Retroscope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroscope-retro-filters/id1619085683)

Transform your photos with vintage filters, light leaks, and textures inspired by 80s and 90s cameras. Create stunning visuals with creative effects like glitch and lens distortion. Apply a retro look with a single tap using curated themes.

**Highlights:** Vintage filters from 80s/90s cameras, Light leaks and textures, Glitch and lens distortion effects, One-tap themes, Film emulation categories, Adjustments and editing tools

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retroscope Gold | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cinematical free?

Cinematical is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Retroscope free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cinematical or Retroscope?

Cinematical is rated higher. Cinematical averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Retroscope averages 2.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Cinematical or Retroscope have ads?

Cinematical shows ads; Retroscope does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cinematical or Retroscope?

Cinematical ships an update monthly, and Retroscope every 36 months. Most recently, Cinematical was updated on August 30, 2026 and Retroscope on June 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.*