# Pebble Climbing vs Retro Flash

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pebble Climbing at none against Retro Flash's 8. Pebble Climbing also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). Retro Flash's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 50%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retro Flash sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Pebble Climbing asks for nothing beyond the download.

Retro Flash holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 80 and 226 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Pebble Climbing's written reviews are positive against 83% of Retro Flash's.

Pebble Climbing ships an update every 8 days, Retro Flash every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pebble Climbing | Retro Flash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pebble-climbing/id1453943563/reviews) | **[4.7 (226 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-flash-climbing/id1519582483/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 80 | **226** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **82.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 158 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pebble Climbing, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/307311328) | [Arcade Bouldering UG (haftungsbeschrnkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519582485) |

## What reviewers say

### Pebble Climbing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pebble-climbing/id1453943563)

This app gamifies your climbing experience by providing personalized grade pyramids to help you improve. Track your progress, discover new climbs, and connect with friends. It also offers workout plans and session tracking for gyms and outdoor adventures.

**Highlights:** Gamified grade pyramids for improvement, Friend activity feed, Outdoor guidebook with user-added climbs, Gym session tracking, User-created workout and circuit plans, Personalized climb recommendations, Climbing progress analysis charts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Retro Flash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-flash-climbing/id1519582483)

This app helps climbers maximize their spray wall training with unique tools for setting various problems and supports multiple grading systems. It fosters a community for climbers to share and improve their training.

**Highlights:** Spray wall problem setting, Supports symmetrical, partly symmetrical, adjustable, and private walls, Circuit and competition boulder creation, Fontainebleau, Dankyu, and Hueco grading systems, Customizable grading systems, Wall upgrades for new possibilities

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Rules for Circles | $4.99 | one-time |
| Home Wall Year Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1 Month Upgrade Pass | $8.99 | one-time |
| Additional Wall | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gym Year Pass Tier 1 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Add Gym | $14.99 | one-time |
| Gym Year Pass Tier 2 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 6 Months Upgrade Pass | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 💰 Free to use, affordable one-time fees
- 🏠 Perfect for home walls
- 👥 Great community feature
- 🚀 Fast and functional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Horrid UI
- 🐛 Massive bugs and data loss
- 🛠️ App is useless when buggy
- ❓ Unclear target audience
- 🧭 Navigation can be challenging

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot see sends anymore
- All boulders set to unclimbed for all users
- Statistics are gone
- Won't let me reset wall
- Won't let me delete walls

**Requested features**

- Add a tick list of all climbs done
- Show number and distribution of grades
- Copy route feature for minor adjustments
- Ability to edit names or grades of existing boulders


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pebble Climbing free?

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

### Is Retro Flash free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pebble Climbing or Retro Flash?

Retro Flash is rated higher. Pebble Climbing averages 4.4 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while Retro Flash averages 4.7 from 226 ratings.

### Do Pebble Climbing or Retro Flash have ads?

Neither Pebble Climbing nor Retro Flash shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pebble Climbing or Retro Flash?

Pebble Climbing ships an update every 8 days, and Retro Flash every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pebble Climbing was updated on November 2, 2026 and Retro Flash 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.*