# Boulder Buddy vs Retro Flash

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Boulder Buddy at none against Retro Flash's 8. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Boulder Buddy ships an update fortnightly, Retro Flash every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boulder Buddy | Retro Flash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (226 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-flash-climbing/id1519582483/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **226** |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | **82.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 81 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Vechtel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512393658) | [Arcade Bouldering UG (haftungsbeschrnkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519582485) |

## What reviewers say

### Boulder Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulder-buddy/id1512393659)

This app helps you track your bouldering progress, plan personalized training sessions, and compare your performance with others. Discover climbing gyms, view route details, and log your ascents to visualize your development over time.

**Highlights:** Track bouldering results, Plan personalized training, Monitor progress with stats, Discover climbing gyms, View route details, Compare with friends

**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 Boulder Buddy free?

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

### Is Retro Flash free?

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

### Do Boulder Buddy or Retro Flash have ads?

Neither Boulder Buddy nor Retro Flash shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boulder Buddy or Retro Flash?

Boulder Buddy ships an update fortnightly, and Retro Flash every 3 weeks. Most recently, Boulder Buddy was updated on November 3, 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.*