# Retro Flash vs Ascent

The clearest difference is ads: Retro Flash at none against Ascent's shown. Retro Flash also leads on ratings volume (226 vs 1). Ascent's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retro Flash sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Ascent sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ascent holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retro Flash has 226 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Retro Flash ships an update every 3 weeks, Ascent weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retro Flash | Ascent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (226 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-flash-climbing/id1519582483/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascent-elevate-your-game/id6756327056/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **226** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 162 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arcade Bouldering UG (haftungsbeschrnkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519582485) | [Sanfeng Wang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860082908) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Ascent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascent-elevate-your-game/id6756327056)

This AI-powered sports coach analyzes your technique frame-by-frame from video uploads. Get specific, actionable feedback and track your progress across over 13 sports to elevate your game.

**Highlights:** AI video analysis, Multi-sport support (13+), Context-aware feedback, Actionable form corrections, Progress tracking, Custom coach questions (premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ascent Pro | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retro Flash free?

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

### Is Ascent free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retro Flash or Ascent?

Ascent is rated higher. Retro Flash averages 4.7 out of 5 from 226 ratings, while Ascent averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Retro Flash or Ascent have ads?

Ascent shows ads; Retro Flash does not.

### Which is updated more often, Retro Flash or Ascent?

Retro Flash ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ascent weekly. Most recently, Retro Flash was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ascent on October 30, 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.*