# Retro Flash vs Tidal Labs

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Retro Flash at 226 against Tidal Labs's 1. Retro Flash also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). Tidal Labs's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retro Flash sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Tidal Labs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tidal Labs 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, Tidal Labs fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retro Flash | Tidal Labs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/tidal-labs/id6762887601/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **226** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 162 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arcade Bouldering UG (haftungsbeschrnkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519582485) | [Micah Woodring](https://appshunter.io/developer/1832897427) |

## 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


### Tidal Labs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tidal-labs/id6762887601)

This app transforms your Apple Watch and iPhone into an automated surf filming system. Log wave rides with your watch and let the app automatically trim your footage into a highlight reel.

**Highlights:** Apple Watch wave timestamp logging, Automatic clip trimming, Surf spot detection, HealthKit workout tracking, Configurable clip length, Session library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Wave Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Overhead tip | $14.99 | one-time |
| Double Overhead tip | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retro Flash free?

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

### Is Tidal Labs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retro Flash or Tidal Labs?

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

### Do Retro Flash or Tidal Labs have ads?

Neither Retro Flash nor Tidal Labs shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retro Flash or Tidal Labs?

Retro Flash ships an update every 3 weeks, and Tidal Labs fortnightly. Most recently, Retro Flash was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tidal Labs on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*