Comparison

AV link vs Retro MP3 Pocket

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

AV link

Control your car's audio system with this app. Tune radio stations, play music from USB or Bluetooth, and adjust audio levels. It displays song information for USB and Bluetooth playback.

Highlights
  • Radio station scanning and storage
  • USB music playback with ID3 info
  • Bluetooth music control with ID3 info
  • External audio input via AUX
  • Play/pause/previous/next controls
  • Treble and bass level adjustment
Features
Read full description

Radio mode on APP can scan/store/channel up & down to tune necessary station frequency. USB mode can play music stored in USB and display ID3 information. AUX mode allows external audio input to head unit. APP can control play BT music through Bluetooth and display ID3 information. APP has play/pause/previous/next control and treble/bass level control. Features: . adjust USB music audio level control and treble/bass level control. .display USB music/BT music ID3 information. .adjust BT music audio level control and treble/bass level control.

About

Retro MP3 Pocket

Relive the nostalgia of early 2000s portable music players with this app. It allows you to play your own MP3 and M4A files from local storage or iCloud Drive, or connect to your Apple Music library. Enjoy retro themes, playlist creation, and internet radio.

Highlights
  • Play local MP3/M4A files
  • Connect to Apple Music library
  • Three retro themes
  • Playlist creation and management
  • Full-text library search
  • Internet radio with 46,000+ stations
  • Background playback
Features
Read full description

Retro MP3 Pocket brings back the joy of having your own music collection. Designed in the spirit of early-2000s portable players, it gives your iPhone the look and feel of an old-school music device while playing the music YOU own. YOUR MUSIC, YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY • Point Retro MP3 at any folder of MP3 or M4A files in iCloud Drive, Files, or On My iPhone. No streaming subscriptions, no cloud uploads, just your local music. • Or connect to your existing Apple Music library to play your iTunes purchases and synced songs. THREE RETRO THEMES, ONE PLAYER • 2005, Volcanic Orange. Black body, cyan LCD, that early MP3 player feel. • 2003, Green Pixel LCD. Monochrome, minimalist, just the essentials. • 1979, Chrome and Tape. Silver case, blue label, the classic cassette look. EVERYTHING A MUSIC PLAYER SHOULD HAVE • Browse by Songs, Albums, Artists, or your own Playlists. • Full-text search across your entire library. • Create, rename, and reorder playlists. • Edit track titles locally, without changing the original file. • Lock screen and Bluetooth controls (AirPods, car stereos). • Background playback that continues when the app is closed. • Auto-resume to your last-played track on relaunch. INTERNET RADIO, BUILT IN Browse and search over 46,000 radio stations from around the world, fully offline. Save your favorites and play them with the same retro controls, live track info included. NO TRACKING, NO ADS, NO NONSENSE Retro MP3 does not collect any data, does not show ads, and does not require an account. Your music stays on your device. Your privacy stays yours.

Screenshots

AV link4 screens
Retro MP3 Pocket4 screens

Verdict

The call

AV link and Retro MP3 Pocket both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Retro MP3 Pocket's written reviews are positive against 25% of AV link's. Retro MP3 Pocket also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 days). AV link's advantage is iOS requirement (10.3 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for AV link against 5.0 for Retro MP3 Pocket. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of AV link's written reviews are positive against 100% of Retro MP3 Pocket's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AV link ships an update every 6 days, Retro MP3 Pocket every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AV link versus Retro MP3 Pocket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAV linkRetro MP3 Pocket
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS10.3 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSIU KEUNG CHANDimitrios Zarkadas

Customer experience

AV link

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Retro MP3 Pocket

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

AV link

No in-app purchases

None

Retro MP3 Pocket

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AV link free?
AV link is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Retro MP3 Pocket free?
Retro MP3 Pocket is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AV link or Retro MP3 Pocket?
AV link and Retro MP3 Pocket are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do AV link or Retro MP3 Pocket have ads?
Neither AV link nor Retro MP3 Pocket shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AV link or Retro MP3 Pocket?
AV link ships an update every 6 days, and Retro MP3 Pocket every 3 days. Most recently, AV link was updated on November 3, 2026 and Retro MP3 Pocket on October 31, 2026.

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