# Retrogram vs PigPen

The clearest difference is update cadence: PigPen at weekly against Retrogram's every 3 weeks. Retrogram's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrogram sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PigPen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Retrogram ships an update every 3 weeks, PigPen weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrogram | PigPen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (326 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrogram/id1537372328/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **326** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 162 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [in Color](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537372330) | [Rodney Telford](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423607163) |

## What reviewers say

### Retrogram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrogram/id1537372328)

Challenge your vocabulary with a daily word puzzle. Create as many words as possible from seven letters. Enjoy a stylish, retro-themed experience designed to sharpen your mind and introduce you to new words.

**Highlights:** Daily hand-made puzzles, Solve puzzles together via SharePlay, Apple Watch compatibility, No ads, Discover new words

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Daily Puzzle (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Daily Puzzle (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Where in the World | $3.99 | one-time |
| 80s Dinner Party | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gaming Icons | $4.99 | one-time |
| Stone Cold | $4.99 | one-time |
| Flower Power | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dear Reader | $4.99 | one-time |
| Outer Rim | $4.99 | one-time |
| Daily Puzzle (For Life) | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Retro aesthetic and clean interface design
- 👍 Simple and intuitive gameplay mechanics
- 🧠 Challenging and brain-stimulating puzzles
- 📚 Interesting word definitions and fun comments
- 🎮 Daily puzzle provides consistent engagement

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($30-$80)
- 🚫 Misleading free-to-play model with paywall
- 📖 Inconsistent and limited word dictionary
- 🔄 Words accepted one day but rejected another
- ⏰ Only one puzzle per day (limited content)

**Reported bugs**

- Words marked as missed that were actually found
- Puzzle letters changing when spinning the wheel
- Apple Watch app no longer functioning
- Game progress deletion without explanation
- Inconsistent word acceptance across different puzzles

**Requested features**

- Access to previous/archived puzzles
- Multiple puzzles per day or puzzle difficulty levels
- Statistics tracking (completion rate, pangram frequency)
- Hint system that doesn't impact streak
- Word find rate percentages for context


### PigPen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pigpen/id6764156945)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PigPen Unlimited | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrogram free?

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

### Is PigPen free?

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

### Do Retrogram or PigPen have ads?

Neither Retrogram nor PigPen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retrogram or PigPen?

Retrogram ships an update every 3 weeks, and PigPen weekly. Most recently, Retrogram was updated on October 22, 2026 and PigPen on October 9, 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.*