Comparison

retro message vs Gram AI

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

Head to head
About

retro message

Create unique messages by overlaying custom text or vintage movie quotes onto black-and-white retro video clips. Add a soundtrack to personalize your creations before sending them.

Highlights
  • Select vintage retro clips
  • Superimpose custom messages
  • Choose from movie quotes
  • Add custom soundtracks
  • Send via iMessage
  • Create personalized messages
Features
Read full description

Why message when you can retro message. Got something to say? "retro message is dedicated to the early pioneers of filmmaking—and the filmmaker in all of us" retro message lets you select a black-and-white vintage retro clip, choose a quote from a vintage movie or create your own message to superimpose over the selected clip, include your sound track, then send your retro message—that's it! And hey, the first 3 are free! After that, you'll need a retro membership, but we've streamlined the process to keep pricing low. how does it work? send a retro message in just 4 easy steps: step 1: select a retro clip step 2: select a retro message—based on famous vintage movie quotes—or create your own step 3: select a film score soundtrack step 4: send your retro message! retro message is now available in iMessage. A handful of short retro clips that are fun, fast and retro easy! retro message testimonials: “This app is so much fun! I’m using retro message instead of sending greeting cards from now on!” Marylin B "After installing retro message, my son—8 years old—asked if he could try it. Within seconds, he sent his first retro message to his mom. We were all smiling and impressed at the creativity he expressed, and how easy it was. Great app!" Tommy I "I was asked to beta test retro message, and discovered how easy it was to customize my own message instead of using one of the built-in movie quotes—although the quotes are very cool on their own! Right out of the box, the possibilities and capabilities of this app are really slick! Really, just get the app—you'll love it!" Sean L  "Once in a great while, an app comes along that redefines a paradigm—in this case, messaging. This is one such app, and messaging will never be the same as a result." Sandra S The new smart way to send a text message! "So cool and absolutely brilliant. Total fun when creating a new retro message, a great experience! We love it, this app has so much to offer with amazing creativity" On the coast.

About

Gram AI

Transform your photos into over 100 unique AI-generated avatars across various styles like professional, cyberpunk, and anime. Express yourself with personalized art in about 20 minutes.

Highlights
  • 100+ AI photorealistic avatars
  • 5 distinct art styles
  • Professional headshots
  • Cyberpunk and anime styles
  • Fast generation time
  • Requires 5+ photos
Features
Read full description

Gram AI - allows you to create over 100 AI photorealistic avatars from your photos in 5 different styles you can choose from, such as Professional Headshots, Video Game, Cyberpunk, Anime and more. Approximately 20 minutes after uploading your photos - you will have a unique and sometimes magical way to express yourself! Advantages: - only 5+ photos needed - you choose your own styles - generation time is fast - unique and repetitive art Try it right now! Create your own art avatars with gram ai and start expressing yourself online in style. Required purchase one of packs to create avatars Subscription Terms: $5.99/week to make unlimited wallpapers in 4K quality without ads, watermarks and get one free generation avatars per week - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable - You can cancel a free trial or subscription anytime by turning off auto-renewal through your iTunes account settings. This must be done 24 hours before the end of a free trial or subscription period to avoid being charged. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period, and you will be downgraded to the free service Terms of Use: https://face2.art/terms Privacy Policy: https://face2.art/privacy-policy Support: admin@ubi.media

Screenshots

retro message4 screens
Gram AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

retro message and Gram AI both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of retro message's written reviews are positive against 20% of Gram AI's. Gram AI's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (3K vs 11). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. retro message sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Gram AI sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for retro message against 4.5 for Gram AI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gram AI has 3K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of retro message's written reviews are positive against 20% of Gram AI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

retro message ships an update every 9 months, Gram AI fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
retro message versus Gram AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterretro messageGram AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11 ratings) — better4.5 (3K ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better20.1% of reviews
Number of ratings113K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB163 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperScott Hawthorne R&D LLCUBI MEDIA FZE LLC

Customer experience

retro message

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Gram AI

All ratings3,056 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral3.9%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive20.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative77.6%

Bugs and requests

retro message

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Gram AI

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App doesn't open, 'Let's Go' button not working
  • Uploaded photos not processing, getting error messages
  • Incorrect or irrelevant AI-generated images

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to cancel subscription easily
  • More transparency on pricing and limitations
  • Improved AI accuracy and consistency

In-app purchases

3 purchases

retro message

Subscriptions3
  • retro msg 1 month membership.$1.991 Month
  • 3 months retro msg membership$5.993 Months
  • retro msg 1 year membership.$19.991 Year
9 purchases

Gram AI

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Week Subscription3 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • Annual Subscriptio$39.991 Year
One-time6
  • Avatars Pack 1 Discount$2.99
  • Avatars Pack 1$4.99
  • Avatars Pack 2 Discount$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Avatars Pack 3 Discount$6.99
  • Avatars Pack 2$9.99
  • Avatars Pack 3$14.99

Questions

Is retro message free?
retro message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gram AI free?
Gram AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, retro message or Gram AI?
retro message is rated higher. retro message averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Gram AI averages 4.5 from 3K ratings.
Do retro message or Gram AI have ads?
Neither retro message nor Gram AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, retro message or Gram AI?
retro message ships an update every 9 months, and Gram AI fortnightly. Most recently, retro message was updated on November 3, 2026 and Gram AI on November 12, 2026.

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