Comparison

retro message vs SHINEY

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

SHINEY

Transform your videos into stunning digital artworks with unique AI-powered filters. Achieve celebrity or anime looks, or showcase a fit physique in seconds. This app uses advanced AI for fast, efficient video processing, helping you create eye-catching content and go viral.

Highlights
  • Unique AI-powered video filters
  • Transform into movie stars or anime characters
  • Create fitness-inspired looks
  • Turn videos into digital artworks
  • Fast AI video processing
  • On-trend content creation
Read full description

We have prepared unique and high-quality filters that can amaze your friends and followers. Interested in looking like a movie star or trying on the look of a lovable anime character? Maybe you want to look like you spend all day at the gym. Take what you want and create an eye-catching look. Turn your videos into on-trend digital artworks. Try all the video filters we have developed. We utilized the latest developments in artificial intelligence to process your videos consistently and efficiently. And most importantly, you no longer have to wait a long time for the finished result. This app does not require tens of minutes of waiting, you will get new content with the fastest possible speed. Be ready to be in the spotlight, getting likes and hitting the trends!

Screenshots

retro message4 screens
SHINEY4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: retro message at none against SHINEY's shown. retro message also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 83%). SHINEY's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (33 vs 11). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 SHINEY sells 5 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 4.6 for SHINEY. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 33 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of retro message's written reviews are positive against 83% of SHINEY's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

retro message ships an update every 9 months, SHINEY weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
retro message versus SHINEY: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterretro messageSHINEY
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11 ratings)4.6 (33 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1133 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB180 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScott Hawthorne R&D LLCOleg Gervalov

Customer experience

retro message

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

SHINEY

All ratings30 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

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
5 purchases

SHINEY

Subscriptions2
  • ai video$5.997 Days
  • ai video generator$34.991 Year
One-time3
  • 1800 coins$4.99
  • 5000 coins$9.99
  • 15000 coins$29.99

Questions

Is retro message free?
retro message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SHINEY free?
SHINEY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, retro message or SHINEY?
retro message and SHINEY are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 11 and 33 ratings respectively.
Do retro message or SHINEY have ads?
SHINEY shows ads; retro message does not.
Which is updated more often, retro message or SHINEY?
retro message ships an update every 9 months, and SHINEY weekly. Most recently, retro message was updated on November 3, 2026 and SHINEY on November 4, 2026.

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