Comparison

retro message vs Luminar

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

Luminar

This app offers powerful AI-driven photo editing tools for mobile devices. It features intuitive controls, smart enhancements for skies, lighting, and skin, and a range of editing options for composition and style. Supports RAW files and integrates with Apple devices.

Highlights
  • AI Sky Replacement
  • AI Photo Enhancement
  • AI Skin Retouching
  • AI Body Shaping
  • RAW File Editing
  • Intuitive Gesture Controls
  • Photo Filters
Features
Read full description

Luminar — Your all-in-one, on-the-go photo editor and creative companion for iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro. Explore powerful AI-driven tools and an interactive interface that responds to your touch, delivering a uniquely engaging photo editing experience. Streamlined design with unparalleled control Luminar's user-friendly design allows you to edit your photos with intuitive gestures, featuring smoothly gliding sliders and spinning dials that respond realistically to your touch with motion and sound. With Luminar, there are no complicated functions or processes. Less fuss, more creativity. Smart AI enhancements Powered by cutting-edge technology, Luminar is the revolutionary smart AI photo enhancer for your every need: - SkyAI: Seamlessly replace dull skies with brilliant ones for impressive backdrops - EnhanceAI: Effortlessly enhance photo quality with a single slide, adjusting color, tone and clarity for professional results in seconds - StructureAI: Unlock hidden details and clarity in your images, enhancing contrast and texture for striking visual impact - Light Depth: Add natural depth and dimension with AI-powered, depth-aware lighting - FaceAI: Automatically enhance face features, brighten the face and subtly refine proportions - SkinAI: Automatically retouch the skin and remove imperfections for a clean and smooth result - BodyAI: Shape a subject’s midsection in a realistic way by adding or removing volume - BokehAI: Blur backgrounds, adjust focus, customize bokeh shapes All-in-one powerhouse - Curves: Edit photos with precise color and tone adjustments, achieving the perfect balance and mood - Details: Enhance every detail with just a tap, bringing your images to life with clarity and sharpness - Crop: Easily trim, align, flip and rotate for the perfect composition, ensuring your images stand out - Landscape: Transform your landscapes with ease and enhance golden hour lighting, brighten foliage, or remove haze for breathtaking results - Monochrome: Convert your color photos to stunning black and white masterpieces, adding depth and mood to your images - Erase: Effortlessly remove distracting elements from your photos to place focus on your subjects - Photo Filters: Enjoy a diverse collection of photo effects that add a unique style to your shots - RAW File Support: Edit your RAW photos directly on your mobile, preserving maximum image quality Seamless integration with Apple devices Designed for the Apple ecosystem, Luminar makes it easy to edit photos taken on your iPhone or iPad, enhancing your editing workflow. On the iPad, you can add personal touches using the Apple Pencil for sharper details and convenient edits. Plus, discover a new immersive editing experience with Vision Pro, optimized for iPadOS and VisionOS. Luminar — Envision more Whether you're a beginner or a pro, the Luminar AI photo editor offers a range of features to suit your needs, including detail enhancement, photo retouching, color adjustment, and more. Try Luminar now and experience next-level photo editing at your fingertips. Compatibility Note: The Luminar picture editor is optimized for devices running iOS/iPadOS 17 and newer. Please note that on iPad 6-gen, certain advanced features such as Erase, Sky AI and Relight AI are not available. To access all features, you need to purchase one of the plans below: 1 Week subscription 12 Months subscription (+7 days free trial. Once the trial is over, you will be charged a yearly subscription) Lifetime license Subscriptions auto-renew at the cost of the chosen package, unless canceled 24-hours in advance prior to the end of the current period. The subscription fee is charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. You may manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://skylum.com/legal Terms of use: https://skylum.com/legal-eula

Screenshots

retro message4 screens
Luminar4 screens

Verdict

The call

retro message and Luminar both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of retro message's written reviews are positive against 42% of Luminar's. Luminar's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (4.8K 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 Luminar sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.8 for Luminar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luminar has 4.8K 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 42% of Luminar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
retro message versus Luminar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterretro messageLuminar
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11 ratings)4.8 (4.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better41.5% of reviews
Number of ratings114.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#165 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB670 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScott Hawthorne R&D LLCSkylum

Customer experience

retro message

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

Luminar

All ratings4,795 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews826 reviews
Positive41.5%
Neutral13.7%
Negative44.8%

Bugs and requests

retro message

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Luminar

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Issues with saving and exporting
  • Inaccurate AI-powered tools

Requested features

4 requests
  • Batch editing and presets
  • Raw file support
  • Masking and local adjustments
  • Export options (PNG, TIFF)

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
8 purchases

Luminar

Subscriptions6
  • 1 Week2 variants$4.997 Days
  • 1 Month$14.991 Month
  • 12 Months7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • 1 Year7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Prime subscription$69.991 Year
  • 12 Months + Prime7 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime2 variants$69.99
  • Lifetime Web + Desktop$99.99

Questions

Is retro message free?
retro message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Luminar free?
Luminar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, retro message or Luminar?
Luminar is rated higher. retro message averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Luminar averages 4.8 from 4.8K ratings.
Do retro message or Luminar have ads?
Neither retro message nor Luminar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, retro message or Luminar?
retro message ships an update every 9 months, and Luminar every 9 days. Most recently, retro message was updated on November 3, 2026 and Luminar on November 12, 2026.

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