Comparison

retro message vs Pearla Verana

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

Pearla Verana

This professional camera app offers advanced control for photographers and filmmakers. It features RAW capture, film emulation with real-time grain, and extensive Log profile support. An integrated RAW editor and real-time audio mixing enhance creative workflows.

Highlights
  • 14-bit RAW stills and video capture
  • Real-time film emulation with grain and halation
  • Extensive Log profile support (Apple Log 2, S-Log3, etc.)
  • Built-in RAW editor for grading and export
  • Real-time audio mixing
  • Speech-activated teleprompter
  • Remote capture from a second iPhone
Features
Read full description

Pearla Verana IV is a professional camera app built for photographers and filmmakers who need complete control and high-quality results. Every image starts from the same device-calibrated foundation. RealHUE 2 calibrates color for your specific iPhone, and the Pearla Wide Gamut working space sits behind Log, RAW, HDR, film emulation and custom profiles, so color is stabilized before the image is shaped, and the result holds through grading, finishing and delivery. PearlaRAW captures 14-bit RAW stills and records 14-bit RAW video internally on every supported iPhone. Burst at up to 25 fps in 14-bit RAW or 40 fps in 12-bit RAW with pre-capture, or use the intervalometer across any capture pipeline. Shutter Priority mode locks your shutter speed while ISO adjusts continuously. Pearla's film emulation engine adds luminance-aware grain and halation in real time up to 4K60, with detailed tonal control and custom recipes designed to replicate the look and feel of classic film stocks. For Log capture, Pearla supports Apple Log 2, S-Log3, LogC3, C-Log3, F-Log/F-Log2, V-Log, N-Log, L-Log, D-Log, I-Log and Blackmagic Film Gen 5, with waveform and false color monitoring and tone mapping controls. A built-in RAW editor lets you grade RAW photos and video shot in Pearla and export to Photos or Files as Log or as finished deliverables. Photo and video settings stay separate, external drives and HDMI output are supported, and files are directly accessible through the built-in media manager. For many shoots, Pearla's real-time audio mixing replaces the external microphone. Dialogue lifts clear of the scene at capture, on the iPhone's own mics. It is non-destructive, so you can always adjust to your liking or pull the original audio. Pearla also includes a speech-activated teleprompter, customizable presets on custom buttons, a customizable Quick Menu, remote capture from a second iPhone, and Tilta Nucleus-M support. Whether you're shooting for a client, documenting everyday life, or building a personal archive, Pearla is designed to support a focused, intentional creative process. Subscription pricing and terms: A subscription is required to use Pearla. Pearla offers an auto-renewing yearly subscription to provide you with unlimited access to all features while you maintain an active subscription. Pearla requires an iPhone device running iOS 18 or later.

Screenshots

retro message4 screens
Pearla Verana4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: retro message at 100% against Pearla Verana's 34%. retro message also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Pearla Verana's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (332 vs 11). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Pearla Verana sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

retro message holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pearla Verana has 332 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of retro message's written reviews are positive against 34% of Pearla Verana's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
retro message versus Pearla Verana: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterretro messagePearla Verana
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11 ratings) — better4.2 (332 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better34.4% of reviews
Number of ratings11332 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScott Hawthorne R&D LLCGuy Cassidy

Customer experience

retro message

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

Pearla Verana

All ratings332 ratings
Positive76.2%
Neutral5.7%
Negative18.1%
Written reviews305 reviews
Positive34.4%
Neutral18.0%
Negative47.5%

Bugs and requests

retro message

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pearla Verana

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when switching lenses
  • Saved photos don't match preview
  • Inability to delete account
  • Inconsistent behavior when locking settings

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to record to external storage
  • More advanced video features like focus peaking and zebras
  • Easier access to film simulations
  • Option to purchase app outright instead of subscription
  • Improved performance and stability

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
3 purchases

Pearla Verana

Subscriptions3
  • 1 Month Access$9.991 Month
  • 3 Months Access$19.993 Months
  • 1 Year Access3 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is retro message free?
retro message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pearla Verana free?
Pearla Verana is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, retro message or Pearla Verana?
retro message is rated higher. retro message averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Pearla Verana averages 4.2 from 332 ratings.
Do retro message or Pearla Verana have ads?
Neither retro message nor Pearla Verana shows ads.
Which is updated more often, retro message or Pearla Verana?
retro message ships an update every 9 months, and Pearla Verana every 9 days. Most recently, retro message was updated on November 3, 2026 and Pearla Verana on November 12, 2026.

Other comparisons