# MasterDex vs Retro Achievements

The clearest difference is ads: Retro Achievements at none against MasterDex's shown. Retro Achievements also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MasterDex sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Retro Achievements sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MasterDex ships an update every 3 weeks, Retro Achievements every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MasterDex | Retro Achievements |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterdex-complete-guide/id1621464261/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 196 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lorenzo Greco](https://appshunter.io/developer/480768196) | [Johan Steven Oliveros Rodriguez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833398819) |

## What reviewers say

### MasterDex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterdex-complete-guide/id1621464261)

This app serves as a comprehensive guide for fans and trainers, offering detailed information on creatures, team building, and the trading card game. It features offline access, advanced search, and tracking for favorite creatures and shinies, updated for the latest generation.

**Highlights:** Updated creature information, Team builder tool, Trading Card Game details, Offline functionality, Shiny creature tracker, Advanced search filters

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Masteredex - Sale | $1.99 | one-time |
| Masterdex PRO | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 👍 Great Pokédex
- 🔒 No ads
- 💡 One-time purchase
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashing and slow loading
- 🐛 Bugs with team builder
- 🐛 Missing Pokémon forms and gender differences
- 🐛 Incorrect or outdated information
- 💡 Lack of Pokémon location filters

**Reported bugs**

- Shiny toggle not working in team builder
- Pokémon 3D models and artwork not displaying
- Johto region locations missing
- Crashes when adding Pokémon to teams
- Incorrect information for some Pokémon (e.g., Necrozma's ability, Pikachu's classification)

**Requested features**

- Add Pokémon location filters
- Implement ability to mark Pokémon as caught/seen
- Add damage calculator
- Allow reorganizing of teams
- Include Pokémon cries and Dynamax/Gigantamax forms


### Retro Achievements

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-achievements/id6751086905)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Ad-Free 6 Months | $5.49 | per 6 months |
| Ad-Free Annual | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MasterDex free?

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

### Is Retro Achievements free?

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

### Do MasterDex or Retro Achievements have ads?

MasterDex shows ads; Retro Achievements does not.

### Which is updated more often, MasterDex or Retro Achievements?

MasterDex ships an update every 3 weeks, and Retro Achievements every 2 weeks. Most recently, MasterDex was updated on October 27, 2026 and Retro Achievements on October 25, 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.*