# Essential Sci vs Retro

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retro at weekly against Essential Sci's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Essential Sci sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Retro sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Essential Sci ships an update every 6 weeks, Retro weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essential Sci | Retro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-sci-fi-channel/id1635437392/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **33** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 8 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MacMillan Interactive Communications, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/820481297) | [GIUSEPPE MATTEO FALCETTA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1844848863) |

## What reviewers say

### Essential Sci

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-sci-fi-channel/id1635437392)

Stream a vast library of science fiction movies and TV shows for free. Subscribe monthly to enjoy an ad-free viewing experience and access premium content.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of hours of sci-fi content, Free streaming, Monthly ad-free subscription, Watch on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Essential Sci-Fi Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Essential Sci-Fi Yearly Sub | $69.99 | per year |


### Retro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-arcade/id6759961652)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins Small | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coins Medium | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Coins Large | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essential Sci free?

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

### Is Retro free?

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

### Do Essential Sci or Retro have ads?

Both Essential Sci and Retro show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essential Sci or Retro?

Essential Sci ships an update every 6 weeks, and Retro weekly. Most recently, Essential Sci was updated on October 21, 2026 and Retro on October 16, 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.*