# PIXEL86 vs bitwave

The clearest difference is ads: bitwave at none against PIXEL86's shown. bitwave also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). PIXEL86's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (42 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PIXEL86 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and bitwave sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

bitwave holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PIXEL86 has 42 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

PIXEL86 ships an update every 5 days, bitwave every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PIXEL86 | bitwave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitwave-art-tech-camera/id6480365065/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **42** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 87 MB | 152 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peter Tretyakov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1072835768) | [Demian Nezhdanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703677495) |

## What reviewers say

### PIXEL86

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991)

Transform photos and videos with vintage pixel art aesthetics. Apply true black-and-white dithering, custom color palettes, and unique dithering styles to create retro media. Supports video editing and sharing your creations.

**Highlights:** True B/W dithering, Video editing support, Customizable color palettes, Three dithering styles (Natural, Pattern, Flat), Vintage-inspired aesthetics, Social media sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License Discount | $9.99 | one-time |
| Perpetual License | $19.99 | one-time |


### bitwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitwave-art-tech-camera/id6480365065)

This app offers real-time experimental photo and video effects using visual systems like ASCII, dithering, and computer vision. Users can adjust presets, create custom ones, and use image regions to influence visual processing.

**Highlights:** Real-time visual camera effects, ASCII, dither, halftone, stipple processing, Computer Vision masks and object-based effects, Live photo and video capture, Import and edit existing media, Custom preset creation, Video export and sharing

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| bitwave PRO WEEKLY | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Optional tip to support Bitwave. | $0.99 | one-time |
| Optional tip to support Bitwave. | $5.99 | one-time |
| PRO lifetime | $5.99 | one-time |
| Optional tip to support Bitwave. | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PIXEL86 free?

PIXEL86 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is bitwave free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PIXEL86 or bitwave?

bitwave is rated higher. PIXEL86 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while bitwave averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PIXEL86 or bitwave have ads?

PIXEL86 shows ads; bitwave does not.

### Which is updated more often, PIXEL86 or bitwave?

PIXEL86 ships an update every 5 days, and bitwave every 2 months. Most recently, PIXEL86 was updated on November 3, 2026 and bitwave on November 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*