# RetroPlayer vs SmartPlaylist

The clearest difference is rating: SmartPlaylist at 4.4 against RetroPlayer's 3.0. SmartPlaylist also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 43%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 54 months). RetroPlayer's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

RetroPlayer costs $1.99 and SmartPlaylist $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SmartPlaylist holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartPlaylist has 53 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of RetroPlayer's written reviews are positive against 77% of SmartPlaylist's.

RetroPlayer ships an update every 54 months, SmartPlaylist every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RetroPlayer | SmartPlaylist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroplayer/id314156386/reviews) | **[4.4 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartplaylist/id326071802/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **53** |
| Positive reviews | 43.2% of reviews | **77.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 54 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 16 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tahito Aoki](https://appshunter.io/developer/289946976) | [daenu](https://appshunter.io/developer/326071805) |

## What reviewers say

### RetroPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroplayer/id314156386)

This music player offers a unique retro experience by simulating an old-style record player. Customize audio effects like distortion and noise, and control playback speed and pitch by interacting with the virtual turntable.

**Highlights:** Simulates retro record player, Adjustable distortion, skip, and noise effects, Control music pitch via turntable speed, Direct turntable manipulation with fingers, Re-experience familiar music with a vintage feel

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartPlaylist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartplaylist/id326071802)

Generate custom music playlists using extensive filtering and sorting rules. Organize your music library by text, numerical, date, and property criteria. Seamlessly integrate with your device's music player for playback.

**Highlights:** 26 customizable smart playlists, Over 20 search rules per playlist, Text, numerical, and date filtering, Logical operators for rule combination, iCloud backup and restore for rules, Hierarchical music library browsing, Playback queue integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RetroPlayer free?

RetroPlayer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmartPlaylist free?

SmartPlaylist costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RetroPlayer or SmartPlaylist?

SmartPlaylist is rated higher. RetroPlayer averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while SmartPlaylist averages 4.4 from 53 ratings.

### Do RetroPlayer or SmartPlaylist have ads?

Neither RetroPlayer nor SmartPlaylist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RetroPlayer or SmartPlaylist?

RetroPlayer ships an update every 54 months, and SmartPlaylist every 2 months. Most recently, RetroPlayer was updated on October 22, 2026 and SmartPlaylist on October 20, 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.*