# ZenShell vs RetroAchievementsUI

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ZenShell at 100% against RetroAchievementsUI's 56%. ZenShell also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). RetroAchievementsUI's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RetroAchievementsUI sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ZenShell asks for nothing beyond the download.

ZenShell holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ZenShell's written reviews are positive against 56% of RetroAchievementsUI's.

ZenShell ships an update every 2 months, RetroAchievementsUI fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZenShell | RetroAchievementsUI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenshell/id348537801/reviews)** | [4.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroachievementsui/id6504225426/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **9** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 55.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 179 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Z Sculpt](https://appshunter.io/developer/348537806) | [Michael Rosenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632690709) |

## What reviewers say

### ZenShell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenshell/id348537801)

Test your reflexes and hand-eye coordination with this classic "ball and cups" style game. Catch hermit crabs as they move rapidly under shells. See if your eyes are fast enough to keep up!

**Highlights:** Hand-eye coordination test, Classic "ball and cups" gameplay, Fast-paced shell following, Hermit crab catching, Reaction time challenge

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### RetroAchievementsUI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroachievementsui/id6504225426)

Browse and discover games with achievements. Track your progress and find new challenges to master. This open-source application is built with SwiftUI.

**Highlights:** Browse games with achievements, Discover new games, Track game progress, Open-source, SwiftUI built

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip - Insert Coin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Continue | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip - High Score | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZenShell free?

ZenShell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RetroAchievementsUI free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ZenShell or RetroAchievementsUI?

ZenShell is rated higher. ZenShell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while RetroAchievementsUI averages 4.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do ZenShell or RetroAchievementsUI have ads?

Neither ZenShell nor RetroAchievementsUI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ZenShell or RetroAchievementsUI?

ZenShell ships an update every 2 months, and RetroAchievementsUI fortnightly. Most recently, ZenShell was updated on November 1, 2026 and RetroAchievementsUI on November 8, 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.*