Comparison

RetroScreen vs SwitchBuddy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RetroScreen

Experience interactive computer art inspired by 1990s aesthetics on your iPhone and iPad. Utilize multitouch gestures to manipulate points and switch between five unique modes, creating dynamic visual experiences. This app offers a nostalgic yet modern artistic playground.

Highlights
  • Multitouch interaction
  • Five distinct creative modes
  • Tap and drag to move points
  • Double-tap to add/remove points
  • Gesture-based controls
  • Nostalgic computer art aesthetic
Features
Read full description

Inspired by the computer art of an earlier generation, RetroScreen is an interactive incarnation for iPhone and iPad. Five modes, each built around multitouch — it's like your 1996 Power Macintosh had a multitouch display all along. • Tap and drag to move a point • Double-tap a point to remove it • Double-tap empty space to add one • Tap the dot, top right, to switch mode • Tap the x, top left to slow everything down Originally published in 2011, rebuilt in 2026 for the latest devices with the original look intact. Created by Mike Tucker (mike-tucker.com). Published by CreativeApplications.Net. Made with openFrameworks, an open source C++ toolkit.

About

SwitchBuddy

This app serves as a companion for your gaming console, offering features like game wishlists with sale notifications, faster media transfers, game discovery, and customizable widgets for your home and lock screens. It also provides access to game news and pricing information.

Highlights
  • Game wishlist with sale notifications
  • Faster screenshot and video transfer
  • Game discovery and release tracking
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • eShop price tracking and region switching
  • Game news and articles
Features
Read full description

*Not official app. Not affiliated with Nintendo* • No account required • No ads • The companion app for your Switch & Switch 2. What can you do with SwitchBuddy? - Create wishlist and get notification when game is on sale (+ you can view price history) - Transfer screenshots & videos from Switch 1 much faster. - Discover new games released for your console - Add countdown and other widgets to your Home Screen & Lock Screen - View all the games rated "Mighty" by OpenCritic & much more! Most of the app is totally free; try it today! :-) # Transfer Scan just the first QR code to transfer from your Switch 1 console. You can transfer up to ten screenshots or a single video. Select Photos or iCloud Drive as the export destination. Are you playing on a TV? No problem; with zoom, you can comfortably scan the needed QR code from your sofa. # Gallery View the screenshot & videos you transferred in a convenient gallery; items are grouped by game and can be quickly shared. # Games - Discovery & database Track upcoming game releases - view screenshots, trailers, and more about games you can play soon! Favorite games for quick access and easily share them with friends. # Widgets SwitchBuddy has a variety of widgets - release countdowns, Switch 2 coutndown, Up Next, Calendar, Transfer shortcuts... And some of them also work on your Lock Screen. # eShop prices + wishlist Easily see game prices, current deals, and wishlist games to be notified about price drops. You can also change eShop region to view prices for different countries. # News Articles & Videos Stay up-to-date on the newest game releases, reviews, hardware, and more! And more Make the app yours with themes and alternative icons. Themes inspired by Mario, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, and Switch OLED are available. #SwitchBuddy+ Get all the extras and remove the limit of favorite games with an optional subscription. You will also support this one-person team :-) SwitchBuddy is not affiliated with Nintendo. ---- Privacy Policy: https://impresskit.net/p/b20391f2-0e94-4db3-81dd-d366e0c7f87c Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

RetroScreen4 screens
SwitchBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RetroScreen at none against SwitchBuddy's 8. RetroScreen also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). SwitchBuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 99 months) and review sentiment (80% vs 67%). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SwitchBuddy sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. RetroScreen asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RetroScreen ships an update every 99 months, SwitchBuddy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RetroScreen versus SwitchBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroScreenSwitchBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 99 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB52 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperCreativeApplications.NetFilip Nemecek

Customer experience

RetroScreen

Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

SwitchBuddy

All ratings1,620 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews158 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral5.7%
Negative13.9%

Bugs and requests

RetroScreen

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

SwitchBuddy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Camera feature not working after recent update
  • Inability to delete stored media from the app
  • Frequent freezing and performance issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add folders/organization for transferred media
  • Expand platform support beyond just Nintendo Switch
  • Improve search and filtering capabilities
  • Provide more detailed game information and reviews

In-app purchases

None

RetroScreen

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

SwitchBuddy

Subscriptions2
  • SwitchBuddy+7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • SwitchBuddy+7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time6
  • Coffee-sized Tip$1.99
  • Lunch-sized Tip$3.99
  • Book-sized Tip$7.99
Show 3 more
  • SwitchBuddy+ One-time (OFFER)$17.99
  • Game-sized Tip$19.99
  • SwitchBuddy+ One-time unlock$34.99

Questions

Is RetroScreen free?
RetroScreen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SwitchBuddy free?
SwitchBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RetroScreen or SwitchBuddy have ads?
Neither RetroScreen nor SwitchBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RetroScreen or SwitchBuddy?
RetroScreen ships an update every 99 months, and SwitchBuddy every 3 weeks. Most recently, RetroScreen was updated on September 23, 2026 and SwitchBuddy on October 11, 2026.

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