Comparison

RetroScreen vs Second Life

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

Second Life

Explore a vast 3D virtual world, meet new people, and express yourself through customizable avatars. Interact with the environment, attend virtual events, and connect with friends globally. This pioneering social platform offers endless possibilities for exploration and connection.

Highlights
  • Avatar customization and appearance editing
  • Explore 3D virtual spaces
  • Interact with the environment
  • Stream audio at virtual clubs
  • Global social interaction features
  • Mobile virtual world exploration
Features
Read full description

Second Life - Social Virtual World & Avatar App Now available to all users! Meet new people and chat with friends from around the world in thousands of exciting community-created 3D spaces with Second Life, the pioneering virtual world - now on mobile! Whether you’re at home or on the go, you'll never run out of places to explore and people to meet. With the Second Life app, you can: * See your avatar & edit appearance by changing outfits * Explore a virtual world of fashion, clubs, art, and roleplaying via the Destination Guide, mobile showcase, own favorites * Interact with the world through avatar movement (walk, run, fly, sit, stand) and object interactions (touch, sit) - or park your avatar and explore via flycam * Enjoy streaming audio at virtual clubs * Socialize and stay connected (nearby chat, group chat, IM, group notices, find contacts, inspect profiles) Second Life is always wonderful, sometimes weird, and 100% wow-worthy.

Screenshots

RetroScreen4 screens
Second Life4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RetroScreen at none against Second Life's 5. RetroScreen also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 34%). Second Life's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 99 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Second Life sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. RetroScreen asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RetroScreen ships an update every 99 months, Second Life every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RetroScreen versus Second Life: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroScreenSecond Life
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.5 (448 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better33.6% of reviews
Number of ratings—448 — better
Update frequencyEvery 99 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB302 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperCreativeApplications.NetLinden Research, Inc.

Customer experience

RetroScreen

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

Second Life

All ratings448 ratings
Positive58.5%
Neutral12.1%
Negative29.5%
Written reviews476 reviews
Positive33.6%
Neutral15.3%
Negative51.1%

Bugs and requests

RetroScreen

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Second Life

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues
  • Inability to close group chats
  • Unresponsive joystick controls

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to create new accounts
  • Access to full inventory and object interaction
  • Improved camera controls
  • Background app functionality (notifications, etc.)
  • Support for more device types

In-app purchases

None

RetroScreen

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Second Life

One-time5
  • 100 Linden Dollar Bundle$0.99
  • 800 Linden Dollar Bundle$4.99
  • 1650 Linden Dollar Bundle$9.99
Show 2 more
  • 3400 Linden Dollar Bundle$19.99
  • 8750 Linden Dollar Bundle$49.99

Questions

Is RetroScreen free?
RetroScreen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Second Life free?
Second Life is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RetroScreen or Second Life have ads?
Neither RetroScreen nor Second Life shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RetroScreen or Second Life?
RetroScreen ships an update every 99 months, and Second Life every 2 weeks. Most recently, RetroScreen was updated on September 23, 2026 and Second Life on October 12, 2026.

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