Comparison

Dobutsu vs RetroKit

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

Head to head
About

Dobutsu

A Japanese clock application that displays time with Japanese notation and audio. It is free to download and use.

Highlights
  • Japanese time notation
  • Japanese audio
  • Free to download
  • iPhone, iPad, iPod support
Features
Read full description

This is Japanese clock app. Please be aware before you make a purchase that notation and audio are only available in Japanese.

About

RetroKit

Play classic games from NES, SNES, GBA, and Genesis on your Apple devices. Seamlessly sync your progress and saves across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Enjoy customizable controls and a private, ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Plays NES, SNES, GBA, Genesis games
  • iCloud sync for games and saves
  • Customizable touch controls
  • Controller and keyboard support
  • Import game files via Files app
  • Ad-free and private experience
Features
Read full description

RetroKit plays your NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Master System and Genesis games on iPhone, iPad and Mac. One app, one library, and your saves follow you through iCloud. No ads, no account, no tracking. No games included. PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF RetroKit saves when you leave a game. Each game also has 9 save state slots, each with a screenshot. CONTROLS Every system has its own touch layout, in portrait and in landscape. Move any button to where your thumbs want it. Game controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, MFi) and keyboards work too, and you can remap their buttons. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES A native Mac app, not an iPad app. Your games and saves sync through iCloud between iPhone, iPad and Mac. You can turn sync off on each device. A LIBRARY FOR YOUR GAMES Import game files from the Files app or the share sheet, zip and 7z archives too. RetroKit sorts your games by system, shows their titles and details, and keeps the last screenshot of each game. BUILT FOR APPLE DEVICES The cores are written in Swift for Apple devices and tested against reference emulators frame by frame. PRIVATE No account, no ads and no tracking. Crash reports and usage data help us fix bugs. Available in English and Brazilian Portuguese. RetroKit includes no games. Play homebrew games or games that you have the right to use. The screenshots show homebrew games; see the credits in the app. RETROKIT PRO Fast-forward at 3x, 4x and 8x, and CRT and LCD filters. Pro is a yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase. One purchase works on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and Family Sharing shares it with up to five family members. Play, saves and save states stay free. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://playretrokit.com/privacy RetroKit is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo or Sega. Nintendo, NES, Super NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Sega, Master System, Genesis and Mega Drive are trademarks of Sega Corporation. Platform names describe compatible game files only.

Screenshots

Dobutsu4 screens
RetroKit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RetroKit at 5.0 against Dobutsu's 3.3. Dobutsu's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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. RetroKit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Dobutsu asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RetroKit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dobutsu has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dobutsu ships an update every 3 weeks, RetroKit fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dobutsu versus RetroKit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDobutsuRetroKit
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperToshihide ShimadaThales Pereira

Customer experience

Dobutsu

All ratings8 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral10.5%
Negative10.5%

RetroKit

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Dobutsu

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

RetroKit

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Dobutsu free?
Dobutsu is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RetroKit free?
RetroKit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dobutsu or RetroKit?
RetroKit is rated higher. Dobutsu averages 3.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while RetroKit averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Dobutsu or RetroKit have ads?
Neither Dobutsu nor RetroKit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dobutsu or RetroKit?
Dobutsu ships an update every 3 weeks, and RetroKit fortnightly. Most recently, Dobutsu was updated on November 1, 2026 and RetroKit on October 31, 2026.

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