# LavaRetro vs Aether

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LavaRetro at none against Aether's 2. Aether's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aether sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. LavaRetro asks for nothing beyond the download.

LavaRetro ships an update every 3 months, Aether weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LavaRetro | Aether |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lavaretro/id6499040966/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 427 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Codingmiao PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1842123649) | [煜 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/6796532997) |

## What reviewers say

### LavaRetro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lavaretro/id6499040966)

Relive the early 2000s with this app that emulates classic Lava games. Experience the pixelated fun of devices like the TC800 and NC2600, bringing back cherished student memories. Supports both black and white and 16-level grayscale modes.

**Highlights:** Emulates Lava games, Supports TC800 and NC2600, Black and white display mode, 16-level grayscale mode, Supports lav and pac formats

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Aether

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-all-in-one-player/id6796580469)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy the author a coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Directory Restrictions | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LavaRetro free?

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

### Is Aether free?

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

### Do LavaRetro or Aether have ads?

Neither LavaRetro nor Aether shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LavaRetro or Aether?

LavaRetro ships an update every 3 months, and Aether weekly. Most recently, LavaRetro was updated on November 4, 2026 and Aether on November 6, 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.*