Comparison

Afterglow vs RetroFold

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

Head to head
About

Afterglow

Features
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Heartwarming lines from dramas and movies, Lyrics from songs that brought tears to your eyes, Profound quotes discovered in books, Inspiring words left by famous people, Warm comfort and advice from those around you. Record the afterglow of moments you don’t want to forget. Treasure your special moments and keep them close to your heart.

About

RetroFold

Features
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Pause social. Keep calls, texts and a bedside alarm. Need to stay reachable without getting pulled into a feed? RetroFold combines selected-app blocking with a retro phone keypad, clock and local alarm. Use your phone for what you need, then put it down. CHOOSE WHAT TO BLOCK Allow Apple Screen Time access, choose distracting social apps or websites, select a duration and start. Keep Phone and Messages out of your selection if you want to use them. Pick 15 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours or a custom duration. These are times for the same blocking feature, not separate modes. Shields lift at expiry, and you can end early. KEEP IMPORTANT PEOPLE CLOSE Use the retro keypad, system contact picker and Apple's message composer. To receive alerts only from chosen people, configure allowed people and callers separately in iPhone Focus. RetroFold does not read communications, judge their importance or switch iPhone Focus on or off. A BEDSIDE CLOCK, NOT ANOTHER FEED See a large clock and date. Schedule a local alarm with optional daily repeat. The alarm requires notification permission and follows Silent, Focus and other device settings; it does not behave identically to the built-in Clock alarm. A LITTLE RETRO CHARACTER Choose pink or white LCD styling, tap the keypad with sound and haptics, and keep a private note. A completed focus session earns an in-app letter card you can save or share. Letters are a bonus for any completed duration, not a 15-minute-only feature. No actual SMS is sent as a reward. YOUR PHONE, YOUR CHOICE Screen Time permission is required for app blocking. RetroFold does not replace iOS, the Home Screen, Phone, Messages or incoming-call screens. Phone and message actions finish in Apple system interfaces. iPhone Focus notification filtering must be turned off separately. No account, ads, analytics SDK, subscription or in-app purchase. App settings, notes and session records stay on your device. Sharing is optional and uses the destination you select. App interface languages: English and Korean.

Screenshots

Afterglow4 screens
RetroFold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: RetroFold at daily against Afterglow's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Afterglow ships an update every 2 months, RetroFold daily. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Afterglow versus RetroFold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAfterglowRetroFold
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsDaily β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size164 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeungSeop LimJeongyun Hur

In-app purchases

None

Afterglow

No in-app purchases

None

RetroFold

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Afterglow free?
Afterglow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RetroFold free?
RetroFold is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Afterglow or RetroFold have ads?
Neither Afterglow nor RetroFold shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Afterglow or RetroFold?
Afterglow ships an update every 2 months, and RetroFold daily. Most recently, Afterglow was updated on October 13, 2026 and RetroFold on October 11, 2026.

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