Comparison

Split Flap vs RetroScreens

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

Head to head
About

Split Flap

Transform your devices into a retro split-flap display. Enjoy a flip clock, custom messages, quotes, music info, timers, and pixel art. Works across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV with customizable themes and sounds.

Highlights
  • Flip clock with custom timezones
  • Custom message display
  • Rotating quotes
  • Now Playing music display
  • Countdown timer and stopwatch
  • Pixel art creation
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Turn any screen into a beautiful split-flap display. Split Flap brings the iconic look and sound of mechanical departure boards to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV — all with one purchase. MODES FOR EVERY MOMENT Clock — A stunning flip clock with custom timezone support. Watch the minutes roll over with satisfying mechanical sound. Custom Message — Type anything and watch it flip into place letter by letter. Perfect for welcome signs, desk displays, or storefront messaging. Quotes — Load up your favorite quotes and let them rotate automatically. Drag to reorder, sync across devices with iCloud, and let inspiration find you throughout the day. Now Playing — See what's playing on your screen in real time. Song title and artist flip into view as your music changes. (iOS and macOS) Timer — Countdown from preset durations (5 to 60 minutes) or count up with the stopwatch. Large, bold digits you can read from across the room. Paint — Create pixel art directly on the board. A creative canvas with a retro twist. DESIGNED FOR EVERY SCREEN Works beautifully on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Each platform is purpose-built — not a lazy port. Apple TV uses the Siri Remote for effortless navigation, Mac supports desktop pinning and a screen saver, and iOS includes home screen widgets. LOOK AND FEEL Choose from 7 color themes: Classic Yellow, Amber, Green, Blue, Red, Purple, and White. The Confetti theme randomizes tile colors for a playful twist. 10+ flip patterns (spiral, matrix, snake, and more) control how the board reveals new content. SOUNDS THAT SATISFY Three built-in sound themes — Mechanical, Typewriter, and Soft — each synthesized to match the rhythm of the animation. Every clack fires at the exact midpoint of each tile flip, just like a real board. WIDGETS Add a flip clock, daily quote, custom message, or countdown timer to your home screen or lock screen. Choose your color theme and appearance right from the widget editor. Five widget types — each designed for a specific purpose. ONE PURCHASE. EVERY PLATFORM. Split Flap is a one-time purchase that unlocks premium features across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV through Universal Purchase. No subscriptions. No ads. Just a beautiful display. Built with SwiftUI. Syncs settings and quotes via iCloud. Runs natively on every Apple platform.

About

RetroScreens

Features
Read full description

RetroScreens is a library of classic-inspired ambient motion visuals, rebuilt as modern native scenes for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. Open the app, pick a visual, and let your device become a quiet piece of motion design: morphing geometry, 3D pipes, color fields, starfields, flip clocks, split-flap boards, plasma waves, sand-table paths, cellular patterns, and more. The launch catalog includes 24 visuals: - Test Pattern - Departures - Lorenz - Rosette - Lifelike - Flip Clock - Neon Grid - Plasma - Flocks - Flying Microwaves - Starfield - Mystique - Lake - Pipeworks - 3D Text - Tunnel - Shapeshifter - Ribbons - Green Rain - Bubbles - Cradle - Filament - Bounce - Sand Table RetroScreens is built for the Apple devices you already have: - Play immersive foreground visuals on iPhone and iPad - Use the Apple TV app as a living-room visual library - Use the Mac app directly - Unlock the full v1 catalog once and use it across supported Apple platforms with the same App Store account Some visuals are precise and minimal. Some are bright, strange, and nostalgic. All of them are rendered on-device and tuned for foreground playback, ambient presentation, and slow visual texture. RetroScreens includes free starter visuals. Full Unlock opens the full premium catalog and premium settings.

Screenshots

Split Flap4 screens
RetroScreens4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: RetroScreens at weekly against Split Flap's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Split Flap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and RetroScreens sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Split Flap ships an update every 2 months, RetroScreens weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Split Flap versus RetroScreens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplit FlapRetroScreens
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHello Good Day LLCDave Davis

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Split Flap

One-time1
  • SplitFlap Premium$1.99
1 purchases

RetroScreens

One-time1
  • Unlock All$9.99

Questions

Is Split Flap free?
Split Flap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RetroScreens free?
RetroScreens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Split Flap or RetroScreens have ads?
Neither Split Flap nor RetroScreens shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Split Flap or RetroScreens?
Split Flap ships an update every 2 months, and RetroScreens weekly. Most recently, Split Flap was updated on September 26, 2026 and RetroScreens on September 13, 2026.

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