Comparison

Retro vs MixSet

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

Head to head
About

Retro

Relive the golden age of music players with this app that mimics early 2000s desktop interfaces. Enjoy your local music library with advanced playback features, customizable themes, and CarPlay support.

Highlights
  • Classic UI with pixel-art and scrolling titles
  • CarPlay support for in-car listening
  • Home Screen Widget for quick access
  • Lossless, gapless local playback engine
  • 10-band graphic equalizer
  • Hi-Res audio output support
  • Synced lyrics (LRCLIB) integration
  • Last.fm scrobbling
Features
Read full description

RetroAmp is a local music player for iOS that brings back the look and feel of early-2000s desktop music players. No streaming. No subscriptions. Just your music files, played on your device. === Features === ▸ Classic UI Pixel-art sprites, monospaced fonts, scrolling titles, a real-time spectrum analyzer, and a digital clock display. The desktop music player aesthetic, rebuilt for iPhone. ▸ CarPlay Support [NEW] Access your RetroAmp library in the car. Browse by Artists / Albums / Playlists / Radio with a full Now Playing screen. ▸ Home Screen Widget [NEW] View your current playlist on your home screen. The widget reflects your skin's colors and frame. Tap a track to play it. ▸ Full Local Playback Engine Lossless, gapless playback powered by AVAudioEngine. Supports FLAC / ALAC (M4A) / WAV / AAC / MP3 / OGG / AIFF. Imported files are stored at their original quality. ▸ 10-Band Graphic Equalizer 10 bands from 60Hz to 16kHz with ±12dB range and preamp. Built-in presets included. ▸ Hi-Res Output Supports up to 384kHz/32-bit. Connect a USB-C DAC to hear your files at their native quality. ▸ Media Library Quick access via sidebar to Audio / Most Played / Recently Added / Recently Modified / Recently Played / Never Played / Top Rated / Podcasts / Video. Switch between grid view and list view. ▸ Playlist Editor Add to queue, reorder with drag and drop, save as named playlists, jump to the playing track, shuffle, repeat. ▸ Synced Lyrics (LRCLIB) Fetches time-synced lyrics from the open lyrics database LRCLIB. No account required. ▸ Last.fm Scrobbling Automatically scrobble your listening history. Offline scrobbles are queued and sent when back online. ▸ Custom Themes Import .wsz skin files to change the look. One slot available for free. === In-App Purchases === Free to use. Expand your theme slots with a one-time purchase: Lite ($0.99) – 4 slots Pro ($4.99) – Unlimited One-time purchases, not subscriptions. Family Sharing supported. === Privacy === No personal data is collected. All data stays on your device. Last.fm and LRCLIB integrations are optional. Support: haruhi@icloud.com

About

MixSet

Features
Read full description

MixSet helps you create playlists for real-life moments. Describe what you’re doing—a morning walk, road trip, workout, focus session, backyard hangout, or anything else—and MixSet creates a playlist shaped around your activity, available time, and musical taste. Preview the suggested songs, remove tracks you don’t want, fill any gaps, and save the finished playlist to your music library. MixSet is for listeners who want more than a random collection of songs. Start with smart recommendations, then shape each set until it feels right for you. Features: - Create playlists from a simple moment or activity - Choose a duration such as 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours - Personalize playlists using your preferred genres - Preview songs before saving - Remove songs you don’t want - Fill gaps when a playlist is too short - Save completed playlists to your music library - Revisit saved sets and create fresh playlists later - Build a playlist around a song you like MixSet requires an active Apple Music subscription and permission to access your music library. MixSet is an independently developed app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Start with smart picks. Finish with your taste.

Screenshots

Retro4 screens
MixSet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MixSet at none against Retro's 2. 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. Retro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. MixSet asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Retro versus MixSet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroMixSet
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKIYOUMI AGEMURABest Value LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Retro

One-time2
  • Lite Skin Pack$0.99
  • Pro Skin Pack$4.99
None

MixSet

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Retro free?
Retro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MixSet free?
MixSet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Retro or MixSet have ads?
Neither Retro nor MixSet shows ads.

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