Comparison

Retro vs Catsette

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

Catsette

Features
Read full description

Catsette is a retro MP3 player for the music you own. Play your MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV and AIFF files offline – no streaming, no subscription, no ads, no account. THREE LOOKS, ONE LIBRARY • Cassette: a hi-fi deck with tape window, cover art and the full queue, in five chassis colours. • Spindle: a tactile click wheel with a warm display. Spin to browse, click to play. • Modern: a clean iPhone layout with tabs, a mini player, full-screen Now Playing and native lists. Light and dark follow your phone. Switch any time under Settings → Look → Style. YOUR MUSIC, YOUR WAY • Drag and drop songs or whole folders from your computer over Wi-Fi (Catsette Web), or use the Files app and AirDrop. • Copy your whole library from another iPhone with Catsette. • Playlists, favourites, a dislike list and "Hide from Shuffle". • Shuffle that plays your whole library before anything repeats and spreads artists apart. • 10-band equalizer with presets or your own curve, with live spectrum bars. • Listening stats: top songs, artists and albums, plus your play history. • Gapless playback: songs follow each other without a gap. • Even Volume: quiet and loud songs matched, if you want. • Search your library by song, artist, album or playlist. MADE FOR THE CAR AND THE SAUNA • Maps Ducking pulls the music out of the way while Apple Maps or Google Maps speaks. • Sleep timer and a sauna countdown on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. CAT CHAT Message family and friends right inside Catsette – one-to-one or in groups, end-to-end encrypted on your iPhone. • No phone number, no account: add people by QR code, six-digit code or link, and nobody gets in without your OK. • Photos, videos and files, encrypted before they leave your phone. • Notifications show who wrote and what – decrypted on your iPhone, even when Catsette is closed. Reply right from the notification. • Report and block with a long-press. CATS AND DOGS Tabby, Black Cat, Siamese, Scottish Fold, Zebra and Leopard – or Golden, Husky, Dalmatian and Shiba. Use a photo of your own pet as the player's fur. Free. If you like it, feed the cat (optional tip). Privacy: https://catsette.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Retro4 screens
Catsette4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Catsette at every 2 days against Retro's every 3 weeks. 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. Retro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Catsette sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro ships an update every 3 weeks, Catsette every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Retro versus Catsette: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroCatsette
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKIYOUMI AGEMURAAlexander Bisaliev

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Retro

One-time2
  • Lite Skin Pack$0.99
  • Pro Skin Pack$4.99
3 purchases

Catsette

One-time3
  • Tin of Tuna$0.99
  • Tin of Tuna$2.99
  • A Whole Feast$3.99

Questions

Is Retro free?
Retro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Catsette free?
Catsette is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Retro or Catsette have ads?
Neither Retro nor Catsette shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro or Catsette?
Retro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Catsette every 2 days. Most recently, Retro was updated on October 25, 2026 and Catsette on October 25, 2026.

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