# Retrospecs vs Asciilizer

The clearest difference is rating: Retrospecs at 4.8 against Asciilizer's 3.0. Retrospecs also leads on ratings volume (364 vs 4) and review sentiment (94% vs 73%). Asciilizer's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Asciilizer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 364 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 73% of Asciilizer's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Asciilizer every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and July 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | Asciilizer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asciilizer/id1031080663/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **364** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 73.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Nooon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/500647633) |

## What reviewers say

### Retrospecs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094)

Transform your photos and videos into retro pixel art. Emulate the look of classic computers and consoles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Customize your output with various graphics engines, color palettes, and fonts.

**Highlights:** Pixelate images and video clips, Emulate 40+ classic computer/console systems, Create custom graphics modes, Variety of color palettes and fonts, Supports Commodore 64, IBM PC, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, and more

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock everything | $1.99 | one-time |
| Big tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| The king of tips | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Versatile and customizable
- 👍 Authentic retro filters
- 👍 Extensive system emulations
- 👍 Powerful editing capabilities
- 👍 Nostalgia-inducing effects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited image resolution
- 📏 Aspect ratio issues with some filters
- 🙈 Aggressive upgrade prompts in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Animation option not working properly
- Video import and saving issues
- Occasional image loading failures

**Requested features**

- Add more retro systems (e.g. NES, TI-99/4A)
- Improve video encoding capabilities
- Allow adjusting dithering levels
- Add support for transparent PNGs
- Implement batch processing and export options


### Asciilizer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asciilizer/id1031080663)

Transform your photos into unique text-based art. Choose from various detail levels to create custom ASCII images from your camera or existing pictures. Save and share your creations easily.

**Highlights:** Generate ASCII art from photos, Six fineness modes, Save art as image, Clip art as text, Share to social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Super Mode | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is Asciilizer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or Asciilizer?

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Asciilizer averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or Asciilizer have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor Asciilizer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or Asciilizer?

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Asciilizer every 5 weeks. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on August 26, 2026 and Asciilizer on July 19, 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.*