# Retrospecs vs PXL2000

The clearest difference is price: Retrospecs at Free against PXL2000's $1.99. Retrospecs also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (94% vs 72%). PXL2000's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#198 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Retrospecs is free to download; PXL2000 costs $1.99 up front. Retrospecs sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. PXL2000 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 367 ratings behind it against 55, 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 72% of PXL2000's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, PXL2000 every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | PXL2000 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (367 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [4.6 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pxl2000-80s-pixelvision-cam/id1044865876/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **367** | 55 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 72.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#198** |
| Size | 27 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Rarevision](https://appshunter.io/developer/464591028) |

## 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 (6)**

| 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 |
| Tipapottamus Prime | $24.99 | 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


### PXL2000

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pxl2000-80s-pixelvision-cam/id1044865876)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Recreate the lo-fi aesthetic of 1980s toy video cameras. Achieve a deliberately "bad" video quality with a retro glitch filter. Perfect for those who want a vintage, grainy look for their footage.

**Highlights:** Retro 80s Pixelvision look, Toy camera aesthetic, Glitch filter effect, Low video quality simulation, Shareable retro videos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is PXL2000 free?

PXL2000 costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or PXL2000?

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 367 ratings, while PXL2000 averages 4.6 from 55 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or PXL2000 have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor PXL2000 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or PXL2000?

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and PXL2000 every 8 months. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on November 1, 2026 and PXL2000 on November 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*