# Retrospecs vs Pixel Art Camera

Retrospecs and Pixel Art Camera both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 66% of Pixel Art Camera's. Pixel Art Camera's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 364). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pixel Art Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 364 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 66% of Pixel Art Camera's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Pixel Art Camera every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | Pixel Art Camera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-camera/id1107180652/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 364 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 66.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 27 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [NET Sigma](https://appshunter.io/developer/980884109) |

## 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


### Pixel Art Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-camera/id1107180652)

Transform your photos and videos into pixel art in real-time with a variety of unique styles and creative effects. Save your creations as videos, Live Photos, or GIFs.

**Highlights:** Convert photos to pixel art, Record videos in pixel art style, Load videos from camera roll, 30+ unique styles, 10+ creative effects, Save as video, Live Photo, or GIF

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixel Art Camera PRO | $4.99 | per month |
| Pixel Art Camera PRO | $9.99 | per year |
| Pixel Art Camera Pro | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent filters and effects
- 👍 Fun and creative app
- 💡 Great for pixel art and retro aesthetics
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Worth the price for Pro version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs after updates
- 💰 Paywall for full features
- 📢 Intrusive ads
- 🔍 Difficult to select photos from library

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to load photos
- Video export issues, cutting off footage
- Inability to save images with transparent backgrounds

**Requested features**

- More customization options for filters and effects
- Ability to revert to original colors
- Adjustable pixel size
- Support for video editing and GIFs
- Recently used or favorite filters list


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is Pixel Art Camera free?

Pixel Art Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or Pixel Art Camera?

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Pixel Art Camera averages 4.6 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or Pixel Art Camera have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor Pixel Art Camera shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or Pixel Art Camera?

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Pixel Art Camera every 5 weeks. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 13, 2026 and Pixel Art Camera on October 17, 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.*