Comparison

Retrospecs vs Pixelizr

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

Head to head
About

Retrospecs

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
Read full description

A retro computing / pixel art camera app. Retrospecs lets you convert images and video clips so they appear as they would on a wide variety of home computers and consoles from the 70's, 80's and 90's. Simply take a picture (or select one from your photo library) and you can display it as it would appear on over forty systems including the Commodore 64, IBM PC (DOS, CGA, EGA and VGA), Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Sega Mega Drive, Nintendo Game Boy and even the original 1984 model Apple Macintosh. If that's not enough you can also create your own custom modes based around four different graphics engines and a wide variety of color palettes and character fonts. (The free version only contains a limited number of systems/dither modes and the custom editors, video clip processing and animation options aren't available.) All trademarks are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.

About

Pixelizr

Transform any photo or video into pixel art with this easy-to-use camera app. Turn people, objects, or scenery into unique pixelated creations to share on social media. Adjust the pixel size with a simple slider for custom effects.

Highlights
  • Pixelize photos and videos
  • Adjustable pixel size
  • Easy to use interface
  • Share to social media
  • Create pixel art from anything
Features
Read full description

An entertainment camera app that turns everything into pixels! A friend's face? Of course, let's make it a pixel! Your face? Why don't you make it pixelated and publish it on SNS? Favorite goods? Please make it a pixel and make a wonderful art work! The scenery seen through the window? What happens if it is made into pixels? You can easily turn people, objects, landscapes, anything into pixel art! Even my familiar room and accessories can be transformed into a little art work. Shoot with Pixelizr and share it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more! It's very easy to use. Just start and press the shutter button.The pixel size can be adjusted with the slider. Let's get pixelized!

Screenshots

Retrospecs4 screens
Pixelizr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Retrospecs at 94% against Pixelizr's 29%. Retrospecs also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and ads (none vs shown). Pixelizr's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pixelizr sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 364 ratings behind it against 31, 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 29% of Pixelizr's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Pixelizr every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Retrospecs versus Pixelizr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrospecsPixelizr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (364 ratings) — better3.3 (31 ratings)
Positive reviews94.3% of reviews — better28.6% of reviews
Number of ratings364 — better31
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 27 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn ParkerQuantis,Inc.

Customer experience

Retrospecs

All ratings364 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews140 reviews
Positive94.3%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.3%

Pixelizr

All ratings31 ratings
Positive58.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative38.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%

Bugs and requests

Retrospecs

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Pixelizr

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Retrospecs

One-time5
  • Small tip$0.99
  • Medium tip$1.99
  • Unlock everything$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Big tip$4.99
  • The king of tips$9.99
1 purchases

Pixelizr

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99

Questions

Is Retrospecs free?
Retrospecs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pixelizr free?
Pixelizr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or Pixelizr?
Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Pixelizr averages 3.3 from 31 ratings.
Do Retrospecs or Pixelizr have ads?
Pixelizr shows ads; Retrospecs does not.
Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or Pixelizr?
Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Pixelizr every 27 months. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 5, 2026 and Pixelizr on September 28, 2026.

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