# Retrospecs vs Pixel Paint

The clearest difference is rating: Retrospecs at 4.8 against Pixel Paint's 3.1. Retrospecs also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 56%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Pixel Paint's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pixel Paint 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 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 367 and 77 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 56% of Pixel Paint's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Pixel Paint every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | Pixel Paint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (367 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [3.1 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-paint-8bit-art/id1183955795/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **367** | 77 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 56.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Felt Tip Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/306118159) |

## 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 Paint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-paint-8bit-art/id1183955795)

Create 8-bit pixel art with a retro camera and powerful editing tools. Capture photos in vintage styles, customize color palettes, and import images with advanced dithering. Sync your creations across devices with iCloud.

**Highlights:** Retro camera modes, Customizable color palettes, Photo import with dithering, Image editor, iCloud sync, Indexed color support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Features | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for pixel art
- ✨ Simple interface
- 🚀 Works well
- 💰 Reasonable price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Cost to import photos
- 🎨 Limited colors
- 🤔 Difficult settings
- 😩 Washed out colors
- 🤏 Small blocks

**Reported bugs**

- Color changes on canvas
- Camera rotated on iPad
- App crashes on save
- App won't open photo/new project
- Background is black after import

**Requested features**

- Add extra color slots/folders
- Video to pixel format conversion
- Ability to type exact hex codes
- Flipbook animation feature
- Transparency support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is Pixel Paint free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or Pixel Paint?

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 367 ratings, while Pixel Paint averages 3.1 from 77 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or Pixel Paint have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor Pixel Paint shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or Pixel Paint?

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Pixel Paint every 6 months. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 21, 2026 and Pixel Paint on October 24, 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.*