Comparison

Retrospecs vs Bricks Camera

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

Bricks Camera

This app allows you to capture photos and GIFs in a unique "brick mode." You can customize the brick size, apply various filters, and even edit existing photos and videos. Easily share your brick-style creations or get instructions to build them in real life.

Highlights
  • Capture photos and GIFs in brick mode
  • Adjustable brick size
  • Apply and change filters
  • Edit captured photos/GIFs
  • Brick existing library photos
  • Real-life building instructions
  • Share creations easily
Features
Read full description

Capture your favorite moments in brick mode! With Bricks you can take selfies and GIFs in brick mode, change the brick size, apply filters and share your creations with everyone! It's that easy! - Change the brick size by swiping to match your style. - Tap anywhere to change filter. - Tap the record button for photos or tap and hold it for videos and GIFs. - Switch cameras by double tapping even while recording. - Brick your Photo Library photos! - Get an instruction booklet on how to build your photo in real life! - Change the brick size or filter even after capturing a photo or GIF! - Shoot both vertical and horizontal photos and GIFs! - Share them with everyone with just one tap! - Save your creations to the Camera Roll! Feel free to contact us at bricks@horizon.camera ;)

Screenshots

Retrospecs4 screens
Bricks Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Retrospecs at 94% against Bricks Camera's 55%. Retrospecs also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Bricks Camera's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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 Bricks Camera sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 364 and 955 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 55% of Bricks Camera's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Bricks Camera every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Retrospecs versus Bricks Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrospecsBricks Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (364 ratings) — better4.5 (955 ratings)
Positive reviews94.3% of reviews — better55.5% of reviews
Number of ratings364955 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn ParkerPZ Mobile Limited

Customer experience

Retrospecs

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

Bricks Camera

All ratings955 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral5.8%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews283 reviews
Positive55.5%
Neutral11.0%
Negative33.6%

User reviews

Retrospecs

From 364 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bricks Camera

From 955 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Interesting concept
  • 🎨 Unique photo effects
  • 💡 Creative way to transform photos
  • 🤩 Fun and engaging app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 📷 Low-quality output images
  • 🎨 Limited color options
  • 🤔 Unclear user interface

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

Bricks Camera

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Camera roll import not working
  • Incorrect color rendering
  • Inconsistent performance

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to adjust brick size and resolution
  • Option to save images without watermark
  • Import photos from camera roll
  • More customization options

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
3 purchases

Bricks Camera

One-time3
  • Tip Jar$0.99
  • Booklet Addon$1.99
  • Remove Watermark$2.99

Questions

Is Retrospecs free?
Retrospecs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bricks Camera free?
Bricks Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or Bricks Camera?
Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Bricks Camera averages 4.5 from 955 ratings.
Do Retrospecs or Bricks Camera have ads?
Neither Retrospecs nor Bricks Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or Bricks Camera?
Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Bricks Camera every 8 days. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 1, 2026 and Bricks Camera on October 1, 2026.

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