# Retrospecs vs ca

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ca at none against Retrospecs's 5. ca also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). Retrospecs's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 58 months) and ratings volume (364 vs 30). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. ca asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Retrospecs against 4.7 for ca. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 364 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 91% of ca's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, ca every 58 months. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | ca |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [4.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ca-mera/id1271078637/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **364** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 90.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 58 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 2 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) | [Fritz Menzer](https://appshunter.io/developer/512896637) |

## 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


### ca

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ca-mera/id1271078637)

This app transforms your camera's live feed into unique, black and white pixelated images using a cellular automaton. Customize the output by adjusting automaton direction, resolution, brightness, and fidelity. Unlock advanced features through optional ad viewing.

**Highlights:** Cellular automaton image generation, Black and white pixelated output, Adjustable automaton direction, Customizable resolution, Control input brightness, Adjust input fidelity, Selfie mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Unique and creative visual effects
- ⚡ Lightweight app with minimal storage footprint
- 💰 Free to use with no paywalls
- 🧠 Innovative Wolfram algorithm-based filters
- 📱 Simple and intuitive user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📹 No video recording capability
- 📸 Cannot import photos from camera roll
- 🚫 Limited to live camera input only
- 💧 Watermark present on images
- 🔤 Limited language support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch with iOS 14 (iPhone XS)
- Black screen on startup (some devices)
- Crashes on iPhone X
- Display issues on iPhone 6s with iOS 12.1
- Incompatibility with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Video recording functionality
- Import and process photos from camera roll
- Remove watermark option (premium feature)
- Post-processing for existing images and videos
- Auto mode for quicker photo capture


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is ca free?

ca is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while ca averages 4.7 from 30 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or ca have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor ca shows ads.

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

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and ca every 58 months. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on August 26, 2026 and ca on August 29, 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.*