Comparison

Retrospecs vs KinoGlitch

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

KinoGlitch

Create dynamic 3D videos and images with glitch effects. Apply numerous grid presets and adjust object transparency, blending, and movement. Enhance your creations with over 50 controllable effects.

Highlights
  • 3D object creation for videos and images
  • 200+ grid presets
  • Adjustable grid divisions and intensity
  • Object transparency and blending controls
  • Record 3D object movement
  • 50+ controllable video effects
Features
Read full description

Turn your photos, videos and live camera into glitch art, moving 3D sculptures and visuals that react to sound. KinoGlitch is a creative playground for images in motion. Break a portrait into glowing particles, bend a scene through glass, stretch movement with slit-scan effects or build a look with layers, masks and text transformed by effects. Start with a preset, then shape it into something of your own. TURN IMAGES INTO 3D ART Transform photos and videos into sculptural meshes with 180+ grid and shape presets. Control depth, density, lighting and glow, then explore your scene from different angles. Add textures and backgrounds to develop your composition. CREATE WITH PARTICLES Rebuild your image with dots, rings, sparks, squares, diamonds or ASCII characters. Adjust particle size, depth and glow to move between delicate point clouds and bold digital textures. LET SOUND DRIVE THE LOOK Make meshes and particles respond to your video's audio or the microphone. In the Effects editor, let audio drive individual effect parameters, or draw custom curves to control how they change over time. EXPLORE 250+ EFFECTS AND OVERLAYS Experiment with RGB separation, pixel sorting, slit scan, glass refraction, mirrors, tunnels, waves, halftones and more. Combine distortion with 190+ color looks, including Neon, Cyber, Tokyo, Pale and Tint. BUILD YOUR EFFECTS IN LAYERS Choose when effects appear with a dedicated video timeline. Combine two effect tracks over your base look, apply shape masks and add text. Place words before an effect to distort them with the image, or keep them on top for a clean title. SEE IT THROUGH YOUR CAMERA Preview and record 3D mesh, particle and glitch effects as you shoot. Experiment with movement, light and sound in real time. SET YOUR ART IN MOTION Animate your 3D scene around different axes and record a full rotation. Save images and videos for music visuals, experimental films, digital artwork and social posts. KinoGlitch works on iPhone and iPad. Start creating for free with limited saves. KinoGlitch PRO unlocks unlimited saves, with subscription and one-time purchase options. Find inspiration on Instagram: @kinoglitch Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Retrospecs4 screens
KinoGlitch4 screens

Verdict

The call

Retrospecs and KinoGlitch both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 85% of KinoGlitch's. Retrospecs also leads on ratings volume (367 vs 98) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 KinoGlitch sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Retrospecs against 4.7 for KinoGlitch. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 367 and 98 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 85% of KinoGlitch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, KinoGlitch every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Retrospecs versus KinoGlitch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrospecsKinoGlitch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (367 ratings) — better4.7 (98 ratings)
Positive reviews94.3% of reviews — better84.6% of reviews
Number of ratings367 — better98
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB230 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn Parkertalonsodev

Customer experience

Retrospecs

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

KinoGlitch

All ratings98 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral1.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral2.6%
Negative12.8%

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

KinoGlitch

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
3 purchases

KinoGlitch

Subscriptions2
  • KinoGlitch PRO3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • KinoGlitch PRO$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • KinoGlitch PRO$7.99

Questions

Is Retrospecs free?
Retrospecs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KinoGlitch free?
KinoGlitch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or KinoGlitch?
Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 367 ratings, while KinoGlitch averages 4.7 from 98 ratings.
Do Retrospecs or KinoGlitch have ads?
Neither Retrospecs nor KinoGlitch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or KinoGlitch?
Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and KinoGlitch every 5 weeks. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 21, 2026 and KinoGlitch on October 20, 2026.

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