# Retrospecs vs Pixelizator

The clearest difference is price: Retrospecs at Free against Pixelizator's $0.99. Retrospecs also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 50%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Pixelizator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Retrospecs is free to download; Pixelizator costs $0.99 up front. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Pixelizator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 364 and 317 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pixelizator's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Pixelizator weekly. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | Pixelizator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [4.5 (317 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelizator/id1449045698/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **364** | 317 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 27 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Grzegorz Surma](https://appshunter.io/developer/897641452) |

## 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


### Pixelizator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelizator/id1449045698)

Transform your photos into retro 8-bit art or censor sensitive areas. This app allows for precise selection of pixelation regions, offering creative control for artistic effects or privacy.

**Highlights:** Create retro 8-bit style, Precisely select pixelation area, Censor images, Play with pixels

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Neat little app
- 👍 Good quality
- 👍 Simple and amazing
- 👍 Great for pixelating photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Limited options
- 👎 Difficult to select area
- 👎 Selection box too large
- 👎 Minimum pixelation size too big
- 👎 No zoom functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- App crashes on iPad mini 4
- Frame selection unresponsive

**Requested features**

- Numeric control for pixel count
- Numeric control for color palette
- Select multiple areas to pixelate
- Ability to zoom in on image
- Round selector option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is Pixelizator free?

Pixelizator costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Pixelizator averages 4.5 from 317 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or Pixelizator have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor Pixelizator shows ads.

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

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Pixelizator weekly. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 13, 2026 and Pixelizator on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*