Retrospecs vs Photo Pixelizer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Photo Pixelizer
Easily transform your photos into pixel art with this simple tool. Select an image, choose your pixel size, and adjust resolution and colors for a unique look. Exports in high-quality PNG format.
- Select photo
- Set pixel size
- Adjust resolution
- Adjust colors
- Simple interface
- PNG export
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Just 3 easy steps: Select your photo Set pixel size Adjust resolution and colors No complex editing tools - just pure simplicity. The app automatically reduces your entire photo's resolution and colors, then scales it to your desired size. Perfect for beginners and anyone who wants quick results. Exports in PNG format to preserve crisp pixels without color bleeding.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Retrospecs at 94% against Photo Pixelizer's 44%. Retrospecs also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and ads (none vs shown). Photo Pixelizer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Photo Pixelizer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 364 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 44% of Photo Pixelizer's.
Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Photo Pixelizer every 30 months. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and August 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retrospecs | Photo Pixelizer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (364 ratings) — better | 3.3 (21 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.3% of reviews — better | 43.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 364 — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 30 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Parker | Nekomimimi |
Customer experience
Retrospecs
Photo Pixelizer
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
Photo Pixelizer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Retrospecs
- Small tip$0.99
- Medium tip$1.99
- Unlock everything$1.99
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- Big tip$4.99
- The king of tips$9.99
Photo Pixelizer
No in-app purchases
