# Retrospecs vs pixel565

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Retrospecs at 94% against pixel565's 0%. Retrospecs also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (364 vs 1). pixel565's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. pixel565 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 364 ratings behind it against 1, 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 0% of pixel565's.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, pixel565 daily. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | pixel565 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel565/id1489502464/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **364** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 27 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Carl Stevenson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352004634) |

## 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


### pixel565

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel565/id1489502464)

Design sprites and icons by drawing individual pixels or importing and editing photos. Convert your creations into RGB565 hex code for use with Arduino and NeoPixel libraries, enabling display on NeoPixel matrices. Send RGB565 code to ESP8266 devices via Wi-Fi.

**Highlights:** Pixel art creation, Photo import and editing, RGB565 hex code conversion, Arduino and NeoPixel compatibility, Wi-Fi data transfer to ESP8266

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is pixel565 free?

pixel565 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or pixel565?

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while pixel565 averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or pixel565 have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor pixel565 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or pixel565?

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and pixel565 daily. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on August 26, 2026 and pixel565 on June 4, 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.*