# Retrospecs vs Pixelfie

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixelfie at none against Retrospecs's 5. Pixelfie also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Retrospecs's advantage is ratings volume (367 vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Pixelfie holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 367 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, Pixelfie every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | Pixelfie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (367 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelfie/id1499263416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **367** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 94.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 27 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Nobushige Asahi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450383291) |

## 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


### Pixelfie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelfie/id1499263416)

Easily pixelate images from your device's library or capture new photos with the camera. This tool allows you to modify your pictures and share your unique artistic creations.

**Highlights:** Pixelate images, Modify photos from library, Capture photos with camera, Share artistic images

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is Pixelfie free?

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

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

Pixelfie is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 367 ratings, while Pixelfie averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or Pixelfie have ads?

Neither Retrospecs nor Pixelfie shows ads.

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

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and Pixelfie every 11 days. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 21, 2026 and Pixelfie on September 10, 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.*