Comparison

Retrospecs vs 2

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

2

Recreate vintage 2-bit photographic styles with this app. It allows you to capture images with a retro aesthetic reminiscent of older technologies, no extra hardware required.

Highlights
  • 2-bit image capture
  • Vintage photo recreation
  • No adapters needed
  • Simple interface
Features
Read full description

Shoot 2-bit images like in the olden times. 2-Bit Camera gives you the power to recreate the photos of your youth without any adapters. Batteries neither included nor necessary.

Screenshots

Retrospecs4 screens
22 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Retrospecs at 4.8 against 2's 4.5. Retrospecs also leads on ratings volume (364 vs 15). On price, review sentiment, 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 2 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 364 ratings behind it against 15, 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 88% of 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, 2 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Retrospecs versus 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrospecs2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (364 ratings) — better4.5 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews94.3% of reviews — better87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings364 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn ParkerEnie Weiss

Customer experience

Retrospecs

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

2

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

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

2

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
2 purchases

2

One-time2
  • Video Clips$0.99
  • Photo Import$0.99

Questions

Is Retrospecs free?
Retrospecs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 2 free?
2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or 2?
Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while 2 averages 4.5 from 15 ratings.
Do Retrospecs or 2 have ads?
Neither Retrospecs nor 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or 2?
Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and 2 monthly. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 5, 2026 and 2 on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons