# Retrospecs vs PIXEL86

The clearest difference is ads: Retrospecs at none against PIXEL86's shown. Retrospecs also leads on ratings volume (367 vs 42) and device support (3 vs 1). PIXEL86's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retrospecs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and PIXEL86 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Retrospecs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrospecs has 367 ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Retrospecs's written reviews are positive against 100% of PIXEL86's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, PIXEL86 every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retrospecs | PIXEL86 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (367 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrospecs/id887031094/reviews)** | [4.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **367** | 42 |
| Positive reviews | 94.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Parker](https://appshunter.io/developer/887031097) | [Peter Tretyakov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1072835768) |

## 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


### PIXEL86

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991)

Transform photos and videos with vintage pixel art aesthetics. Apply true black-and-white dithering, custom color palettes, and unique dithering styles to create retro media. Supports video editing and sharing your creations.

**Highlights:** True B/W dithering, Video editing support, Customizable color palettes, Three dithering styles (Natural, Pattern, Flat), Vintage-inspired aesthetics, Social media sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License Discount | $9.99 | one-time |
| Perpetual License | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retrospecs free?

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

### Is PIXEL86 free?

PIXEL86 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Retrospecs or PIXEL86?

Retrospecs is rated higher. Retrospecs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 367 ratings, while PIXEL86 averages 4.6 from 42 ratings.

### Do Retrospecs or PIXEL86 have ads?

PIXEL86 shows ads; Retrospecs does not.

### Which is updated more often, Retrospecs or PIXEL86?

Retrospecs ships an update every 2 months, and PIXEL86 every 5 days. Most recently, Retrospecs was updated on October 21, 2026 and PIXEL86 on October 27, 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.*