Retrospecs vs Smash
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.
Smash
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Smash makes videos smaller without turning video settings into homework. Choose a video from Photos or Files, see the original size and estimated result, then Smash it. The free version includes single-video H.264 processing, three practical presets, output estimates, and saving or sharing with no ads, watermark, or account. Smash Pro is a one-time upgrade that unlocks: • Batch queues • Smart source-aware settings • Exact target size • HEVC and HDR • Custom resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and audio controls • Short quality previews • Storage recovery • Share extension • History • Shortcuts support Smash can preserve capture metadata and lets you decide whether to keep or remove it. Original videos are deleted only when you explicitly choose that option after saving results. Free forever for the essentials. One purchase for Pro. No subscription.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Retrospecs at 14.0 against Smash's 18.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 and Smash sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Retrospecs | Smash |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (367 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 367 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Parker | 21 Media |
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
Smash
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
Smash
- Smash Pro$9.99









