# Astrå vs Pixl8

The clearest difference is price: Pixl8 at Free against Astrå's $0.99. Pixl8 also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 months). Astrå's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (21 vs 2). On ads there is nothing between them.

Pixl8 is free to download; Astrå costs $0.99 up front. Pixl8 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Astrå asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pixl8 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astrå has 21 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Astrå ships an update every 5 months, Pixl8 every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astrå | Pixl8 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astra/id933189224/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixl8/id6805516278/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 57.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 181 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pablo Molina Garcia](https://appshunter.io/developer/874858138) | [Codedreams](https://appshunter.io/developer/6805516280) |

## What reviewers say

### Astrå

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astra/id933189224)

Embark on an adventure as Hemera, the goddess of daylight, to combat darkness and uncover the secrets of a unique universe. This orbital platformer features beautiful art, soothing music, and intuitive one-touch controls.

**Highlights:** Arcade action gameplay, Unique art, music, and gameplay, Simple one-touch controls, Auto-runner platformer with space physics, Explore, solve puzzles, and discover secrets, Game Center integration, iCloud support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pixl8

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixl8/id6805516278)

This app transforms your iPhone into a retro 8-bit console for PICO-8 games. It allows you to play a vast library of handcrafted pixel-art games, with features like customizable touch controls, controller support, and cross-platform multiplayer.

**Highlights:** PICO-8 game library, Tap-and-play cart system, Customizable touch controls, Bluetooth controller support, Cross-platform multiplayer, Save states management

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixl8 Pro:Save States & Multiplayer | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astrå free?

Astrå costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pixl8 free?

Pixl8 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Astrå or Pixl8?

Pixl8 is rated higher. Astrå averages 4.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Pixl8 averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Astrå or Pixl8 have ads?

Neither Astrå nor Pixl8 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astrå or Pixl8?

Astrå ships an update every 5 months, and Pixl8 every 4 days. Most recently, Astrå was updated on October 26, 2026 and Pixl8 on October 26, 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.*