# Pokémon GO vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against Pokémon GO's 44%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 30). Pokémon GO's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and ratings volume (653K vs 1.3K). On iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Pokémon GO is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Pokémon GO sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pokémon GO has 653K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Pokémon GO's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

Pokémon GO ships an update every 6 days, ArcEmu fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pokémon GO | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (653K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pokemon-go/id1094591345/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **653K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | 43.8% of reviews | **94.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 404 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scopely Explore, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1037205060) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### Pokémon GO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pokemon-go/id1094591345)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Grossing · Role Playing, #3 Top Free · Role Playing, #4 Top Grossing · Strategy, #10 Top Free · Strategy, #10 Top Grossing · Games, #39 Top Grossing, #86 Top Free · Games (US App Store)

Explore your real world to discover and catch creatures. Train your companions, battle in gyms, and team up with others for epic raids. Your adventure begins as you move through your environment.

**Highlights:** Explore and discover creatures, Catch creatures to complete Pokédex, Journey with Buddy Pokémon, Compete in Gym battles, Team up for Raid Battles, Augmented reality gameplay

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 PokéCoins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Event Bonus | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Box | $1.99 | one-time |
| Evergreen Ticket 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Event Ticket | $1.99 | one-time |
| Event Ticket | $4.99 | one-time |
| 550 PokéCoins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ticket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Event Ticket | $7.99 | one-time |
| 1,200 PokéCoins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Event Pass Deluxe Plus Points | $9.99 | one-time |
| Finale Pass | $14.99 | one-time |
| Event Pass Deluxe | $14.99 | one-time |
| GO Fest Ticket | $14.99 | one-time |
| Finale Pass Plus Points | $19.99 | one-time |
| GO Pass Deluxe | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2,500 PokéCoins | $19.99 | one-time |
| Event Pass Deluxe Plus Points | $19.99 | one-time |
| GO Pass Deluxe Plus Points | $24.99 | one-time |
| 5,200 PokéCoins | $39.99 | one-time |
| 14,500 PokéCoins | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Encourages outdoor activity
- 🚀 Frequent updates and new content
- 👍 Brings people together
- 🚀 Innovative AR features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🚫 Inaccessible for rural/disabled players

**Reported bugs**

- GPS/location issues causing gameplay problems
- Bugs with egg hatching and buddy Pokémon
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Glitches with raid battles and rewards

**Requested features**

- In-game chat/communication system
- Ability to trade items between players
- More customization options for avatars
- Improved tracking and spawn system
- Easier access to rare/legendary Pokémon


### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

**Highlights:** Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation, Multiplayer support, Cheat codes, Customizable on-screen controls, Save State sharing, iCloud support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fully functional
- 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
- 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
- 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
- 👍 Customizable controls and layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
- 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
- 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
- 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pokémon GO free?

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

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pokémon GO or ArcEmu?

ArcEmu is rated higher. Pokémon GO averages 4.0 out of 5 from 653K ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Pokémon GO or ArcEmu have ads?

Pokémon GO shows ads; ArcEmu does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pokémon GO or ArcEmu?

Pokémon GO ships an update every 6 days, and ArcEmu fortnightly. Most recently, Pokémon GO was updated on September 24, 2026 and ArcEmu on September 24, 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.*