Comparison

iFBAs vs gba emulator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iFBAs

Experience arcade classics in high definition on your iOS device. This emulator offers excellent performance for a wide range of arcade games, with additional features for enhanced gameplay. Note that game ROMs are not included and must be provided by the user.

Highlights
  • High-definition arcade playback
  • Excellent performance on iOS
  • Supports nearly all arcade games
  • User-provided game ROMs
  • Built-in usage instructions
Features
Read full description

Play Arcade games on your iOS device in high definition with extra features! iFBAs is the original and only arcade emulator developed specifically for mobile devices. It can run nearly all arcade games with excellent performance on iOS. This download does not include any games. Please use your own real arcade games and convert them into .zip or .7z files (see the homepage for usage instructions), or you can play free homemade games available in the built-in "How to use". The iFBAs project is not affiliated with any game manufacturers.

About

gba emulator

Relive classic Game Boy Advance games on your iOS device. This emulator offers an authentic gaming experience with support for .gba and .zip files, virtual controllers, and customizable options.

Highlights
  • Play GBA games on iOS
  • Supports .gba and .zip formats
  • Virtual controllers
  • Customizable options
  • Quick access to games
Features
Read full description

Welcome to use our GBA emulator! This application enables you to relive the classic Game Boy Advance games on your iOS device. We are committed to providing the most authentic gaming experience, supporting.gba and.zip formats, allowing you to play your favorite games anytime and anywhere. Special features include quick access, virtual controllers, and highly customizable options to ensure you can set up the game according to your personal preferences. Enjoy the gaming fun on your iPhone or iPad. Download now and experience the perfect combination of nostalgia and convenience!

Screenshots

iFBAs2 screens
gba emulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: gba emulator at 4.6 against iFBAs's 3.8. gba emulator also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (481 vs 100). iFBAs's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. gba emulator sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. iFBAs asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

gba emulator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 100 and 481 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of iFBAs's written reviews are positive against 43% of gba emulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iFBAs ships an update every 6 weeks, gba emulator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iFBAs versus gba emulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriFBAsgba emulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (100 ratings)4.6 (481 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.3% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings100481 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB49 MB
Age rating12+12+
Developer国琛 邱滨 李

Customer experience

iFBAs

All ratings101 ratings
Positive65.3%
Neutral13.9%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive56.3%
Neutral18.8%
Negative25.0%

gba emulator

All ratings367 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral3.3%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral22.9%
Negative34.3%

User reviews

iFBAs

From 100 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Excellent arcade game emulation for most ROMs
  • 📱 Easy ROM import and file management
  • 🎨 Good graphics quality on mobile devices
  • ⚡ Fast performance with minimal lag
  • 👍 Intuitive menu navigation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes after updates
  • 📵 Forced updates causing app instability
  • 🌐 Network connectivity issues (crashes without internet)
  • 🎯 Missing file errors preventing game launch
  • 🗣️ Incomplete English translation (mostly Chinese)

gba emulator

From 481 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Runs smooth, no lag
  • 👍 Good compatibility
  • 👍 Stable application
  • 👍 Works on older iPhones

Room to improve

  • anúncios Excessive ads
  • 🐛 Crashing consistently
  • 🐛 Game crashes and save deletion
  • 🐛 Can't play without internet
  • 🐛 Loading takes too much time

Bugs and requests

iFBAs

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Missing file errors (cde_20a.5f) preventing game launch
  • Crashes when using external controllers/keyboards
  • App crashes without internet connection
  • Crashes when loading previous game saves
  • Crashes when accessing storage settings
Show 8 more
  • Bluetooth keyboard not working on iPadOS 26
  • Crashes on button press with Xbox controllers
  • Games not displaying after ROM import
  • No sound in games
  • Control mapping not working with external devices
  • Crashes on older iOS versions
  • Thumbnail/save file corruption after updates
  • CPS3 games not recognized after import

Requested features

10 requests
  • Full English language support throughout app
  • Haptic feedback for touch controls
  • Tilt/analog stick controls for specific games
  • Touch screen light-gun support (for games like T2)
  • Magic Keyboard customization options
Show 5 more
  • Apple TV support
  • Mac compatibility
  • Batch delete functionality for ROMs
  • Cheat section in English
  • More game compatibility improvements

gba emulator

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • Game crashes before first arena and save deletes
  • App deleted after trying cheat code
  • Games no longer run after new iOS update
  • Lagging issues
  • Save file loading issues
Show 23 more
  • Choppy music
  • Speed becomes slow when using cheats
  • Games not loading after login
  • Game crashes and save deletion
  • Cannot play downloaded games
  • Cannot play without internet
  • Cannot delete files from within the app
  • Cannot remove touch keys after purchase
  • Games freezing after short playtime
  • Cheat codes not working
  • Link cable simulation not available
  • Opening 2 games simultaneously not available
  • Rewind button not working
  • Speed-up button requires constant pressing
  • Cannot import/export saves
  • Games not rendering
  • Game stuck on loading screen
  • Dragon Quest Monsters not playable after story
  • Save progress overwritten
  • App is in Chinese/English only
  • Button haptics not available
  • Upscaler cannot be changed or turned off
  • No English instructions

Requested features

30 requests
  • Add link cable simulation option for trading Pokémon
  • Option to open 2 games simultaneously for trading
  • More details on development for configuration options
  • Ability to import and export saves
  • Add Sonic Triple Trouble 16 bit on GBA
Show 25 more
  • Bring back rewind feature
  • Show cheat codes for shiny Pokémon
  • Add option to press and hold speed-up button
  • Add combination key settings
  • Add more languages (e.g., Spanish, French, Japanese)
  • Add English instructions
  • Ability to change upscaler or turn it off
  • Button haptics
  • Fix issue with games not running after iOS update
  • Fix lag
  • Fix choppy music
  • Fix save file loading issues
  • Fix game crashing and save deletion
  • Fix games not playing after download
  • Fix touch keys not removable after purchase
  • Fix games freezing after short playtime
  • Fix cheat codes not working
  • Fix games not running without internet
  • Fix ads before starting game
  • Fix inability to delete files from within the app
  • Fix issue with Pokémon Platinum stuck on loading screen
  • Fix issue with Dragon Quest Monsters not playable after story
  • Fix issue with save progress being overwritten
  • Fix issue with speed becoming slow when using cheats
  • Fix issue with games not loading after login

In-app purchases

None

iFBAs

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

gba emulator

One-time3
  • Tipping$0.99
  • Remove video ads$0.99
  • Remove advertisements$3.99

Questions

Is iFBAs free?
iFBAs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is gba emulator free?
gba emulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iFBAs or gba emulator?
gba emulator is rated higher. iFBAs averages 3.8 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while gba emulator averages 4.6 from 481 ratings.
Do iFBAs or gba emulator have ads?
gba emulator shows ads; iFBAs does not.
Which is updated more often, iFBAs or gba emulator?
iFBAs ships an update every 6 weeks, and gba emulator every 2 weeks. Most recently, iFBAs was updated on October 24, 2026 and gba emulator on October 27, 2026.

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