# Munchkin Mate vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is price: Munchkin Mate at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 35 months) and device support (5 vs 2). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Munchkin Mate is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Munchkin Mate ships an update every 35 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Munchkin Mate | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 94.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 5 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ciaran Mulholland](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546840688) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### Munchkin Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/munchkin-mate/id1546840686)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Munchkin Mate free?

Munchkin Mate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Do Munchkin Mate or ArcEmu have ads?

Neither Munchkin Mate nor ArcEmu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Munchkin Mate or ArcEmu?

Munchkin Mate ships an update every 35 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Munchkin Mate was updated on September 29, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 18, 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.*