# UTM SE vs SpaceController

The clearest difference is rating: SpaceController at 4.5 against UTM SE's 3.8. SpaceController also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 months). UTM SE's advantage is ratings volume (560 vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SpaceController asks for nothing beyond the download.

SpaceController holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UTM SE has 560 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, SpaceController every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UTM SE | SpaceController |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (560 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacecontroller/id1568300743/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **560** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1.6 GB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Turing Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534511649) | [Sound Particles](https://appshunter.io/developer/1180336634) |

## What reviewers say

### UTM SE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856)

Experience classic computing by running old-school games and software. This emulator supports various display modes and processor architectures, allowing you to run pre-built systems or configure your own.

**Highlights:** Run classic software and games, VGA and terminal modes, Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, RISC-V, Pre-built or custom machine configurations, Built from QEMU

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Transistor | $0.99 | one-time |
| Chip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Computer | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app that can run Windows and macOS
- 👍 Useful for nostalgic reasons
- 👍 Can run Linux VMs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow performance, especially on older devices
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Display and boot issues
- 🐛 Incompatible with some ISOs and VMs

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to select .img files as floppy boot images
- Crashes when trying to leave a VM
- Crashes when adjusting virtual CD-ROM drive settings

**Requested features**

- Add support for JIT compilation to improve performance
- Improve Magic Keyboard support
- Allow exporting VMs to run on other platforms


### SpaceController

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacecontroller/id1568300743)

Control sound panning in immersive formats using your mobile device's motion sensors. This app and plugin combination offers an intuitive way to manipulate audio in home studios or mixing stages, making complex movements accessible.

**Highlights:** Immersive audio panning, Motion sensor control, DAW integration, Intuitive sound manipulation, Home studio and mixing stage use

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UTM SE free?

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

### Is SpaceController free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UTM SE or SpaceController?

SpaceController is rated higher. UTM SE averages 3.8 out of 5 from 560 ratings, while SpaceController averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do UTM SE or SpaceController have ads?

Neither UTM SE nor SpaceController shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UTM SE or SpaceController?

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, and SpaceController every 8 days. Most recently, UTM SE was updated on October 17, 2026 and SpaceController on October 1, 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.*