UTM SE vs Localhost
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UTM SE
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.
- Run classic software and games
- VGA and terminal modes
- Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, RISC-V
- Pre-built or custom machine configurations
- Built from QEMU
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UTM SE is a PC emulator that allows you to run classic software and old-school games. * Supports both VGA mode for graphics and terminal mode for text-only operating systems * Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, and RISC-V architectures * Run pre-built machines or create your own configuration from scratch * Built from QEMU, a powerful and widely used emulator
Localhost
Discover and connect with gaming and esports centers. Purchase gameplay hours, join competitions, and find venues for casual play. The app allows account creation and finding nearby locations.
- Connect with gaming centers
- Discover esports competitions
- Purchase gameplay hours
- Find nearby venues
- Create a Localhost account
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Connect with Localhost gaming and esports centers and discover your new favorite way to play. Localhost serves as the premier network of esports competitions, training sessions, and a variety of casual play video games. Purchase hourly gameplay and keep the games going. Play with your friends or compete in friendly competitions on the best gaming gear and next generation of consoles. Via the Localhost mobile app, you can - Create a Localhost account - Find a Localhost venue near you - Add hours for PC gameplay to your Localhost account
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Localhost at 100% against UTM SE's 55%. Localhost also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). UTM SE's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (560 vs 9). On price, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Localhost asks for nothing beyond the download.
Localhost holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UTM SE has 560 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of UTM SE's written reviews are positive against 100% of Localhost's.
UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, Localhost weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | UTM SE | Localhost |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (560 ratings) | 5.0 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 560 — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.6 GB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Turing Software, LLC | N3rd Street Gamers, LLC |
Customer experience
UTM SE
Localhost
Bugs and requests
UTM SE
Reported bugs
3 issues- 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
3 requests- Add support for JIT compilation to improve performance
- Improve Magic Keyboard support
- Allow exporting VMs to run on other platforms
Localhost
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
UTM SE
- Transistor$0.99
- Chip$4.99
- Computer$9.99
Localhost
No in-app purchases
