# UTM SE vs TapTap

The clearest difference is rating: TapTap at 4.7 against UTM SE's 3.8. TapTap also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (10K vs 565). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and TapTap sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TapTap holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TapTap has 10K ratings behind it against 565, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of UTM SE's written reviews are positive against 52% of TapTap's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, TapTap every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UTM SE | TapTap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (565 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856/reviews) | **[4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taptap/id1621229787/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 565 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **54.7% of reviews** | 51.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.6 GB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Turing Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534511649) | [TapTap Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621229789) |

## 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


### TapTap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taptap/id1621229787)

Discover and discuss games with a passionate community. Share reviews, read guides, and interact directly with developers. Explore diverse content, curate lists, and stay updated on the latest gaming trends.

**Highlights:** Gaming community discussions, Game reviews and guides, Direct developer interaction, Content creator network, Custom game lists, Editorial content

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 SparkCoin | $0.99 | one-time |
| 300 SparkCoin | $4.99 | one-time |
| 980 SparkCoin | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1980 SparkCoin | $29.99 | one-time |
| 3280 SparkCoin | $49.99 | one-time |
| 6480 SparkCoin | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improving app navigation
- 👍 Wide variety of games
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Helpful community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Inability to download games
- 🤔 Confusing app functionality
- 👎 Negative design changes

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Inability to download certain games
- White screen when trying to download games
- Disorganized message thread display

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Allow direct game downloads
- Improve game filtering and search
- Restore pre-registration feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UTM SE free?

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

### Is TapTap free?

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

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

TapTap is rated higher. UTM SE averages 3.8 out of 5 from 565 ratings, while TapTap averages 4.7 from 10K ratings.

### Do UTM SE or TapTap have ads?

Neither UTM SE nor TapTap shows ads.

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

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, and TapTap every 11 days. Most recently, UTM SE was updated on November 3, 2026 and TapTap on November 5, 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.*