Comparison

UTM SE vs Ballune

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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

About

Ballune

Features
Read full description

Send something small into the sky… and let the world find it. Ballune is a unique, location-based experience where your messages travel on virtual balloons, drifting with the wind across real locations. You never know where they’ll go—or who might discover them. Write a short note, attach it to a balloon, and release it into the world. Your balloon begins its journey immediately, carried by real-world wind patterns. Track your balloon as it moves across cities, regions, and beyond. See how far it’s gone, how long it’s been flying, and where it might land. See messages drifting or landing around you. Balloons can be popped, causing them to land at that exact location—keeping the message alive for others to find. Or, as the sender, you can remove it entirely. Ballune isn’t about followers or feeds. It’s about small, unexpected moments—messages found by strangers, carried by chance. Designed with safety in mind - report inappropriate content, block senders. Ballune uses real weather data to create believable movement—so every journey feels connected to the world around you.

Screenshots

UTM SE4 screens
Ballune3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ballune at none against UTM SE's 3. Ballune also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). UTM SE's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price and ads 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. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Ballune asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, Ballune monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
UTM SE versus Ballune: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUTM SEBallune
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (562 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews54.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings562 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.6 GB3 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTuring Software, LLCSJW Software LLC

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

Ballune

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

UTM SE

One-time3
  • Transistor$0.99
  • Chip$4.99
  • Computer$9.99
None

Ballune

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is UTM SE free?
UTM SE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ballune free?
Ballune is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do UTM SE or Ballune have ads?
Neither UTM SE nor Ballune shows ads.
Which is updated more often, UTM SE or Ballune?
UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, and Ballune monthly. Most recently, UTM SE was updated on October 30, 2026 and Ballune on October 14, 2026.

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