UTM SE vs Ballune
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
Ballune
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Ballune asks for nothing beyond the download.
UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, Ballune monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | UTM SE | Ballune |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (562 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 562 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.6 GB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Turing Software, LLC | SJW 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
UTM SE
- Transistor$0.99
- Chip$4.99
- Computer$9.99
Ballune
No in-app purchases









