# Castle Smasher vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Castle Smasher's $1.99. ArcEmu also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 43). Castle Smasher's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ArcEmu is free to download; Castle Smasher costs $1.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Castle Smasher asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 43, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Castle Smasher's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

Castle Smasher ships an update every 17 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castle Smasher | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-smasher/id311468972/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 43 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 85.8% of reviews | **94.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Donut Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/310068844) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### Castle Smasher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-smasher/id311468972)

Launch boulders from a catapult to destroy enemy castles and conquer the kingdom. This updated version offers three distinct game modes, including challenges, classic arcade, and randomly generated target practice levels. Master the art of stone slinging to free prisoners and plunder treasures.

**Highlights:** Three game modes, 50 challenge levels, Classic arcade mode, Randomly generated target practice, Catapult upgrades, Free prisoners and recruit them

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple yet engaging
- 👍 Relaxing and fun
- 👍 Great classic mobile game
- 👍 Numerous and well-designed levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💡 Lack of new levels or updates
- 💡 Difficulty scaling could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Freezing or crashing on certain levels

**Requested features**

- New levels or level editor
- Multiplayer or competitive modes
- Additional gameplay modes or challenges
- Customization options for catapult/castle
- Ability to save progress and resume later


### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

**Highlights:** Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation, Multiplayer support, Cheat codes, Customizable on-screen controls, Save State sharing, iCloud support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Boy Advance | $0.99 | one-time |
| SNES | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pokémon Mini | $0.99 | one-time |
| Atari 2600 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mega Drive / Genesis | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Gear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master System | $0.99 | one-time |
| SG-1000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 3) | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fully functional
- 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
- 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
- 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
- 👍 Customizable controls and layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
- 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
- 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
- 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castle Smasher free?

Castle Smasher costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Castle Smasher or ArcEmu?

ArcEmu is rated higher. Castle Smasher averages 4.7 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Castle Smasher or ArcEmu have ads?

Neither Castle Smasher nor ArcEmu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Castle Smasher or ArcEmu?

Castle Smasher ships an update every 17 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Castle Smasher was updated on October 29, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 27, 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.*