# Crusty Sub vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Crusty Sub's $0.99. ArcEmu also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 1). Crusty Sub's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

ArcEmu is free to download; Crusty Sub costs $0.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Crusty Sub asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Crusty Sub against 4.9 for ArcEmu. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Crusty Sub ships an update every 3 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crusty Sub | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crusty-sub/id6448482458/reviews)** | [4.9 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 94.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 16 MB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bernardo Perdomo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684818777) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### Crusty Sub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crusty-sub/id6448482458)

Navigate a damaged submarine through treacherous waters, avoiding mines and aggressive fish. Collect treasure coins to repair your vessel and boost your score in this undersea adventure.

**Highlights:** Navigate a damaged submarine, Avoid mines and aggressive fish, Collect treasure coins, Repair submarine, Increase score

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Crusty Sub free?

Crusty Sub costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crusty Sub or ArcEmu?

Crusty Sub is rated higher. Crusty Sub averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Crusty Sub or ArcEmu have ads?

Neither Crusty Sub nor ArcEmu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Crusty Sub or ArcEmu?

Crusty Sub ships an update every 3 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Crusty Sub was updated on November 12, 2026 and ArcEmu on November 12, 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.*