# Coromon vs RetroArch

The clearest difference is rating: Coromon at 4.9 against RetroArch's 4.3. RetroArch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Coromon sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. RetroArch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Coromon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.5K and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Coromon's written reviews are positive against 69% of RetroArch's.

Coromon ships an update every 3 weeks, RetroArch weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Coromon | RetroArch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coromon/id6451449431/reviews)** | [4.3 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroarch/id6499539433/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | **74.8% of reviews** | 69.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 533 MB | 652 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Freedom Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1677582572) | [Libretro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1209876090) |

## What reviewers say

### Coromon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coromon/id6451449431)

Embark on a JRPG adventure to collect and train over 120 unique creatures. Engage in tactical turn-based battles, customize your trainer, and explore a vast world with a compelling story. Experience new mobile-exclusive modes and challenges.

**Highlights:** Collect and train over 120 unique creatures, Tactical turn-based battles, Engaging JRPG narrative, Trainer customization, Online head-to-head battles, Randomizer and Nuzlocke modes, Titan Rush mode

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sloth Gem (1) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Level Matcher (1) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Level Matcher (3) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Game | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack (L) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Perfection Stone (1) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mega Experience Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mega Potential Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sloth Gem (5) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Level Matcher (5) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Level Cake (40) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Style Crystals (1200) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Perfection Stone (5) | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging story and gameplay
- 👍 Customizable difficulty and settings
- 🤩 Unique and well-designed Coromon
- 💰 Good value for the price
- 🎨 Impressive pixel art and animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paid full version required to progress
- 🐛 Bugs with cloud save syncing
- 🕹️ Challenging platforming and puzzles
- 🤖 Microtransactions for cosmetics and power-ups

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing save data
- Coromon models not displaying correctly
- Progression-blocking bugs in certain areas

**Requested features**

- Free version with limited content
- Option to disable certain gameplay elements
- Multiplayer trading and battling
- More post-game content and updates


### RetroArch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroarch/id6499539433)

This application serves as a versatile frontend for emulators and game engines, supporting a vast array of systems through downloadable cores. It offers advanced features like netplay, save states, and customizable controls for an enhanced gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Supports numerous gaming systems via libretro cores, Netplay for multiplayer gaming, Save states and fast forward/rewind, Controller support and key remapping, Customizable shaders and overlays, RetroAchievements integration, AI translations for games

**Features:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth emulation performance
- 🎮 Wide range of supported systems
- 🕹️ Controller support
- 💯 Comprehensive emulation features
- 🔓 No ads or tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Steep learning curve
- 🤖 Unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🔌 Slow loading times
- 🤷‍♂️ Inconsistent core support

**Reported bugs**

- N64 games not loading textures properly
- Crashes when changing settings or cores
- Bios files not being recognized
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Saved settings not persisting

**Requested features**

- Add support for PS2, GameCube, and 3DS emulation
- Improve iCloud/cloud storage integration
- Implement customizable button layouts
- Add a more user-friendly setup wizard
- Provide better documentation and tutorials


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Coromon free?

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

### Is RetroArch free?

RetroArch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Coromon or RetroArch?

Coromon is rated higher. Coromon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while RetroArch averages 4.3 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Coromon or RetroArch have ads?

Neither Coromon nor RetroArch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Coromon or RetroArch?

Coromon ships an update every 3 weeks, and RetroArch weekly. Most recently, Coromon was updated on September 27, 2026 and RetroArch on September 26, 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.*