# Amplipi vs VirtualFriend

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Amplipi at none against VirtualFriend's 4. Amplipi also leads on update cadence (every 6 months vs every 24 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). VirtualFriend's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. VirtualFriend sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Amplipi asks for nothing beyond the download.

Amplipi holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VirtualFriend has 20 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Amplipi ships an update every 6 months, VirtualFriend every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amplipi | VirtualFriend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amplipi/id6477877338/reviews)** | [4.8 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfriend-vb-emulator/id6479948317/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **20** |
| Positive reviews | — | 95.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MicroNova LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1730967937) | [Adam Gastineau](https://appshunter.io/developer/913804973) |

## What reviewers say

### Amplipi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amplipi/id6477877338)

Control and amplify your whole-house audio system with multiple zones. Stream from various digital sources or analog inputs and route them to any zone in real-time. Expand your system to accommodate up to 36 zones.

**Highlights:** Multi-room/zone audio control, Up to 4 simultaneous audio sources, Analog RCA input, Digital stream support (Spotify, AirPlay), Real-time zone configuration, Expandable up to 36 zones

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### VirtualFriend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfriend-vb-emulator/id6479948317)

Experience classic Nintendo Virtual Boy games in true 3D on Apple Vision Pro and iOS. This open-source emulator allows you to explore the entire official library and homebrew titles with customizable color palettes and flexible control options.

**Highlights:** 3D Virtual Boy experience, Explore official and homebrew libraries, Customizable color palettes, Flexible control options (touchscreen, controller, keyboard), 3D title screen previews

**Features:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Excellent Virtual Boy emulation
- 👍 Easy to run games
- 👍 Light and simple UI
- 🎮 Works well with controllers
- 🙏 Grateful for the developer's work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some games run slow
- 🐛 Some games crash after 10 minutes
- 🎮 Lack of button mapping
- 🔉 Buzzing sound issues in Hyper Fighting
- 🕶️ No cardboard/VR headset support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amplipi free?

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

### Is VirtualFriend free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Amplipi or VirtualFriend?

Amplipi is rated higher. Amplipi averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while VirtualFriend averages 4.8 from 20 ratings.

### Do Amplipi or VirtualFriend have ads?

Neither Amplipi nor VirtualFriend shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Amplipi or VirtualFriend?

Amplipi ships an update every 6 months, and VirtualFriend every 24 months. Most recently, Amplipi was updated on October 2, 2026 and VirtualFriend on October 21, 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.*