Comparison

RPGViewer vs RenPlay

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RPGViewer

This app allows you to play your own RPG Maker and Flash projects directly on your iOS device. It supports various RPG Maker versions and Flash (SWF) files, offering on-screen controls, real controller support, and seamless save file management.

Highlights
  • Supports RPG Maker XP, VX, VX Ace, MV, MZ
  • Plays Flash (SWF) files via Ruffle
  • Imports and exports save files
  • On-screen remappable gamepad
  • Real controller support
  • Works on iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

RPGViewer is a player for your own RPG Maker and Flash projects, rebuilt from the ground up as a native iOS app. You bring the game. RPGViewer runs it. One app covers the engines you actually have projects in: • RPG Maker XP, VX and VX Ace — run natively through a port of the original RGSS engine, not an imitation of it. Full speed, no browser in the middle. • RPG Maker MV and MZ — full support, including OGG audio with no re-encoding. • Flash (SWF) — played through Ruffle, including Flash games that were never converted to HTML5. • HTML5 games — any self-contained page, opened from your library. Saves work the way you expect • Import existing save files. Drop in a .rpgsave or .rmmzsave from your desktop and it appears in the game's own browser save slots. • Read the game's browser saves directly. Saves the browser version made on the same origin show up here, with title, playtime, location, party and level all decoded. • Export back out. Take a save with you when you move to a new device. • Separate storage per game. Each title keeps its own saves, its own port and its own settings — nothing bleeds across games. Built for playing on a phone • On-screen gamepad with remappable keys. Bind any physical or on-screen control to whatever the game reads. • Real controller support. Connect a gamepad and it takes over, and the on-screen pad steps aside automatically. • One consistent menu. The same control, in the same corner, on every engine — only the rows change, because only the rows that do something are shown. • Fast-forward for native engine games. • Works in landscape and portrait, iPhone and iPad. RPG Maker MV and MZ only • Cheat panel built into the menu — tweak values, items and party members without leaving the game. Please note • RPGViewer is a player only. It contains no games of its own, and it cannot download them. Please make sure the projects you run are obtained through legitimate channels. • It is a generic runtime. It does not modify the source of RPG Maker or Flash projects, and it does not emulate them. • Flash playback is provided by Ruffle. Games that depend on server-side components, or that require a network service, will not run. Built for people making RPG Maker games: test your project on your phone before you ship it, and keep playing the games you already own.

About

RenPlay

This app allows you to play visual novels created with Ren'Py on your iPhone and iPad. Import titles from your files or network, manage your library, and even translate dialogue on your device. Enjoy a seamless visual novel experience on the go.

Highlights
  • Play Ren'Py visual novels
  • Import from Files or network
  • Manage game library
  • Automatic cover artwork discovery
  • On-device dialogue translation
  • Customizable interface layouts
Features
Read full description

Play compatible Ren'Py visual novels on iPhone and iPad with bundled Ren'Py runtimes. Import a complete Ren'Py title from Files, or transfer it from a browser on another device over your local network. RenPlay accepts folders and ZIP, ZIPX, RAR, and 7z archives, including password-protected archives. It detects each title's Python generation and selects the matching runtime. FEATURES • Open compatible Ren'Py 7 and Ren'Py 8 titles • Import from Files or over your local network • Search, rename, and reorder your library • Automatically discover cover artwork • Manage each imported title's files and recover removed items • Keep save data separate for every title • Translate standard dialogue and text choices on your device with Apple's Translation framework • Choose interface layouts and iPhone orientation preferences • Install the included sample title to try RenPlay Core playback and library features are free and ad-free. RenPlay Supporter is an optional one-time purchase that unlocks custom covers and per-title settings. Compatibility varies by title. Content that requires desktop APIs, custom native extensions, extra Python modules, or unsupported codecs may not run.

Screenshots

RPGViewer4 screens
RenPlay3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RenPlay at Free against RPGViewer's $4.99. RenPlay also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (75% vs 56%). RPGViewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

RenPlay is free to download; RPGViewer costs $4.99 up front. RenPlay sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RPGViewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RenPlay holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of RPGViewer's written reviews are positive against 75% of RenPlay's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RPGViewer ships an update every 2 weeks, RenPlay weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
RPGViewer versus RenPlay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRPGViewerRenPlay
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.1% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB206 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperLudan Cui志远 刘

Customer experience

RPGViewer

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews139 reviews
Positive56.1%
Neutral30.2%
Negative13.7%

RenPlay

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

RPGViewer

Reported bugs

56 issues
  • CG errors
  • Black screen on video playback
  • Button presses also register as touches
  • Black screen after changing positions
  • Movie folder glitches
Show 51 more
  • Save file import/export not working
  • Cannot import/export saves
  • SyntaxError: JSON Parse error: Unrecognized token '<'
  • Games with foreign language filenames fail to run
  • Audio files not playing
  • Mouse issues (holding left button)
  • Virtual pad input lag/ghosting
  • Game crashes randomly
  • Cannot save game
  • Corrupted app requiring re-download
  • Infinite loading screens
  • Loss of progress on re-download
  • Sound disappears after switching apps
  • Virtual mouse not working for some games
  • Touch not working in certain sections
  • Game files disappear after update
  • Games not showing up after re-opening app
  • Error when adding games (folder already exists)
  • Material loss in H5 games
  • iPad cannot play in landscape, buttons incomplete
  • No sound in certain games on iPad
  • App thinks RPG Maker is HTML5
  • Cannot load OGG audio with OGG compatibility enabled
  • No sound for RPGMVO audio format
  • Cannot load save files
  • Stuck on save screen
  • Cannot click/interact in some games
  • Screen clipping on iPad
  • Games not loading (stuck on loading screen)
  • Cannot add games (stuck on loading screen)
  • Display bugs (games not showing up)
  • PNG images not opening
  • Black screen on launch
  • Cannot load image effects
  • Cannot import files (no www folder)
  • Cannot interact with elements
  • Game not running after removing folder
  • No sound after update
  • Audio issues after switching apps
  • Laggy performance
  • Games larger than 1GB don't run
  • Cannot play games requiring specific keyboard keys
  • Cannot save/load games
  • Project initialization displayed every time
  • Cannot load save data from cheat menu
  • Games not responding to clicks
  • Cannot use mouse function
  • Cannot click or use
  • Games not running, showing black screen
  • Cannot import games
  • No sound in games

Requested features

25 requests
  • Customizable button layout
  • Portrait mode button customization
  • Game folder organization
  • Rename games
  • Game exit button
Show 20 more
  • Script auto-translation
  • Dark mode
  • RPG Maker XP/VX Ace support
  • Wolf RPG Editor support
  • Keyboard support/virtual keyboard
  • Adjustable screen panning
  • Option to disable screen panning
  • Full-screen game registration
  • More control buttons
  • Editable control buttons
  • Custom gamepad inputs
  • Adjustable game performance
  • Edit game icons
  • ONS simulator support
  • Cheat menu integration
  • File management within app
  • Flash side-scroller support
  • More engine support
  • APK or Windows emulator option
  • Better resolution scaling

RenPlay

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RPGViewer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

RenPlay

One-time1
  • RenPlay Supporter$2.99

Questions

Is RPGViewer free?
RPGViewer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RenPlay free?
RenPlay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RPGViewer or RenPlay?
RenPlay is rated higher. RPGViewer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while RenPlay averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do RPGViewer or RenPlay have ads?
Neither RPGViewer nor RenPlay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RPGViewer or RenPlay?
RPGViewer ships an update every 2 weeks, and RenPlay weekly. Most recently, RPGViewer was updated on November 8, 2026 and RenPlay on November 7, 2026.

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