# ArcEmu vs Lume Emulator

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against Lume Emulator's 38%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 52). Lume Emulator's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Lume Emulator is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 38% of Lume Emulator's.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Lume Emulator every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Lume Emulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | [3.8 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-emulator/id6505037244/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 52 |
| Positive reviews | **94.5% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 172 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Benjamin Grynblat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535378193) |

## What reviewers say

### 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, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**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


### Lume Emulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-emulator/id6505037244)

Experience classic video games on your mobile device with this emulator. It offers high-quality emulation for multiple retro consoles, allowing you to save progress and enjoy seamless gameplay. Play legally with your own ROMs or free-to-play options.

**Highlights:** Wide console support, High-quality emulation, Save and load states, Fast and lightweight performance, Legal ROM usage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lume Emulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Lume Emulator?

ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Lume Emulator averages 3.8 from 52 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Lume Emulator have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Lume Emulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Lume Emulator?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Lume Emulator every 5 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 25, 2026 and Lume Emulator 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.*