# ArcEmu vs Wizards Codex

The clearest difference is price: Wizards Codex at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Wizards Codex is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Wizards Codex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wizards Codex's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Wizards Codex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wizards-codex/id6751424771/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 94.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 172 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [wizardscodex](https://appshunter.io/developer/1832995973) |

## 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


### Wizards Codex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wizards-codex/id6751424771)

Manage your tabletop roleplaying game characters with this digital character sheet app. It offers flexibility for various game systems and allows for in-depth character management. Subscriptions and in-app purchases are available for enhanced features.

**Highlights:** Digital character sheets, Supports multiple TTRPG systems, In-depth character management, Subscription options, In-app purchases

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UK English | $1.99 | per month |
| Wizards Codex Premium Annual | $22.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Wizards Codex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Wizards Codex?

ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Wizards Codex averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Wizards Codex have ads?

Wizards Codex shows ads; ArcEmu does not.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Wizards Codex?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Wizards Codex every 2 weeks. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 13, 2026 and Wizards Codex on September 25, 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.*