# ArcEmu vs Paper Kites

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Paper Kites's $2.99. ArcEmu also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Paper Kites's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

ArcEmu is free to download; Paper Kites costs $2.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Paper Kites asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Paper Kites weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Paper Kites |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 234 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Tailwind Studio Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887721390) |

## 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, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Boy Advance | $0.99 | one-time |
| SNES | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pokémon Mini | $0.99 | one-time |
| Atari 2600 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mega Drive / Genesis | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Gear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master System | $0.99 | one-time |
| SG-1000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 3) | $1.99 | one-time |

**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


### Paper Kites

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-kites/id6761085038)

Experience a serene, endless flight by folding paper kites and navigating them through dynamic landscapes. Gather stars to unlock new kites and enjoy a peaceful, ad-free journey with a day-night cycle and various flight modes.

**Highlights:** Fold and fly unique paper kites, Endless flight through dynamic landscapes, Day-night cycle with changing skies, Unlockable kites and star gathering, Multiple flight modes (Normal, Hard, Free Float), Ad-free and no in-app purchases

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Paper Kites free?

Paper Kites costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do ArcEmu or Paper Kites have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Paper Kites shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Paper Kites?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Paper Kites weekly. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 30, 2026 and Paper Kites on October 5, 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.*