# ArcEmu vs HexRain

The clearest difference is price: HexRain at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 3). On rating, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

HexRain is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. HexRain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ArcEmu against 5.0 for HexRain. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, HexRain every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | HexRain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexrain/id6764113922/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 94.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 172 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Fraser Graham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890320803) |

## 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


### HexRain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexrain/id6764113922)

A fast-paced action game where players dodge falling hexes and collect bonus items. It features a challenge editor for creating and sharing custom levels, offering endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Dodge falling hexes, Collect bonus blocks, Challenge blocks, Up to 30 challenges, Challenge editor, Share custom levels

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Game Modes | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is HexRain free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or HexRain?

HexRain is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while HexRain averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or HexRain have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor HexRain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or HexRain?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and HexRain every 11 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 15, 2026 and HexRain on October 1, 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.*