# ArcEmu vs Puzzle Parlor

The clearest difference is monetization model: ArcEmu at free against Puzzle Parlor's freemium. ArcEmu also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 4) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Puzzle Parlor sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ArcEmu against 5.0 for Puzzle Parlor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 100% of Puzzle Parlor's.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Puzzle Parlor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Puzzle Parlor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-parlor/id6765998068/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 234 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [DAVID ISAAC SCHUSTER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894563220) |

## 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


### Puzzle Parlor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-parlor/id6765998068)

Enjoy a curated collection of daily and classic puzzle games without ads or in-app purchases. Track your progress with streaks and sync across devices. A simple, family-made experience for puzzle enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Daily new puzzles, Classic puzzle games, No ads or dark patterns, Streak tracking, Optional cloud sync, Dark mode

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Puzzle Parlor Supporter | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Puzzle Parlor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Puzzle Parlor?

Puzzle Parlor is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Puzzle Parlor averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Puzzle Parlor have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Puzzle Parlor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Puzzle Parlor?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Puzzle Parlor every 3 weeks. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 27, 2026 and Puzzle Parlor on October 24, 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.*