# ArcEmu vs Arcade Vault

The clearest difference is price: Arcade Vault at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Arcade Vault is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Arcade Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Arcade Vault every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Arcade Vault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Villareal Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1466701234) |

## 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


### Arcade Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-vault/id6787273206)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arcade Vault Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Arcade Vault Pro (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Arcade Vault free?

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

### Do ArcEmu or Arcade Vault have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Arcade Vault shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Arcade Vault?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Arcade Vault every 5 weeks. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on September 30, 2026 and Arcade Vault on September 8, 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.*