# Lume Emulator vs Linking Boy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Linking Boy at 78% against Lume Emulator's 38%. Linking Boy also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9). Lume Emulator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lume Emulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Linking Boy holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 43 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Lume Emulator's written reviews are positive against 78% of Linking Boy's.

Lume Emulator ships an update every 5 days, Linking Boy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lume Emulator | Linking Boy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-emulator/id6505037244/reviews) | **[4.2 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linking-boy/id6695762604/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 34 | **43** |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | **78.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benjamin Grynblat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535378193) | [Pixel Respawn LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769243202) |

## What reviewers say

### Lume Emulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-emulator/id6505037244)

Experience classic video games on your mobile device with this emulator. It offers high-quality emulation for multiple retro consoles, allowing you to save progress and enjoy seamless gameplay. Play legally with your own ROMs or free-to-play options.

**Highlights:** Wide console support, High-quality emulation, Save and load states, Fast and lightweight performance, Legal ROM usage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Linking Boy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linking-boy/id6695762604)

Experience fast and feature-rich emulation for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy games. Enjoy multiplayer Link cable emulation, unlock achievements with RetroAchievements, and customize your gameplay with speed control, cheats, and enhanced visual options.

**Highlights:** Fast GBA/GBC/GB emulation, Link cable multiplayer, RetroAchievements support, Speed control (fast-forward/slow-down), Cheat support, Customizable virtual controls, Save states

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lume Emulator free?

Lume Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Linking Boy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lume Emulator or Linking Boy?

Linking Boy is rated higher. Lume Emulator averages 3.9 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Linking Boy averages 4.2 from 43 ratings.

### Do Lume Emulator or Linking Boy have ads?

Neither Lume Emulator nor Linking Boy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lume Emulator or Linking Boy?

Lume Emulator ships an update every 5 days, and Linking Boy monthly. Most recently, Lume Emulator was updated on October 13, 2026 and Linking Boy on October 18, 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.*