# Lume Emulator vs Retro

The clearest difference is rating: Retro at 5.0 against Lume Emulator's 3.8. Lume Emulator's advantage is ratings volume (52 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Retro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lume Emulator has 52 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Lume Emulator ships an update every 5 days, Retro every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lume Emulator | Retro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-emulator/id6505037244/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-fred/id6738402036/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **52** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 17 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Benjamin Grynblat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535378193) | [Miguel Catalina](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780691635) |

## 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


### Retro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-fred/id6738402036)

Navigate a treacherous pyramid maze, collecting treasures and avoiding deadly creatures. Use your gun to defend yourself against ghosts, mummies, vampires, and skeletons. Discover helpful cheats to aid your escape.

**Highlights:** Pyramid maze navigation, Treasure collection, Enemy avoidance and combat, Multiple enemy types, In-game cheats (POKEs), 6 levels of increasing difficulty

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lume Emulator free?

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

### Is Retro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lume Emulator or Retro?

Retro is rated higher. Lume Emulator averages 3.8 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Retro averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Lume Emulator or Retro have ads?

Neither Lume Emulator nor Retro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lume Emulator or Retro?

Lume Emulator ships an update every 5 days, and Retro every 3 days. Most recently, Lume Emulator was updated on October 21, 2026 and Retro on October 21, 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.*