Comparison

gba emulator vs Octonium

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

gba emulator

Relive classic Game Boy Advance games on your iOS device. This emulator offers an authentic gaming experience with support for .gba and .zip files, virtual controllers, and customizable options.

Highlights
  • Play GBA games on iOS
  • Supports .gba and .zip formats
  • Virtual controllers
  • Customizable options
  • Quick access to games
Features
Read full description

Welcome to use our GBA emulator! This application enables you to relive the classic Game Boy Advance games on your iOS device. We are committed to providing the most authentic gaming experience, supporting.gba and.zip formats, allowing you to play your favorite games anytime and anywhere. Special features include quick access, virtual controllers, and highly customizable options to ensure you can set up the game according to your personal preferences. Enjoy the gaming fun on your iPhone or iPad. Download now and experience the perfect combination of nostalgia and convenience!

About

Octonium

Read full description

Build your army, track your battles, and master your meta — all from your iPhone. Octonium is a battle companion for tabletop strategy game players. Whether you're prepping a list for tournament night or tracking your hobby progress over months, Octonium keeps everything in one place. ARMY LIST BUILDER - Build rosters with full point validation - Save unlimited lists across factions - Quick-edit on the go between matches MATCH TRACKER - Track scores, turns, and key moments live - Save battle reports for later review - Never lose count mid-game again STATS & INSIGHTS - Win/loss breakdowns by faction, list, and opponent - Spot trends across your battles - Build a clearer picture of your meta OCTONIUM PREMIUM Subscribe to unlock advanced tools: - Collection Manager — track your entire miniature collection - Damage Simulator — theorycraft any unit's output - Game Statistics — deep insights into your win/loss patterns - Army List Importer — sync your saved lists to the tracker - External Roster Importer — bring in lists from outside sources One subscription unlocks Premium in both Octonium and Octolith. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS - Monthly subscription — auto-renewing - Annual subscription — auto-renewing, best value Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the price of the selected plan. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal turned off in your Apple Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://octocode-dev.com/octonium/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Questions or feedback? 0cto@octocode-dev.com Octonium is an independent companion app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any specific game publisher.

Screenshots

gba emulator4 screens
Octonium4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Octonium at none against gba emulator's shown. Octonium also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). gba emulator's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. gba emulator sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Octonium sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

gba emulator ships an update every 2 weeks, Octonium every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
gba emulator versus Octonium: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametergba emulatorOctonium
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (481 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings481 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB84 MB
Age rating12+9+
Developer滨 李Octocode

Bugs and requests

gba emulator

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • Game crashes before first arena and save deletes
  • App deleted after trying cheat code
  • Games no longer run after new iOS update
  • Lagging issues
  • Save file loading issues
Show 23 more
  • Choppy music
  • Speed becomes slow when using cheats
  • Games not loading after login
  • Game crashes and save deletion
  • Cannot play downloaded games
  • Cannot play without internet
  • Cannot delete files from within the app
  • Cannot remove touch keys after purchase
  • Games freezing after short playtime
  • Cheat codes not working
  • Link cable simulation not available
  • Opening 2 games simultaneously not available
  • Rewind button not working
  • Speed-up button requires constant pressing
  • Cannot import/export saves
  • Games not rendering
  • Game stuck on loading screen
  • Dragon Quest Monsters not playable after story
  • Save progress overwritten
  • App is in Chinese/English only
  • Button haptics not available
  • Upscaler cannot be changed or turned off
  • No English instructions

Requested features

30 requests
  • Add link cable simulation option for trading Pokémon
  • Option to open 2 games simultaneously for trading
  • More details on development for configuration options
  • Ability to import and export saves
  • Add Sonic Triple Trouble 16 bit on GBA
Show 25 more
  • Bring back rewind feature
  • Show cheat codes for shiny Pokémon
  • Add option to press and hold speed-up button
  • Add combination key settings
  • Add more languages (e.g., Spanish, French, Japanese)
  • Add English instructions
  • Ability to change upscaler or turn it off
  • Button haptics
  • Fix issue with games not running after iOS update
  • Fix lag
  • Fix choppy music
  • Fix save file loading issues
  • Fix game crashing and save deletion
  • Fix games not playing after download
  • Fix touch keys not removable after purchase
  • Fix games freezing after short playtime
  • Fix cheat codes not working
  • Fix games not running without internet
  • Fix ads before starting game
  • Fix inability to delete files from within the app
  • Fix issue with Pokémon Platinum stuck on loading screen
  • Fix issue with Dragon Quest Monsters not playable after story
  • Fix issue with save progress being overwritten
  • Fix issue with speed becoming slow when using cheats
  • Fix issue with games not loading after login

Octonium

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

gba emulator

One-time3
  • Tipping$0.99
  • Remove video ads$0.99
  • Remove advertisements$3.99
2 purchases

Octonium

Subscriptions2
  • Octonium Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Octonium Premium Yearly$44.991 Year

Questions

Is gba emulator free?
gba emulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Octonium free?
Octonium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do gba emulator or Octonium have ads?
gba emulator shows ads; Octonium does not.
Which is updated more often, gba emulator or Octonium?
gba emulator ships an update every 2 weeks, and Octonium every 5 days. Most recently, gba emulator was updated on October 27, 2026 and Octonium on October 25, 2026.

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