# Linking Boy vs XP Pocket

The clearest difference is rating: Linking Boy at 4.2 against XP Pocket's 2.3. Linking Boy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (43 vs 3). XP Pocket's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and XP Pocket sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Linking Boy holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Linking Boy has 43 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Linking Boy ships an update every 3 weeks, XP Pocket every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Linking Boy | XP Pocket |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linking-boy/id6695762604/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xp-pocket-rpg-maker-player/id6804504844/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pixel Respawn LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769243202) | [Alejandro Martinez Navarro](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804504846) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### XP Pocket

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xp-pocket-rpg-maker-player/id6804504844)

Play games made with RPG Maker XP, VX, and VX Ace on your iPhone. Import your own game files and customize touch controls for a personalized experience. An optional Pro version offers an ad-free experience with cloud saves.

**Highlights:** Play RPG Maker games, Import custom game files, Customizable touch controls, mkxp-z engine optimization, No account required, Optional Pro version

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| XP Pocket Pro | $2.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Linking Boy free?

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

### Is XP Pocket free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Linking Boy or XP Pocket?

Linking Boy is rated higher. Linking Boy averages 4.2 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while XP Pocket averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Linking Boy or XP Pocket have ads?

XP Pocket shows ads; Linking Boy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Linking Boy or XP Pocket?

Linking Boy ships an update every 3 weeks, and XP Pocket every 9 days. Most recently, Linking Boy was updated on November 8, 2026 and XP Pocket on November 10, 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.*