# NES vs Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NES at none against Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS's 1. NES also leads on ads (none vs shown). Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS's advantage is review sentiment (20% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NES asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for NES against 4.2 for Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 79 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of NES's written reviews are positive against 20% of Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS's.

NES ships an update every 4 days, Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NES | Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nes-emulator/id6744561705/reviews)** | [4.2 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-emulatorgbafcmdnds/id6748065474/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **79** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **20.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 45 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [建菊 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801975821) | [Guangzhou Tianhe District Yongji Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1593807025) |

## What reviewers say

### NES

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nes-emulator/id6744561705)

Experience classic 8-bit gaming with this high-performance emulator. It supports most classic game ROMs and offers a clean, intuitive interface for seamless retro gameplay on your device.

**Highlights:** High-performance NES emulation, Supports classic game ROMs (.nes), Clean and intuitive interface, Faithfully recreates 8-bit experience, Smooth performance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-emulatorgbafcmdnds/id6748065474)

Relive classic gaming on your mobile device with this emulator. It supports multiple retro console formats, offering a high-fidelity, smooth gameplay experience. Easily manage your game collection with intuitive import and organization tools.

**Highlights:** Supports GBA, FC, MD, NDS formats, Centralized game management, One-click game import, High-precision emulation engine, Smooth gameplay performance, Clean and intuitive interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent VIP membership | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NES free?

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

### Is Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS free?

Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NES or Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS?

NES is rated higher. NES averages 4.3 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS averages 4.2 from 79 ratings.

### Do NES or Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS have ads?

Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS shows ads; NES does not.

### Which is updated more often, NES or Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS?

NES ships an update every 4 days, and Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS every 2 days. Most recently, NES was updated on September 19, 2026 and Arcade Emulator：GBA/FC/MD/NDS on September 25, 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.*
