# SMFPlayer Portable vs Retromulator

The clearest difference is price: SMFPlayer Portable at Free against Retromulator's $19.99. Retromulator's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks) and chart position (#199 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SMFPlayer Portable is free to download; Retromulator costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SMFPlayer Portable ships an update every 5 weeks, Retromulator every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMFPlayer Portable | Retromulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#199** |
| Size | 2 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hiroshi Okawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1594045640) | [DiscoDSP LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465262828) |

## What reviewers say

### SMFPlayer Portable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smfplayer-portable/id6745766877)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Retromulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retromulator/id6764767449)

**Currently charting:** #199 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

This app recreates legendary vintage synthesizers, samplers, and keyboards through accurate emulation. It functions as a standalone application or an AUv3 plugin, offering classic electronic music hardware sounds on iOS devices.

**Highlights:** Cycle-accurate hardware emulation, AUv3 plugin support, Standalone app functionality, Full MIDI control, ROM firmware loading, Background audio support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMFPlayer Portable free?

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

### Is Retromulator free?

Retromulator costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SMFPlayer Portable or Retromulator have ads?

Neither SMFPlayer Portable nor Retromulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMFPlayer Portable or Retromulator?

SMFPlayer Portable ships an update every 5 weeks, and Retromulator every 3 days. Most recently, SMFPlayer Portable was updated on October 16, 2026 and Retromulator 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.*