# Emu vs Soapbox

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Soapbox at 100% against Emu's 29%. Soapbox also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Emu's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (10K vs 8). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emu sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Soapbox sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Soapbox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emu has 10K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Emu's written reviews are positive against 100% of Soapbox's.

Emu ships an update every 3 days, Soapbox monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emu | Soapbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emu-game-consoles-app/id6746169351/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soapbox/id6749024920/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 29.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 182 MB | 2.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [METRONOM YAZILIM LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800237518) | [SoapboxLLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828510581) |

## What reviewers say

### Emu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emu-game-consoles-app/id6746169351)

Relive classic gaming by emulating various retro consoles on your device. Easily import your own game files and enjoy an authentic experience with save/load states. Play your favorite old-school titles anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Emulate multiple classic consoles, Import your own game ROMs, Save and load game states, Authentic retro gaming experience, Easy setup and stable performance

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly 2 | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires payment for full access
- 🔍 Lack of game/console availability
- 🤯 Unreliable save functionality
- 🙅‍♂️ Poor customer support
- 🤖 Buggy and glitchy performance

**Reported bugs**

- Games disappearing from library
- Consoles being removed from app
- Saved games not persisting

**Requested features**

- Expand game/console library
- Improve save/load functionality
- Provide better customer support


### Soapbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soapbox/id6749024920)

Experience holographic performances from popular artists like T-Pain and Yelawolf in your own space. Watch interviews and listen to their hit songs brought to life in augmented reality. You can even record yourself interacting with the holograms.

**Highlights:** Holographic artist performances, Augmented reality integration, Watch interviews and songs, Record yourself with holograms, Interactive AR experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yelawolf - Barnfire | $1.99 | one-time |
| Yelawolf - You And Me | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amanda Nicole - Main Event | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amanda Nicole - Put it in My | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emu free?

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

### Is Soapbox free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Emu or Soapbox?

Soapbox is rated higher. Emu averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Soapbox averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Emu or Soapbox have ads?

Emu shows ads; Soapbox does not.

### Which is updated more often, Emu or Soapbox?

Emu ships an update every 3 days, and Soapbox monthly. Most recently, Emu was updated on November 7, 2026 and Soapbox on November 5, 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.*