# Bear Emu vs Nova Emulator

The clearest difference is rating: Nova Emulator at 5.0 against Bear Emu's 3.5. Nova Emulator also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Bear Emu's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bear Emu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Nova Emulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nova Emulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Bear Emu ships an update every 2 months, Nova Emulator every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and June 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Emu | Nova Emulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-emu/id6754371478/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-emulator/id6760300280/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 597 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [兴双 邓](https://appshunter.io/developer/1532874504) | [IDEATAG STUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883714100) |

## What reviewers say

### Bear Emu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-emu/id6754371478)

Play classic games from multiple vintage consoles on your mobile device. Offers unlimited game import and save state uploads through a subscription service.

**Highlights:** Multi-console emulation, Supports GBA, GBC, GB, SNES, NES, PSP, PS, WSC, SG, Unlimited game import, Upload game states, Subscription membership options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bear Emu/Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Bear Emu/3 Months | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Bear Emu Subscribe Year | $13.99 | per year |


### Nova Emulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-emulator/id6760300280)

Play classic console games on your smartphone with this high-performance emulator. Enjoy smooth gameplay, save states, fast forward, and display filters. Supports a wide range of retro consoles and offers cheat code functionality.

**Highlights:** High-performance emulation (60fps), Virtual gamepad with radial dial, Save and load game states, Fast forward gameplay (2x-4x), Display filters (CRT, LCD), Cheat code support, Play time statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NOVA Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| NOVA Premium | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| NOVA Premium | $7.99 | per 6 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear Emu free?

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

### Is Nova Emulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bear Emu or Nova Emulator?

Nova Emulator is rated higher. Bear Emu averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Nova Emulator averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bear Emu or Nova Emulator have ads?

Nova Emulator shows ads; Bear Emu does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bear Emu or Nova Emulator?

Bear Emu ships an update every 2 months, and Nova Emulator every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bear Emu was updated on September 11, 2026 and Nova Emulator on June 27, 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.*