# Phosphor Emulator vs Retroly

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phosphor Emulator at none against Retroly's 1. Phosphor Emulator also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). Retroly's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retroly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Phosphor Emulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Retroly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phosphor Emulator has 39 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Phosphor Emulator ships an update every 3 days, Retroly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phosphor Emulator | Retroly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phosphor-emulator/id6759676286/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroly/id6768423479/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **39** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SquatchCraft LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1440325922) | [Eray Kiyak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855182376) |

## What reviewers say

### Phosphor Emulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phosphor-emulator/id6759676286)

This app provides a premium emulation experience for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games on modern iOS devices. It features advanced controls, instant save states, and unique functionalities like rewinding gameplay and AI play.

**Highlights:** Rewind and fast-forward gameplay, Instant save and load states, Customizable touch controls, MFi controller support, Game Boy Camera and Printer integration, AI Play feature

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Retroly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroly/id6768423479)

Enjoy your classic game backups on iPhone with this retro gaming hub. It offers authentic emulation, a visual game library, and customizable on-screen controls. Supports external controllers and various display filters for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Authentic emulation for Game Boy, GBC, GBA, Visual game showcase and library, Customizable on-screen gamepad, Save states with screenshot previews, Display filters and screen correction, Bluetooth & MFi controller support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retroly Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phosphor Emulator free?

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

### Is Retroly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phosphor Emulator or Retroly?

Retroly is rated higher. Phosphor Emulator averages 4.6 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Retroly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Phosphor Emulator or Retroly have ads?

Retroly shows ads; Phosphor Emulator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phosphor Emulator or Retroly?

Phosphor Emulator ships an update every 3 days, and Retroly fortnightly. Most recently, Phosphor Emulator was updated on November 9, 2026 and Retroly 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.*