# Nova Emulator vs iEmulator

The clearest difference is rating: Nova Emulator at 5.0 against iEmulator's 3.0. Nova Emulator also leads on iOS requirement (16 vs 18.0). iEmulator's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Emulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and iEmulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 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 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Nova Emulator ships an update every 3 weeks, iEmulator weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Emulator | iEmulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-emulator/id6760300280/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iemulator/id6767516566/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 1.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IDEATAG STUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883714100) | [Weigan Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896482773) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### iEmulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iemulator/id6767516566)

This utility helps gamers diagnose and optimize their Bluetooth game controllers on iOS and macOS. It offers detailed analysis of button presses, stick drift, latency, and haptic feedback, with customizable profiles for different games.

**Highlights:** Controller diagnostics, Stick drift analysis, Button press monitoring, Latency measurement, Haptic feedback testing, Customizable game profiles

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Monthly VIP | $2.49 | per month |
| Upgrade to Yearly VIP | $12.99 | per year |
| Upgrade to Lifetime VIP | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Emulator free?

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

### Is iEmulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nova Emulator or iEmulator?

Nova Emulator is rated higher. Nova Emulator averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while iEmulator averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Nova Emulator or iEmulator have ads?

Both Nova Emulator and iEmulator show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nova Emulator or iEmulator?

Nova Emulator ships an update every 3 weeks, and iEmulator weekly. Most recently, Nova Emulator was updated on October 1, 2026 and iEmulator on October 17, 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.*