# Nova Emulator vs Let's NES

Nova Emulator and Let's NES are too close to call on the numbers: across 9 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Nova Emulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Let's NES sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Nova Emulator against 5.0 for Let's NES. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Nova Emulator ships an update every 3 weeks, Let's NES every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Emulator | Let's NES |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-emulator/id6760300280/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lets-nes/id6774059992/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [IDEATAG STUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883714100) | [yu zhu](https://appshunter.io/developer/441001230) |

## 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 |


### Let's NES

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lets-nes/id6774059992)

Experience classic 8-bit and 16-bit gaming with a beautifully designed retro interface. Enjoy exclusive online multiplayer for two players and save your progress instantly. Bring your favorite childhood games to life on your iPhone and iPad.

**Highlights:** Exclusive online multiplayer for 2 players, Gorgeous pixel-art and skeuomorphic UI, Tactile retro controller experience, Smart save states for instant progress saving, Import your own legally obtained ROMs

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 500 Energy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Infinite Energy | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Emulator free?

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

### Is Let's NES free?

Let's NES is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Nova Emulator or Let's NES?

Nova Emulator and Let's NES are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Nova Emulator or Let's NES have ads?

Both Nova Emulator and Let's NES show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nova Emulator or Let's NES?

Nova Emulator ships an update every 3 weeks, and Let's NES every 10 days. Most recently, Nova Emulator was updated on October 1, 2026 and Let's NES on October 7, 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.*