# Sakura! vs GBDev

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sakura! at 90% against GBDev's 13%. Sakura! also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.3). GBDev's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

GBDev is free to download; Sakura! costs $0.99 up front. Sakura! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GBDev sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sakura! holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Sakura!'s written reviews are positive against 13% of GBDev's.

Sakura! ships an update every 2 months, GBDev every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sakura! | GBDev |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sakura/id6764421795/reviews)** | [3.3 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gbdev-full-control-emulator/id6787331675/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 84 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dylan Mathurin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1755943099) | [Winter Bagley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1513642337) |

## What reviewers say

### Sakura!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sakura/id6764421795)

This app allows you to play your favorite PlayStation One games on your iPhone or iPad. It offers extensive customization for controls, graphics, and performance, providing a console-like experience.

**Highlights:** PlayStation One emulation on iOS, Customizable on-screen controls, Physical gamepad support, Extensive graphics and performance tuning, Support for various game disc formats, Recursive folder scanning for games

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip 1$ | $0.99 | one-time |


### GBDev

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gbdev-full-control-emulator/id6787331675)

Play your favorite Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on your iPhone with this emulator. It features a beautiful game library, responsive on-screen controls, and customizable palettes and themes for a comfortable gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Game Boy & Game Boy Color ROM support, Personalized game library with box art, Save states for instant progress capture, Customizable on-screen controls, Adjustable game palettes and app themes, Integrated cheat engine

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GBDev Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sakura! free?

Sakura! costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is GBDev free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sakura! or GBDev?

Sakura! is rated higher. Sakura! averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while GBDev averages 3.3 from 18 ratings.

### Do Sakura! or GBDev have ads?

Neither Sakura! nor GBDev shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sakura! or GBDev?

Sakura! ships an update every 2 months, and GBDev every 4 days. Most recently, Sakura! was updated on October 17, 2026 and GBDev on October 9, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*