Comparison

Retro Pal vs GBDev

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Retro Pal

Play your favorite classic Nintendo handheld games on your iPhone. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS ROMs. Enjoy features like save states, controller support, and customizable skins.

Highlights
  • Supports GB, GBC, GBA, and DS ROMs
  • Bluetooth controller support
  • iCloud save sync
  • Customizable console skins
  • Rewind functionality
  • Gameplay clip recording
Features
Read full description

The console of your childhood, now in your pocket. Retro Pal plays your Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo, NES, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Mega Drive / Genesis, Master System, Game Gear and PSP ROMs on your iPhone and iPad. Your old games, on the screen you always have with you. No ads. Free to use. Pro is optional: pay once for life, or month by month if you prefer. WHAT'S INCLUDED (FOR FREE) • Native emulation via mGBA, melonDS, MesenCE, PCSX-ReARMed, Mupen64Plus-Next, BlastEm and PPSSPP • Bluetooth and USB-C controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, MFi): up to four players, and the app's menus work with one too • Local-first iCloud save sync across your devices • Save import from other emulator apps • PlayStation discs as .chd, as a .cue with its .bin, or as a zip, with the discs of one game grouped into a single entry • PlayStation memory cards, kept in sync like every other save • PSP games as .iso, .cso, .chd or .pbp • Stereo sound, mixable with background music (Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts) • Touch controls: D-pad and action buttons • Console skins: pick a built-in look, or import and share custom ones • Portrait and landscape modes • Two save slots + auto-save with image preview • Rewind up to 5 seconds, on all twelve consoles • Capture and share gameplay clips as a video card • Screenshot sharing with a styled card • Your Retro Story: a shareable recap of your play stats LOCALIZED, NOT TRANSLATED Retro Pal is available in fifteen languages, from French and German through to Japanese, Korean and Traditional Chinese. Each is written, not run through a translator at the last minute. RETRO PAL PRO (OPTIONAL) One-time purchase, yours forever. Or a yearly or monthly subscription if you prefer to spread the cost. You will see the price on the app's page. • All speeds (0.25× to 4×) • Five save slots • 30-second rewind • Cheat codes (Action Replay, Game Genie, GameShark and more) • Full controls editor: move, resize, fade or hide every button and the screens, with unlimited presets per console • Create and edit your own custom console skins A subscription can be cancelled at any time from the App Store. You can switch from a subscription to the lifetime purchase whenever you want. Terms of Use: https://retropal.fr/en/terms Privacy Policy: https://retropal.fr/en/privacy MADE IN EUROPE. No ads, no ad profiling. To improve the app, Retro Pal sends only anonymous usage statistics, no personal data, no advertising IDs. Your ROMs, your saves and your progress stay on your device. The app contains no games. You must provide your own ROM files, which you certify you legally own. Need to reach us? We reply within a day: support@retropal.fr Website: retropal.fr Retro Pal integrates the open-source emulator cores mGBA (MPL-2.0 license), melonDS (GPL-3.0), MesenCE (GPL-3.0), PCSX-ReARMed (GPL-2.0 or later), Mupen64Plus-Next (GPL-2.0 or later), BlastEm (GPL-3.0 or later) and PPSSPP (GPL-2.0 or later). melonDS, MesenCE, Mupen64Plus-Next, BlastEm and PPSSPP are used with changes of ours, each published as a patch file alongside the source. The app's complete source code is published under GPL-3.0: github.com/Larvouu/RetroPal. Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64 are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd. This application is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Nintendo. PlayStation and PSP are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. This application is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Mega Drive, Genesis, Master System and Game Gear are trademarks of SEGA Corporation. This application is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by SEGA.

About

GBDev

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
Read full description

GBDev is a fast multi emulator with an immersive feel and lots of good ways to customize your emulation experience. Emulates: GB • GBC • GBA • NES • SNES • DS • DSI • 3DS • GC • Wii Get cozy under the covers with our screen bleed and crt scanlines options. Reposition the screens and buttons to maximize the emulation feel. Enhance the look with animated themes and custom buttons. Landscape mode goes hard too especially when a bluetooth controller is connected. SNES Mouse works for mar10 pain7 too!! GBDev even has 3ds mii support. Connect to a tv with airplay, connect some controllers via bluetooth, and set the phone on charge for a night of retro gatherings. Button haptics make you feel more immersed so we have that too. Our game library is seperated by console. Thank you for using GBDev!!

Screenshots

Retro Pal4 screens
GBDev4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Retro Pal at 4.6 against GBDev's 3.3. Retro Pal also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 22%). GBDev's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Retro Pal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and GBDev sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Retro Pal holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Retro Pal's written reviews are positive against 22% of GBDev's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro Pal ships an update every 9 days, GBDev every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Retro Pal versus GBDev: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro PalGBDev
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19 ratings) — better3.3 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews — better22.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1919
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAntoine GhiassiWinter Bagley

Customer experience

Retro Pal

All ratings18 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.6%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

GBDev

All ratings19 ratings
Positive52.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative36.8%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral22.2%
Negative55.6%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Retro Pal

Subscriptions2
  • Retro Pal Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Retro Pal Pro, yearly$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Retro Pal Pro Lifetime$8.99
8 purchases

GBDev

One-time8
  • Theme Pack 1$1.99
  • Theme Pack 2$1.99
  • Visual Pack 1$1.99
Show 5 more
  • Visual Pack 2$1.99
  • Visual Pack 3$1.99
  • Theme Pack 4$1.99
  • Theme Pack 3$1.99
  • GBDev Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Retro Pal free?
Retro Pal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GBDev free?
GBDev is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retro Pal or GBDev?
Retro Pal is rated higher. Retro Pal averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while GBDev averages 3.3 from 19 ratings.
Do Retro Pal or GBDev have ads?
Neither Retro Pal nor GBDev shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro Pal or GBDev?
Retro Pal ships an update every 9 days, and GBDev every 5 days. Most recently, Retro Pal was updated on October 28, 2026 and GBDev on October 28, 2026.

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