# RetroOne vs Tinbox

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tinbox at none against RetroOne's 3. Tinbox also leads on ads (none vs shown). RetroOne's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RetroOne sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Tinbox asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for RetroOne against 5.0 for Tinbox. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

RetroOne ships an update fortnightly, Tinbox every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RetroOne | Tinbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroone-gba-emulator/id6807632417/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tinbox-game-emulator/id6809113803/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 179 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nguyen Dinh Gioi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673627955) | [KEATON MATTHEW MAGGARD](https://appshunter.io/developer/6809113805) |

## What reviewers say

### RetroOne

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroone-gba-emulator/id6807632417)

This app allows you to play your legally owned retro game collection on your iPhone and iPad. It supports multiple classic gaming systems and offers features like a beautiful library, customizable themes, and multiplayer options.

**Highlights:** Supports 8 classic gaming systems, Import and organize game collection, Customizable themes, Portrait and landscape orientation, Play on big screen, Multiplayer with 'Use as Controller', Save and continue progress

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RetroOne Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| RetroOne Plus Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| RetroOne Plus Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


### Tinbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tinbox-game-emulator/id6809113803)

Play your legally obtained GBA, GB, and GBC game files with this fast emulator. Enjoy features like rewind, save states, cheat codes, and customizable controls. It offers a private experience with no ads or accounts.

**Highlights:** GBA, GB, GBC emulation, Rewind up to 120 seconds, 10 save-state slots per game, Cheat codes support, Customizable controls, Bluetooth and MFi controller support, Private design with no ads or accounts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RetroOne free?

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

### Is Tinbox free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RetroOne or Tinbox?

RetroOne and Tinbox are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do RetroOne or Tinbox have ads?

RetroOne shows ads; Tinbox does not.

### Which is updated more often, RetroOne or Tinbox?

RetroOne ships an update fortnightly, and Tinbox every 5 weeks. Most recently, RetroOne was updated on October 31, 2026 and Tinbox on November 6, 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.*