jgenesis vs Manic EMU
jgenesis
github.comManic EMU
github.comSide by side
| Figure | jgenesis | Manic EMU |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $0.42/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 9 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 7.5 (#18) | 8.9 (#2) |
| Spec score · SNES Emulators | 7.4 (#18) | 8.9 (#2) |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 7.3 (#23) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 7.3 (#43) | 8.8 (#6) |
| Spec score · Sega CD Emulators | 7.4 (#16) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Controllers | It supports keyboard and DirectInput gamepad controls, including 3-button and 6-button Genesis controllers. | Supported input includes Joy-Con, DualShock, Xbox, Bluetooth controllers, keyboards and multiple simultaneous controllers. |
| Distribution | The project publishes release builds through GitHub Releases, and GitHub Actions builds for each commit remain available for 90 days. | The app is available through the App Store and sideloading channels including StikStore and SideStore. |
| License | The repository code is licensed under GPL-3.0 except where a file states otherwise. | The upstream Manic EMU source is licensed under GNU AGPL-3.0, with separate notices for bundled cores and dependencies. |
| Purpose | jgenesis is a cross-platform emulator for 8-bit and 16-bit gaming consoles. | Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad. |
| System requirements | Published release builds require a 64-bit x86 CPU with SSE4.2; the GPU must support Vulkan or, on Windows 10 and later, DirectX 12. | The App Store listing requires iOS or iPadOS 15 or later and supports Macs with macOS 12 or later and Apple silicon. |
Plans
Manic EMU
- FreeFree
- SideloadFree
- Sideload / GitHubFree
- Premium Monthly$0.99 a month
- Premium Monthly Plan$0.99 a month
- Premium Annual Plan$4.99 a year
- Premium Annual$5.99 a year
- Premium Forever Access$9.99, paid once
- Forever Access$11.99, paid once
In their own words
jgenesis
jgenesis is a free, cross-platform emulator for 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. It supports Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, Sega 32X, SG-1000, Master System, Game Gear, NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16. Save states, fast forward, rewind, and optional CPU overclocking are available on some systems. Expansion support includes Master System FM sound, the Genesis SVP chip, common NES mappers, and most SNES coprocessors. Its GPU renderer offers integer prescaling, optional linear interpolation, configurable pixel aspect ratios, blur, and anti-dither shaders. Keyboard and DirectInput gamepads are supported, including three-button and six-button Genesis controllers. Published builds require a 64-bit x86 CPU with SSE4.2 and a GPU supporting Vulkan, or DirectX 12 on Windows 10 and later. The project estimates about 300 MB of RAM for default settings. Releases come through GitHub, while commit builds remain available for 90 days and may be buggy.
Manic EMU
Manic EMU is a free retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad, supporting more than 30 classic platforms across consoles, arcade, DOS, Symbian, and J2ME. It includes save states, auto-saves, fast-forward, cheats, shortcuts, filters, screenshots, and custom skins. Cloud import works with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Baidu, Aliyun, WebDAV, and SMB. The project says iCloud sync keeps games, saves, and settings encrypted in the cloud across devices. Manic EMU integrates RetroAchievements and supports local multiplayer and Netplay on eligible Libretro cores. The free App Store build limits fast-forward to 2×, save states and cheat codes to three each, and controllers to one player. Premium plans cost $0.99 a month, $4.99 a year, or 9.99 USD once for lifetime access, and include higher fast-forward speeds, more save states and cheat slots, and extra controller players. A free sideload build includes premium play features but does not provide iCloud save sync. The app does not include ROMs, BIOS files, or game data.