Manic EMU vs Mednafen
Manic EMU
github.comMednafen
mednafen.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Manic EMU | Mednafen |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.42/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 0 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 8.9 (#2) | 7.3 (#20) |
| Spec score · SNES Emulators | 8.9 (#2) | 7.4 (#19) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.8 (#6) | 7.2 (#44) |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 8.8 (#4) | 7.2 (#24) |
| License | The upstream Manic EMU source is licensed under GNU AGPL-3.0, with separate notices for bundled cores and dependencies. | Mednafen is distributed under the GNU GPLv2. |
| Purpose | Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad. | Mednafen is a portable, command-line-driven multi-system emulator that uses OpenGL and SDL. |
| Support | The official site links users to FAQ and guides, GitHub, and Discord for support resources. | The official site links to a Mednafen forum and an FAQ. |
| Supported systems | The project lists Nintendo, PlayStation, Sega, Atari, arcade, MS-DOS, J2ME, Commodore, Neo Geo Pocket, PC Engine, Nokia Symbian and related systems. | Its listed systems include Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. |
| Systems | It supports more than 30 classic platforms spanning consoles, arcade, DOS, Symbian, and J2ME systems. | It supports systems including Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. |
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
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.
Mednafen
Mednafen has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.