Manic EMU vs Nelkano
Manic EMU
github.com
Nelkano
nelkano.comSide by side
| Figure | Manic EMU | Nelkano |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.42/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.8 (#6) | 7.5 (#38) |
| Purpose | Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad. | Nelkano is a native Android app for emulating multiple game systems. |
| Save states | Premium supports unlimited manual saves plus 50 automatic slots, while the free tier provides three save states. | Users can save and load game sessions on systems that support save states. |
| Security and privacy | Apple's listing says the developer reports that the app collects no data; the repository also publishes a security policy and anti-piracy policy. | The maker says library data, settings, saves, and save states stay on the device unless synchronization features are enabled. |
| Support | The official site links users to FAQ and guides, GitHub, and Discord for support resources. | The legal notice lists [email protected] as the legal and privacy contact. |
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.