Manic EMU vs pico-smsplus
Manic EMU
github.compico-smsplus
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Manic EMU | pico-smsplus |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.42/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 0 |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 8.8 (#4) | 6.7 (#29) |
| Controllers | Supported input includes Joy-Con, DualShock, Xbox, Bluetooth controllers, keyboards and multiple simultaneous controllers. | It supports USB controllers including DualShock 4, DualSense, and XInput controllers, as well as NES controllers in some configurations. |
| Game library | The app provides a library with cover artwork, metadata, categories, collapsible sections and manufacturer sorting. | Games are loaded from FAT32 or exFAT SD cards, and the menu supports organizing ROMs in directories. |
| License | The upstream Manic EMU source is licensed under GNU AGPL-3.0, with separate notices for bundled cores and dependencies. | The GitHub repository identifies the project as GPL-3.0 licensed. |
| Purpose | Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad. | pico-smsplus is an emulator for Sega Master System, Game Gear, and SG-1000 games on RP2040/RP2350-based microcontroller boards. |
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.
pico-smsplus
pico-smsplus has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.