Manic EMU vs RetroPie
Manic EMU
github.comRetroPie
retropie.org.ukSide by side
| Figure | Manic EMU | RetroPie |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.42/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 0 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 8.9 (#2) | 6.8 (#24) |
| Game files | The app does not include ROMs, BIOS files, or game data; users are directed to use legally owned backups, homebrew, or public-domain software. | ROMs and BIOS files are copyrighted and are not included with RetroPie. |
| Purpose | Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad. | RetroPie turns a Raspberry Pi or PC into a retro-gaming machine for arcade, home-console, and classic PC games. |
| Support | The official site links users to FAQ and guides, GitHub, and Discord for support resources. | The project points users to its documentation, FAQ, and community forum for help. |
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.