Manic EMU vs RetroX
Manic EMU
github.comRetroX
retrox.tvSide by side
| Figure | Manic EMU | RetroX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.42/mo | $1.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 3 |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.8 (#6) | 7.4 (#41) |
| Game library | The app provides a library with cover artwork, metadata, categories, collapsible sections and manufacturer sorting. | RetroX organizes imported games into a searchable library. |
| Support | The official site links users to FAQ and guides, GitHub, and Discord for support resources. | RetroX provides documentation, video tutorials, a troubleshooting guide, and a Facebook users group. |
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
RetroX
- 1 year Activation Code$16.99 a year
- 2 years Activation Code$26.99 a year
- Lifetime Activation Code$76.99, 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.