The Best Game Boy Advance Emulators in 2026
We researched Game Boy Advance emulators through official websites, pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on the category’s core job, value for money, and verified features such as platform support, save states, multiplayer options, enhancement tools, and compatibility with common controllers.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
mGBA#1 of 299.4/10A free, open-source desktop emulator with broad emulation and debugging tools.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
VisualBoyAdvance-M#2 of 299.1/10A free, cross-platform emulator with linking, upscaling, recording, and scripting.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
RetroArch#3 of 299.0/10A free, open-source frontend with netplay and extensive configuration across web, desktop, and mobile.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 29 tools, best first
-
Best forDesktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator
A free, open-source desktop emulator with broad emulation and debugging tools.
- Open source
9.4/10★★★★★Visit mGBA -
Best forCross-platform users needing linking and upscaling
A free, cross-platform emulator with linking, upscaling, recording, and scripting.
- Open source
9.1/10★★★★★Visit site -
Best forMulti-platform users wanting netplay and broad features
A free, open-source frontend with netplay and extensive configuration across web, desktop, and mobile.
- Open source
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit RetroArch -
Best forUsers wanting broad platform coverage and debugging
A broad, free emulator with strong debugging, automation, and cross-platform support.
- Open source
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit SkyEmu -
Best forAndroid users wanting careful save and ROM handling
A careful Android GBA emulator with deep save management and verified imports.
- Cheat support
- Graphics enhancements
- Save states
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Retra -
Best forSpeedrunners needing accurate timing and logging
A focused, free emulator for speedrunners who need timing accuracy and run verification.
- Graphics enhancements
- Save states
- Open source
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit GSE -
Best forDesktop users prioritizing cycle accuracy
Free, open-source desktop emulation focused on timing accuracy and advanced GBA features.
- Graphics enhancements
- Save states
- Open source
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit NanoBoyAdvance -
Best forApple users wanting multi-system emulation and sync
A capable Apple-only emulator for GBA and several other classic systems.
- Open source
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Delta -
Best forAndroid users wanting a simple free game library
A focused Android emulator with library management, save states, and broad control options.
- Graphics enhancements
- Save states
- Open source
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Lemuroid -
Best forBrowser users wanting free GBA link multiplayer
A free web emulator with cloud saves and WebRTC multiplayer for GBA players.
- Link multiplayer
- Cheat support
- Save states
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Gaemboy -
Best forApple users wanting multi-system features
A free Apple emulator with broad system support, syncing, filters, cheats, and multiplayer.
- Open source
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Provenance -
Best forUsers wanting browser-based GBA emulation
44VBA brings GBA emulation to browsers and desktop systems with cloud-save transfer.
- Cheat support
- Graphics enhancements
- Open source
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit 44VBA -
Best forAndroid users wanting link play and cheats
A feature-rich Android GBA emulator with link play, cheats, and save synchronization.
- Link multiplayer
- Cheat support
- Graphics enhancements
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit My Boy! -
Best forAndroid users wanting sensor and link support
A capable GBA emulator for Android users who need sensors and selected-title link support.
- Link multiplayer
- Cheat support
- Graphics enhancements
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit GBA.emu -
Best forWeb developers wanting an open-source GBA emulator
A free, open-source GBA emulator with browser, offline, and self-hosted options.
- Cheat support
- Save states
- Open source
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit gbajs3 -
Best forDesktop users wanting inspectable GBA internals
A free desktop GBA emulator with detailed emulation, cheats, rewind, saves, and local link play.
- Link multiplayer
- Cheat support
- Graphics enhancements
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit GBA Emulator -
Best forWindows users needing GBA debugging and linking
A free Windows emulator with unusually deep GBA debugging and linking tools.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit NO$GBA -
Best forDesktop users wanting broad multi-system emulation
A free desktop emulator with broad system coverage and advanced accuracy-focused tools.
- Open source
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit ares -
Best forDesktop users wanting multi-system netplay
A free, open-source desktop emulator with broad system support and server-based netplay.
- Open source
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Mednafen -
Best forMac users wanting an organized multi-system library
A free, organized Mac emulator with broad system support and no netplay.
- Open source
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit OpenEmu -
Best forDevelopers wanting a simple open-source GBA core
A focused, developer-friendly GBA emulator with browser, desktop, and Android frontends.
- Save states
- Open source
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit RustBoyAdvance -
Best forDesktop developers exploring emulator internals
A developer-focused desktop emulator with broad system coverage and useful debugging tools.
- Graphics enhancements
- Save states
- Open source
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Hemulator -
Best forMac and web users wanting a focused GBA project
A focused GBA emulator for Mac and web users who value open-source development.
- Save states
- Open source
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Sapphire -
Best forDevelopers interested in GB Camera emulation
A developer-focused emulator with GB Camera support, debugging, and Lua scripting.
- Open source
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit GiiBiiAdvance -
Best forAndroid users wanting classic GB and GBC features
A focused Android emulator for GB and GBC games with saves, controls, and linking.
- Save states
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Pizza Boy C -
Best forDevelopers embedding emulation in websites
A flexible choice for developers adding retro emulation to web projects.
- Open source
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit EmulatorJS -
Best forBrowser users wanting cloud-connected basic emulation
A free web emulator with cloud storage integration, local saves, and offline caching.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Eclipse -
Best forAndroid users wanting basic emulator controls
A flexible Android emulator, but its documented focus is NESS rather than specifically GBA.
- Graphics enhancements
- Save states
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit John NESS -
Best forLanguage learners, not emulator users
A capable reading-based language tool, but not a Game Boy Advance emulator.
- Open source
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit LinguaCafe
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Platform scope | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | mGBA | Yes | Free | 9.4 | |
| 2 | VisualBoyAdvance-M | Yes | Free | 9.1 | |
| 3 | RetroArch | Yes | Free | 9.0 | |
| 4 | SkyEmu | Yes | Free | 8.8 | |
| 5 | Retra | Yes | Free | Mobile | 8.6 |
| 6 | GSE | Yes | Free | Desktop and mobile | 8.5 |
| 7 | NanoBoyAdvance | Yes | Free | Desktop | 8.4 |
| 8 | Delta | Yes | 8.3 | ||
| 9 | Lemuroid | Yes | Free | Mobile | 8.2 |
| 10 | Gaemboy | Yes | Free | Desktop and mobile | 8.1 |
| 11 | Provenance | Yes | $39.99/yr | 8.0 | |
| 12 | 44VBA | Free | Desktop and mobile | 7.9 | |
| 13 | My Boy! | Yes | $4.99 one-time | Mobile | 7.8 |
| 14 | GBA.emu | Yes | Desktop and mobile | 7.7 | |
| 15 | gbajs3 | Yes | Free | Desktop and mobile | 7.6 |
| 16 | GBA Emulator | Yes | Free | Desktop | 7.5 |
| 17 | NO$GBA | Yes | Free | 7.4 | |
| 18 | ares | Yes | Free | 7.3 | |
| 19 | Mednafen | Yes | Free | 7.2 | |
| 20 | OpenEmu | Yes | Free | 7.1 | |
| 21 | RustBoyAdvance-NG | Yes | Free | Desktop and mobile | 7.0 |
| 22 | Hemulator | Yes | Free | Desktop | 6.9 |
| 23 | Sapphire | Free | Desktop and mobile | 6.8 | |
| 24 | GiiBiiAdvance | Yes | Free | Desktop | 6.7 |
| 25 | Pizza Boy C | Yes | 6.6 | ||
| 26 | EmulatorJS | Free | 6.5 | ||
| 27 | Eclipse | Yes | Free | 6.4 | |
| 28 | John NESS | Yes | Mobile | 6.2 | |
| 29 | LinguaCafe | Yes | Free | 6.0 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- mGBA vs VisualBoyAdvance-M
- mGBA vs RetroArch
- mGBA vs SkyEmu
- mGBA vs Retra
- mGBA vs GSE
- mGBA vs NanoBoyAdvance
- mGBA vs Delta
- VisualBoyAdvance-M vs RetroArch
- VisualBoyAdvance-M vs SkyEmu
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How we rank game boy advance emulators
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update