Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Nintendo 3DS Emulators

AzaharPlus vs 3Beans

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score AzaharPlus #3 in Nintendo 3DS Emulators 8.9/10 Open source ✓ 3 of 5 features Visit AzaharPlus
3Beans #6 in Nintendo 3DS Emulators 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit 3Beans

AzaharPlus leads on 0 checks, 3Beans on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAzaharPlus · 8.9/10
  • Free planonly 3Beans
  • Most featuresAzaharPlus · 3 of 5

AzaharPlus scores higher on our rubric for nintendo 3ds emulators: 8.9 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

AzaharPlus is the better fit for users needing cheats, save states, and broad compatibility. 3Beans is the better fit for desktop users needing system-level 3DS emulation.

  • AzaharPlus fits best

    Users needing cheats, save states, and broad compatibility

  • 3Beans fits best

    Desktop users needing system-level 3DS emulation

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.

Side by side

Feature AzaharPlus 8.9/10 Visit ↗ 3Beans 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.3
Ranking #3 in Nintendo 3DS Emulators #6 in Nintendo 3DS Emulators
Best for Users needing cheats, save states, and broad compatibility Desktop users needing system-level 3DS emulation
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Free plan
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop, Mobile Desktop
Platforms Windows, Linux, Android Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community Community
Features AzaharPlus 3/5 · 3Beans 1/5
System software support ✓ ✓
Save states ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Graphics upscaling Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cheat support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Online multiplayer Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Windows, Linux, Android Windows, macOS, Linux
Our review
Pros
  • Supports Windows, Linux, and Android, including Android 9.
  • Includes built-in cheats, save states, and Amiibo generation.
  • Adds older-CPU support and multiplayer compatibility with other Citra forks.
  • Boots the 3DS operating system and Home Menu
  • Supports software and hardware GPU rendering
  • Handles cartridge auto-boot and encrypted cartridge dumps
Cons
  • Its platform coverage is limited to Windows, Linux, and Android.
  • Multiplayer details focus on fork compatibility rather than online play.
  • Its focus is Nintendo 3DS emulation rather than broader console coverage.
  • Game compatibility remains limited
  • Requires files dumped from a physical 3DS with homebrew access
  • New 3DS has more issues and runs much slower than Old 3DS
Our verdict

AzaharPlus is an open-source fork of the Azahar Nintendo 3DS emulator for users who want to run supported 3DS game files on desktop and mobile platforms. It supports Windows, Linux, and Android, with Android 9 compatibility included among…

Read the review →

3Beans is an open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It models the console at a low level, including its operating system, and can boot the 3DS Home Menu and launch some Nintendo 3DS games. Its audience is desktop…

Read the review →
  1. AzaharPlusNintendo 3DS Emulators 8.9Open source
  2. 3BeansNintendo 3DS Emulators 8.3Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • AzaharPlus — where it wins

    • Supports Windows, Linux, and Android, including Android 9.
    • Includes built-in cheats, save states, and Amiibo generation.
    • Adds older-CPU support and multiplayer compatibility with other Citra forks.

    Where it doesn't

    • Its platform coverage is limited to Windows, Linux, and Android.
    • Multiplayer details focus on fork compatibility rather than online play.
    • Its focus is Nintendo 3DS emulation rather than broader console coverage.

  • 3Beans — where it wins

    • Boots the 3DS operating system and Home Menu
    • Supports software and hardware GPU rendering
    • Handles cartridge auto-boot and encrypted cartridge dumps

    Where it doesn't

    • Game compatibility remains limited
    • Requires files dumped from a physical 3DS with homebrew access
    • New 3DS has more issues and runs much slower than Old 3DS

More comparisons

All nintendo 3DS emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update