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Head-to-head · NES Emulators

Dendy vs puNES

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Dendy #2 in NES Emulators 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Dendy
puNES #3 in NES Emulators 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit puNES

Dendy leads on 0 checks, puNES on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDendy · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresDendy · 5 of 5

Dendy scores higher on our rubric for nes emulators: 9.2 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Dendy is the better fit for free cross-platform play with multiplayer. puNES is the better fit for feature-rich desktop NES emulation.

  • Dendy fits best

    Free cross-platform play with multiplayer

  • puNES fits best

    Feature-rich desktop NES emulation

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Side by side

Feature Dendy 9.2/10 Visit ↗ puNES 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 9.1
Ranking #2 in NES Emulators #3 in NES Emulators
Best for Free cross-platform play with multiplayer Feature-rich desktop NES emulation
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, Linux
Support Docs Community
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Dendy 5/5 · puNES 4/5
Save states ✓ ✓
Rewind ✓ ✓
Netplay ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Shader support ✓ ✓
Cheat support ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, and modern web browsers via WebAssembly Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows
Our review
Pros
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and modern web browsers
  • Includes peer-to-peer network multiplayer and save states
  • Adds rewind, Game Genie codes, Zapper emulation, and CRT effects
  • Save states, adjustable rewind, shaders, filters, and cheats
  • Supports Famicom Disk System, Quick Disk, and broad NES mapper coverage
  • Plays NSF, NSF2, and NSFe music and supports FFmpeg recording
Cons
  • Uses command-line operation rather than a graphical launcher
  • Windows binaries are not guaranteed to work
  • Browser support is provided through WebAssembly for modern browsers
  • Official downloadable builds are listed for Windows and Linux
  • Portable mode and recording are optional workflows rather than core features
  • Focused on NES and related formats rather than broader console emulation
Our verdict

Dendy is an open-source NES/Famicom emulator written in Go. It runs NES ROM files on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while a WebAssembly version supports modern web browsers. Its audience is players who want free emulation across desktop…

Read the review →

puNES is a Qt-based Nintendo Entertainment System emulator and NSF, NSF2, and NSFe music player for desktop operating systems. It is aimed at players who want more than basic ROM playback, with save states, rewind, video filters, shaders,…

Read the review →
  1. DendyNES Emulators 9.2Free plan
  2. puNESNES Emulators 9.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Dendy — where it wins

    • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and modern web browsers
    • Includes peer-to-peer network multiplayer and save states
    • Adds rewind, Game Genie codes, Zapper emulation, and CRT effects

    Where it doesn't

    • Uses command-line operation rather than a graphical launcher
    • Windows binaries are not guaranteed to work
    • Browser support is provided through WebAssembly for modern browsers

  • puNES — where it wins

    • Save states, adjustable rewind, shaders, filters, and cheats
    • Supports Famicom Disk System, Quick Disk, and broad NES mapper coverage
    • Plays NSF, NSF2, and NSFe music and supports FFmpeg recording

    Where it doesn't

    • Official downloadable builds are listed for Windows and Linux
    • Portable mode and recording are optional workflows rather than core features
    • Focused on NES and related formats rather than broader console emulation

More comparisons

All NES emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update