Head-to-head · Game Boy Advance Emulators
mGBA vs My Boy!
mGBA leads on 1 check, My Boy! on 4, and 1 is 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 scoremGBA · 9.0/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresMy Boy! · 4 of 5
mGBA scores higher on our rubric for game boy advance emulators: 9.0 against 6.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.
My Boy! offers save states; mGBA doesn't publish it. My Boy! offers link multiplayer; mGBA doesn't publish it. My Boy! offers cheat support; mGBA doesn't publish it. My Boy! offers graphics enhancements; mGBA doesn't publish it. mGBA offers open source; My Boy! doesn't publish it.
mGBA is the better fit for desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator. My Boy! is the better fit for android users wanting link play and cheats.
- mGBA fits best
Desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator
- My Boy! fits best
Android users wanting link play and cheats
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Side by side
| Feature | mGBA 9.0/10 Visit ↗ | My Boy! 6.7/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.0 | 6.7 |
| Ranking | #1 in Game Boy Advance Emulators | #8 in Game Boy Advance Emulators |
| Best for | Desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator | Android users wanting link play and cheats |
| Pricing model | Free | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Not published | $4.99one-time |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Desktop | Mobile |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Android |
| Support | Community, Docs | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business | Solo |
| Features mGBA 1/5 · My Boy! 4/5 | ||
| Save states | Not published | ✓ (best) |
| Link multiplayer | Not published | ✓ (best) |
| Cheat support | Not published | ✓ (best) |
| Graphics enhancements | Not published | ✓ (best) |
| Open source | ✓ (best) | Not published |
| Specs | ||
| Platform scope | Not published | Mobile |
| Our review | ||
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | mGBA is a free, open-source emulator for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color software. It is aimed at desktop users on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while also offering homebrew downloads for Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Wii, and… Read the review → |
My Boy! is a Game Boy Advance emulator for Android phones and tablets. It runs user-provided GBA game files and supports link-cable multiplayer on the same device or across devices through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Its audience is Android users… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
mGBA — where it wins
- Supports Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color
- Emulates peripherals, saves, cheats, scripting, and graphics upscaling
- Includes map and frame inspection for debugging workflows
Where it doesn't
- No netplay support
- Official Android and iOS versions are not currently available
- Link-cable support is partial
My Boy! — where it wins
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi link-cable multiplayer
- Supports GameShark, Action Replay, and CodeBreaker cheats
- Google Drive save synchronization in the full version
Where it doesn't
- Android-only platform support
- Games are not included
- Lite version is ad-supported
- mGBA9.0/10 · Free plan
A free, open-source desktop emulator with broad emulation and debugging tools.
Visit mGBAFull verdict → - My Boy!6.7/10 · Free plan · paid from $4.99
A feature-rich Android GBA emulator with link play, cheats, and save synchronization.
Visit My Boy!Full verdict →
More comparisons
- mGBA vs VisualBoyAdvance-M
- mGBA vs RetroArch
- mGBA vs SkyEmu
- mGBA vs Retra
- mGBA vs GSE
- mGBA vs NanoBoyAdvance
- VisualBoyAdvance-M vs My Boy!
- RetroArch vs My Boy!
All game boy advance emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →
Guides on game boy advance emulators
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
Last updated · How we research and update