mGBA vs RetroArch

mGBA9.0Visit RRetroArch7.7Visit

Higher score mGBA #1 in Game Boy Advance Emulators 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit mGBA

vs

R RetroArch #3 in Game Boy Advance Emulators 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit RetroArch

• mGBA fits best

  Desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator

• RetroArch fits best

  Multi-platform users wanting netplay and broad features

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Side by side

Feature	mGBA 9.0/10 Visit ↗	RRetroArch 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	7.7
Ranking	#1 in Game Boy Advance Emulators	#3 in Game Boy Advance Emulators
Best for	Desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator	Multi-platform users wanting netplay and broad features
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features mGBA 1/5 · RetroArch 1/5
Save states	Not published	Not published
Link multiplayer	Not published	Not published
Cheat support	Not published	Not published
Graphics enhancements	Not published	Not published
Open source	✓	✓
Specs
Platform scope	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	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	Free and open source across web, desktop, iOS, and Android Netplay includes lobbies, hosting, joining, and spectator mode Playlists, remapping, shaders, recording, rewind, and latency features
Cons	No netplay support Official Android and iOS versions are not currently available Link-cable support is partial	Core and feature availability varies by platform and distribution BIOS requirements vary by core and content Does not distribute copyrighted BIOS files
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 →	RetroArch is an open-source frontend for the libretro API, combining emulator, game-engine, and media-player cores in one graphical interface. It is aimed at users who want to launch supported games, organize collections, configure… 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

• RetroArch — where it wins

  • Free and open source across web, desktop, iOS, and Android
  • Netplay includes lobbies, hosting, joining, and spectator mode
  • Playlists, remapping, shaders, recording, rewind, and latency features

  Where it doesn't

  • Core and feature availability varies by platform and distribution
  • BIOS requirements vary by core and content
  • Does not distribute copyrighted BIOS files

• mGBA9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source desktop emulator with broad emulation and debugging tools.

  Visit mGBAFull verdict →
• RRetroArch7.7/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source frontend with netplay and extensive configuration across web, desktop, and mobile.

  Visit RetroArchFull verdict →