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 · SNES Emulators

nSide Balanced vs BizHawk

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score nSide Balanced #6 in SNES Emulators 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Libretro
BizHawk #8 in SNES Emulators 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit BizHawk

nSide Balanced leads on 1 check, BizHawk on 2, and 3 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 scorenSide Balanced · 8.1/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresBizHawk · 4 of 5

nSide Balanced scores higher on our rubric for snes emulators: 8.1 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

nSide Balanced offers online multiplayer; BizHawk doesn't. BizHawk offers cheat support; nSide Balanced doesn't. BizHawk offers retroachievements; nSide Balanced doesn't. On emulation format, BizHawk gives you Both where nSide Balanced offers Libretro.

nSide Balanced is the better fit for libretro users wanting simple SNES netplay. BizHawk is the better fit for tool-assisted SNES gameplay and debugging.

  • nSide Balanced fits best

    Libretro users wanting simple SNES netplay

  • BizHawk fits best

    Tool-assisted SNES gameplay and debugging

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 nSide Balanced 8.1/10 Visit ↗ BizHawk 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.1 7.8
Ranking #6 in SNES Emulators #8 in SNES Emulators
Best for Libretro users wanting simple SNES netplay Tool-assisted SNES gameplay and debugging
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Support Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features nSide Balanced 2/5 · BizHawk 4/5
Online multiplayer ✓ (best) —
Rewind ✓ ✓
Shader support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Cheat support — ✓ (best)
RetroAchievements — ✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms Libretro frontend; RetroArch Windows, Linux
Emulation format Libretro Both
Our review
Pros
  • Supports SNES/SFC, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color content
  • Includes save states, rewind, netplay, and controller remapping
  • Offers softpatching, resolution controls, color, blur, and multitap support
  • Frame stepping, rewind, speed control, and save states
  • Memory tools, Lua and C# scripting, and RAM-based cheats
  • RetroAchievements and shader filter support
Cons
  • Requires a Libretro frontend such as RetroArch
  • Does not support cheats
  • Does not include RetroAchievements support
  • Current supported releases are limited to Windows and Linux
  • Online multiplayer is not included
  • Its debugging and TAS tools may exceed casual players' needs
Our verdict

nSide Balanced is an open-source Libretro emulation core based on higan’s Balanced profile. It targets SNES and Super Famicom content, while also supporting Game Boy and Game Boy Color content. Its feature set suits players who want a…

Read the review →

BizHawk is a free, open-source desktop multi-system emulator from TASEmulators. Its EmuHawk frontend supports Super Nintendo alongside other systems, making it suited to players who want more than conventional emulation. The product is…

Read the review →
  1. nSide BalancedSNES Emulators 8.1Free plan
  2. BizHawkSNES Emulators 7.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • nSide Balanced — where it wins

    • Supports SNES/SFC, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color content
    • Includes save states, rewind, netplay, and controller remapping
    • Offers softpatching, resolution controls, color, blur, and multitap support

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a Libretro frontend such as RetroArch
    • Does not support cheats
    • Does not include RetroAchievements support

  • BizHawk — where it wins

    • Frame stepping, rewind, speed control, and save states
    • Memory tools, Lua and C# scripting, and RAM-based cheats
    • RetroAchievements and shader filter support

    Where it doesn't

    • Current supported releases are limited to Windows and Linux
    • Online multiplayer is not included
    • Its debugging and TAS tools may exceed casual players' needs

More comparisons

All SNES emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update