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Head-to-head · Game Boy Advance Emulators

RetroArch vs My Boy!

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score RetroArch #3 in Game Boy Advance Emulators 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit RetroArch
My Boy! #8 in Game Boy Advance Emulators 6.7/10 Free plan · paid from $4.99 Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit My Boy!

RetroArch 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 scoreRetroArch · 7.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresMy Boy! · 4 of 5

RetroArch scores higher on our rubric for game boy advance emulators: 7.7 against 6.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

My Boy! offers save states; RetroArch doesn't publish it. My Boy! offers link multiplayer; RetroArch doesn't publish it. My Boy! offers cheat support; RetroArch doesn't publish it. My Boy! offers graphics enhancements; RetroArch doesn't publish it. RetroArch offers open source; My Boy! doesn't publish it.

RetroArch is the better fit for multi-platform users wanting netplay and broad features. My Boy! is the better fit for android users wanting link play and cheats.

  • RetroArch fits best

    Multi-platform users wanting netplay and broad features

  • My Boy! fits best

    Android users wanting link play and cheats

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature RetroArch 7.7/10 Visit ↗ My Boy! 6.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.7 6.7
Ranking #3 in Game Boy Advance Emulators #8 in Game Boy Advance Emulators
Best for Multi-platform users wanting netplay and broad features 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 Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Android
Support Community, Docs Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo
Features RetroArch 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
Pros
  • 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
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi link-cable multiplayer
  • Supports GameShark, Action Replay, and CodeBreaker cheats
  • Google Drive save synchronization in the full version
Cons
  • Core and feature availability varies by platform and distribution
  • BIOS requirements vary by core and content
  • Does not distribute copyrighted BIOS files
  • Android-only platform support
  • Games are not included
  • Lite version is ad-supported
Our verdict

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 →

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 →
  1. RetroArchGame Boy Advance Emulators 7.7Free plan
  2. My Boy!Game Boy Advance Emulators 6.7Free plan · paid from $4.99

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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

  • 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
  • RetroArch7.7/10 · Free plan

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

    Visit RetroArchFull 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

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