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Head-to-head · Nintendo DS Emulators

WatermelonDS vs nds4droid

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score WatermelonDS #5 in Nintendo DS Emulators 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit WatermelonDS
nds4droid #10 in Nintendo DS Emulators 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit nds4droid

WatermelonDS leads on 1 check, nds4droid on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreWatermelonDS · 8.5/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresWatermelonDS · 3 of 4

WatermelonDS scores higher on our rubric for nintendo ds emulators: 8.5 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #10.

WatermelonDS offers nintendo dsi support; nds4droid doesn't.

WatermelonDS is the better fit for android users wanting DS and DSi features. nds4droid is the better fit for android users wanting a simple free emulator.

  • WatermelonDS fits best

    Android users wanting DS and DSi features

  • nds4droid fits best

    Android users wanting a simple free emulator

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Side by side

Feature WatermelonDS 8.5/10 Visit ↗ nds4droid 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 7.8
Ranking #5 in Nintendo DS Emulators #10 in Nintendo DS Emulators
Best for Android users wanting DS and DSi features Android users wanting a simple free emulator
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Mobile Mobile
Platforms Android Android
Support Community Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features WatermelonDS 3/4 · nds4droid 2/4
Save states ✓ ✓
Local multiplayer — —
Nintendo DSi support ✓ (best) —
Cheat support ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms Android Android
Screen layout options Per-ROM layouts, screen rotation, external-screen layouts, layout editor vertical, horizontal, one screen, top first, bottom first, main screen first, sub screen first
Our review
Pros
  • Supports Nintendo DS and DSi software, including DSiWare integration
  • Offers multiple renderers, resolution scaling, shaders and external-display support
  • Includes save states, cheats and RetroAchievements with offline play
  • Free, ad-free, and open source under GPL-3.0
  • Save states, cheats, fast-forward, and frame skipping
  • Flexible screen layouts, controls, and rendering options
Cons
  • Local multiplayer is not supported
  • DSi SD-card support is not included
  • Available as an Android port rather than across multiple platforms
  • Android only; there is no support for other platforms
  • No local multiplayer or Nintendo DSi support
  • The repository shows no releases and only four commits
Our verdict

WatermelonDS is an open-source Android emulator for Nintendo DS and DSi software. It is aimed at Android users who want DS and DSi features on handheld devices or hardware connected to external displays. The feature set covers core…

Read the review →

nds4droid is a free, ad-free, open-source Nintendo DS emulator for Android smartphones. It is aimed at Android users who want core DS emulation features without a paid plan. The app supports save-state creation and loading, cheat-code…

Read the review →
  1. WatermelonDSNintendo DS Emulators 8.5Free plan
  2. nds4droidNintendo DS Emulators 7.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • WatermelonDS — where it wins

    • Supports Nintendo DS and DSi software, including DSiWare integration
    • Offers multiple renderers, resolution scaling, shaders and external-display support
    • Includes save states, cheats and RetroAchievements with offline play

    Where it doesn't

    • Local multiplayer is not supported
    • DSi SD-card support is not included
    • Available as an Android port rather than across multiple platforms

  • nds4droid — where it wins

    • Free, ad-free, and open source under GPL-3.0
    • Save states, cheats, fast-forward, and frame skipping
    • Flexible screen layouts, controls, and rendering options

    Where it doesn't

    • Android only; there is no support for other platforms
    • No local multiplayer or Nintendo DSi support
    • The repository shows no releases and only four commits

More comparisons

All nintendo DS emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update