Manic EMU
8.2#1 in multi-system emulatorsFree planFree planiOSmacOSSelf-hosted
VisitManic EMU vs Provenance
Provenance
8.2#1 in game boy advance emulatorsFrom $39.99 a yearFree planiOSmacOS
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| Fact | Manic EMU | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Build requirements | Building requires macOS with Xcode 26 or newer, iOS SDK 15 or newer, Swift 5.9 or newer, Git LFS and an Apple Developer account for capabilities such as iCloud. | Building from source requires macOS 13.5 or later, Xcode 15 or later, iOS/tvOS 16 SDKs and an Apple Developer account. |
| Cheats | The app offers an online cheat library, custom cheat support and expanded cheat limits for premium users. | Game Genie, Action Replay and GameShark cheats are supported across more than 12 native cores and RetroArch cores. |
| Controllers | Supported input includes Joy-Con, DualShock, Xbox, Bluetooth controllers, keyboards and multiple simultaneous controllers. | Apple TV support includes MFi, Xbox, and PlayStation gamepads. |
| Game library | The app provides a library with cover artwork, metadata, categories, collapsible sections and manufacturer sorting. | The library can show automatically downloaded box art, screenshots, release information, ratings, and scanned manuals. |
| Purpose | Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iPhone and iPad. | Provenance is a free, open-source multi-system retro game emulator frontend for Apple platforms. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 4.7 out of 5 from 16K reviews | 3.3 out of 5 from 751 ratings |
| Save states | Premium supports unlimited manual saves plus 50 automatic slots, while the free tier provides three save states. | The emulator provides save states with visual thumbnail previews and a screenshot browser. |
Manic EMU plans
- FreeFree
- SideloadFree
- Sideload / GitHubFree
- Premium Monthly$0.99 a month
- Premium Monthly Plan$0.99 a month
- Premium Annual Plan$4.99 a year
Provenance plans
- FreeFree
- Monthly$3.99 a month
- Annual$39.99 a year
- Lifetime$99.99, paid once
Pick Manic EMU if…
Manic EMU suits iPhone and iPad users who want to play games from a range of classic systems. It may also suit players interested in RetroAchievements or multiplayer on eligible cores.
Pick Provenance if…
Provenance suits Apple-platform users seeking an emulator frontend for a broad range of retro systems. Users should check whether their device can handle the systems they want to run, and note that a BIOS is required.