Best Multi-System Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: RetroArch is ranked #1 of 54 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Virtual Jaguar and MAME. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Virtual Jaguar. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Provenance at $3.33/mo.
For games spanning different platforms, an emulator’s Supported systems can help you check whether it covers the systems you care about. Arcade support and Android support further narrow compatibility, while BIOS required is worth checking before you plan a setup. Netplay and Shader/upscaling describe additional play and display considerations. License, Free plan, and Paid from offer ways to compare access and cost. RetroArch, Virtual Jaguar, and MAME are among the software included here; SkyEmu and VICE provide more options to weigh. Compare the listed support and features with your preferred games and the devices you intend to use.
54 multi-system emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
21 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RetroArchWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | Virtual JaguarWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 3 | MAMEWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 4 | SkyEmuWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 5 | VICEWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 6 | Atari800Windows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 7 | DolphinWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 8 | FinalBurn NeoWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 9 | FlycastWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 10 | aresWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 11 | EmuliciousWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 12 | Genesis Plus GXWindows · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 13 | HemulatorWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 14 | higanWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 15 | ProvenanceMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $3.33/mo | 6.5 | |
| 16 | QEMUWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 17 | DeltaMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 18 | LemuroidAndroid | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 19 | OpenEmuMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 20 | PicoDriveWindows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 21 | RetropaMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 22 | BizHawkWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 23 | FoxolWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 24 | jgenesisWeb · Windows · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 25 | MednafenWindows · Linux | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported systems | Android support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RetroArch | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 2 | Virtual Jaguar | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 7 | No |
| 3 | MAME | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 4 | SkyEmu | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 4 | Yes |
| 5 | VICE | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 8 | Yes |
| 6 | Atari800 | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Dolphin | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 3 | Yes |
| 8 | FinalBurn Neo | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 9 | Flycast | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 4 | Yes |
| 10 | ares | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 34 | No |
| 11 | Emulicious | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 5 | — |
| 12 | Genesis Plus GX | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Hemulator | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | higan | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Provenance | 6.5 | Free plan | $3.33/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | QEMU | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | Delta | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 7 | No |
| 18 | Lemuroid | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 23 | Yes |
| 19 | OpenEmu | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 31 | No |
| 20 | PicoDrive | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Retropa | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | BizHawk | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | — | No |
| 23 | Foxol | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | 20 | Yes |
| 24 | jgenesis | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | 11 | — |
| 25 | Mednafen | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | 17 | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which multi-system emulator is ranked first on Freedom251?
RetroArch is ranked #1 of 54 with a score of 6.8. Virtual Jaguar is second and MAME third.
How many of these have a free plan?
21 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Provenance has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.