Best Nintendo DS Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: SkyEmu is ranked #1 of 18 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of 3Beans and DeSmuME. The best-ranked option with a free plan is 3Beans.
Playing Nintendo DS games through emulation can make screen presentation and device support important considerations. Compare screen layout options, Nintendo DSi support, local multiplayer, save states, and cheat support. Supported platforms, free plans, and paid-from pricing are also listed. SkyEmu, 3Beans, and DeSmuME are among the entries shown, along with GB Enhanced+ and melonDS. Check the listed features against your setup and the way you want to play, particularly if you need a certain screen arrangement, multiplayer, or DSi support.
18 Nintendo DS emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 18 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 | SkyEmuWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | 3BeansWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | DeSmuMEWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 4 | dustWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | GB Enhanced+Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | melonDSWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | DeltaMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | iDroidDSAndroid | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | Pilas-melonDSWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | nds4droidAndroid | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 11 | dasShinyWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 12 | DSperateLinux | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 13 | DSVitaLinux · Android | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 14 | MindSparkWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 5.5 | |
| 15 | ANDSemuAndroid | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | WatermelonDSAndroid | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 17 | DS AnywhereWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | NO$GBAWindows | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 5.0 |
Compare all 18 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Save states |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkyEmu | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 2 | 3Beans | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Switch, Wii U, and Vita | — |
| 3 | DeSmuME | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | dust | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | GB Enhanced+ | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, Linux, macOS | Yes |
| 6 | melonDS | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Delta | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | iDroidDS | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Android | Yes |
| 9 | Pilas-melonDS | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Web browsers on desktop and mobile devices | Yes |
| 10 | nds4droid | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Android | Yes |
| 11 | dasShiny | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | — |
| 12 | DSperate | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Linux on AArch64 and ARMhf | Yes |
| 13 | DSVita | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | PlayStation Vita | Yes |
| 14 | MindSpark | 5.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | ANDSemu | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Android | Yes |
| 16 | WatermelonDS | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Android | Yes |
| 17 | DS Anywhere | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | web | — |
| 18 | NO$GBA | 5.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
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 Nintendo DS emulator is ranked first on Freedom251?
SkyEmu is ranked #1 of 18 with a score of 6.7. 3Beans is second and DeSmuME third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 18 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
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.