Side by side
BizHawk vs Cemu
Both stand on game console emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose BizHawk for tool-assisted speedrunning across supported systems, especially when movie recording, TAStudio editing, or memory debugging matters. Look elsewhere if you need current macOS, Android, or iOS support, or Mupen64Plus on Linux.
Visit BizHawk Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose Cemu if you want a free, open-source Wii U emulator for a desktop computer, especially if you want controller options, netplay, or graphics upscaling. Look elsewhere if you need a stable native macOS build or want to use .wud or .wux games without supplying your own decryption keys.
Visit CemuThe facts
| BizHawk | Cemu | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | tasvideos.org | cemu.info |
| On game console emulators | #14 of 35 | #10 of 35 |
BizHawk: what it does well
- Records rerecordable movies for 45 or more systems.
- TAStudio edits movies with a piano-roll interface and savestate rewind.
- Includes memory viewing, searching, and editing.
- Supports Lua and C#.NET programmatic control.
- Free and open source; the team's original work uses the MIT License.
What to know first
- Current EmuHawk does not work on macOS.
- Unavailable for Android and iOS.
- Linux builds target x86_64 and omit Mupen64Plus for N64.
Cemu: what it does well
- Free to download and use.
- Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Emulates several Wii U controllers and supports keyboard and USB controllers.
- Includes netplay and graphics upscaling.
- Graphic packs can be downloaded within Cemu.
What to know first
- The native macOS build is experimental and not considered stable.
- Intel GPU support is limited.
- .wud and .wux games require users to provide decryption keys.
- Pretendo support is experimental and only in 2.0 experimental releases.