Side by side
Manic EMU vs Panda3DS
Both stand on nintendo 3ds emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source iPhoneMacSelf-hosted
Manic EMU offers broad system support and a range of play and save features for iPhone and iPad. Readers should note the free App Store limits, the sideload sync restriction, and that game files are not supplied.
Visit Manic EMU
Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+1
Panda3DS offers a free way to emulate Nintendo 3DS games across desktop systems and Android, with scripting and other listed features. Its early-development status, incomplete compatibility and manual configuration are important trade-offs.
Visit Panda3DSThe facts
| Manic EMU | Panda3DS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | iPhone, Mac, Self-hosted | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | panda3ds.com |
| On nintendo 3ds emulators | #2 of 14 | #6 of 14 |
Manic EMU: what it does well
- Supports more than 30 classic platforms.
- Imports from multiple cloud storage services.
- Integrates RetroAchievements.
- Supports local multiplayer and eligible-core Netplay.
- Offers free App Store and sideload builds.
What to know first
- Free App Store fast-forward is limited to 2×.
- Free App Store build allows three save states.
- Sideload builds do not include iCloud save sync.
- ROMs, BIOS files, and game data are not included.
Panda3DS: what it does well
- Free and open source under GPLv3.
- Supports Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- Includes Lua scripting and cheat support.
- Offers nightly and stable build channels.
- Official Libretro core is listed in release notes.
What to know first
- Many games do not boot.
- Android compatibility and performance may differ from desktop.
- Audio support is experimental.
- Settings require editing config.toml.
Alternatives to Manic EMU Alternatives to Panda3DS The whole list