Side by side
RetroArch vs VisualBoyAdvance-M
Both stand on game boy advance emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3
RetroArch combines a broad core library with game organization, graphics options, netplay and recording or streaming. Check the limits of the specific platform or store version you plan to use.
Visit RetroArch
Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+1
VisualBoyAdvance-M offers Game Boy family emulation across desktop and Android builds, with linking and recording among its enabled build options. Older or weaker systems may not run its higher-level xBRZ and ScaleFX scalers.
Visit VisualBoyAdvance-MThe facts
| RetroArch | VisualBoyAdvance-M | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | retroarch.com | visualboyadvance-m.org |
| On game boy advance emulators | #16 of 29 | #20 of 29 |
RetroArch: what it does well
- Free and open source under GPL version 3.
- More than 200 cores are available.
- Controllers configure automatically when plugged in.
- Built-in netplay includes spectator mode.
- Can record gameplay or stream it.
What to know first
- Browser version has reduced performance and capabilities.
- Steam version lacks Core Updater and thumbnail scraping.
- Features vary by platform and store version.
VisualBoyAdvance-M: what it does well
- Free and open-source under GPL-2.0.
- Builds are available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- Game Boy and Game Boy Advance linking is enabled by default.
- FFmpeg audio and video recording is enabled by default.
- Libretro core and nightly builds are available.
What to know first
- Higher-level xBRZ and ScaleFX scalers may challenge weaker systems.
- Android availability is listed through nightly builds.
- Lua scripting support is for the wxWidgets port.
Alternatives to RetroArch Alternatives to VisualBoyAdvance-M The whole list