Best Emulator Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Android Emulator is ranked #1 of 37 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Azahar and MAME. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Azahar. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Genymotion Desktop at $4.08/mo.
Emulator software can support development, testing, or use of systems beyond the host machine, depending on the targets an option supports. Compare supported targets and host operating systems to see whether they match your environment. For development workflows, automation access and debugging tools may be relevant; network simulation, hardware acceleration, and snapshots and restore provide further points to weigh. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing can help frame costs. The entries include Android Emulator, Azahar, and MAME, along with VICE and Dolphin. Match these capabilities to the systems and tasks you need to work with.
37 emulator software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Android Emulator Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free
- 2 Azahar iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free
- 3 MAME Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free
- 4 VICE Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free
- 5 Dolphin Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free
- 6 DuckStation Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free
- 7 PPSSPP iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free
- 8 Snes9x Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free
- 9 Redream Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1
- 10 Unicorn Engine Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8 Supported targets: ARM, ARM64 (ARMv8), m68k, MIPS, PowerPC, RISC-V, S390x, SPARC, TriCore, and x86Host operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, BSD, and Solaris
- 11 BlueStacks App Player No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$7.99/mo
- 12 Genymotion Desktop No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$4.08/mo
- 13 Vita3K Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4
- 14 Bochs No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Supported targets: x86 CPUs from 386 through x86-64; Intel and AMD PC hardware; Linux, DOS, Windows, BSD and other x86 guest operating systemsHost operating systems: Windows, GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, MacOS X; additional documented ports include Solaris, IRIX, AIX, AmigaOS and MorphOSHardware acceleration: No
- 15 gem5 No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Supported targets: Alpha, ARM, MIPS, POWER, RISC-V, SPARC, x86Host operating systems: LinuxHardware acceleration: Yes
- 16 Hercules No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Supported targets: System/370, ESA/390, z/ArchitectureHost operating systems: Linux, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, Mac OS X
- 17 melonDS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free
- 18 FS-UAE No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Hardware acceleration: Yes
- 19 PCSX2 No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 20 QEMU No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 21 Renode No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Supported targets: Arm, RISC-V, OpenPOWER, and numerous embedded development boards and peripheralsHost operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
- 22 RPCS3 No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 23 WinCDEmu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 24 xemu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 25 OpenEmu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported targets | Host operating systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Android Emulator | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 2 | Azahar | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | MAME | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | VICE | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Dolphin | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | DuckStation | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | PPSSPP | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Snes9x | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Redream | 7.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Unicorn Engine | 6.8 | No | — | — | — | ARM, ARM64 (ARMv8), m68k, MIPS, PowerPC, RISC-V, S390x, SPARC, TriCore, and x86 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, BSD, and Solaris |
| 11 | BlueStacks App Player | 6.4 | Free plan | $7.99/mo | Yes | 7.99 /mo | — | — |
| 12 | Genymotion Desktop | 6.4 | Free plan | $4.08/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Vita3K | 6.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | Bochs | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | x86 CPUs from 386 through x86-64; Intel and AMD PC hardware; Linux, DOS, Windows, BSD and other x86 guest operating systems | Windows, GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, MacOS X; additional documented ports include Solaris, IRIX, AIX, AmigaOS and MorphOS |
| 15 | gem5 | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Alpha, ARM, MIPS, POWER, RISC-V, SPARC, x86 | Linux |
| 16 | Hercules | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | System/370, ESA/390, z/Architecture | Linux, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, Mac OS X |
| 17 | melonDS | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 18 | FS-UAE | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 19 | PCSX2 | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | QEMU | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Renode | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Arm, RISC-V, OpenPOWER, and numerous embedded development boards and peripherals | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 22 | RPCS3 | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 23 | WinCDEmu | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 24 | xemu | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 25 | OpenEmu | 6.1 | 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 emulator software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Android Emulator is ranked #1 of 37 with a score of 7.9. Azahar is second and MAME third.
How many of these have a free plan?
22 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Genymotion Desktop has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.08/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.