Best Sega CD Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: MAME is ranked #1 of 19 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of RetroArch and webЯcade. The best-ranked option with a free plan is RetroArch.
Sega CD emulators vary in the setup they require and the features they offer while you play. Compare BIOS requirements and CD audio support for disc-based game setup, then weigh save states and cheat support against your preferences. Netplay and supported platforms can help distinguish options for connected play or a particular device, while license, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing provide additional comparison points. The ranking starts with MAME and RetroArch, followed by webЯcade. Provenance, Lemuroid, Lynx.emu, EmulatorJS, and Genesis Plus GX also appear among the first entries. Use these listed details to consider which emulator fits your platform and the Sega CD features you need.
19 Sega CD emulators 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 MAME Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free
- 2 RetroArch iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free
- 3 webЯcade iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Supported platforms: webSave states: Yes
- 4 Lemuroid Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free Save states: Yes
- 5 Lynx.emu iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0 Save states: Yes
- 6 Provenance iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7
- 7 EmulatorJS iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6
- 8 Genesis Plus GX No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Save states: Yes
- 9 Manic EMU iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4
- 10 OpenEmu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Supported platforms: macosBIOS requirement: requiredSave states: Yes
- 11 ares No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 12 BlastEm No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 13 ClownMDEmu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Save states: Yes
- 14 higan No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 15 PicoDrive No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Save states: Yes
- 16 Mega-Pi No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Supported platforms: Raspberry PiBIOS requirement: requiredSave states: Yes
- 17 YDrive No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Supported platforms: WindowsBIOS requirement: requiredSave states: Yes
- 18 BizHawk No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1
- 19 jgenesis No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which Sega CD emulator is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
MAME is ranked #1 of 19 with a score of 7.9. RetroArch is second and webЯcade third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 19 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
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. Paid placements never change a rank.