Best Emulation Frontends in 2026
Updated
In short: ES-DE Frontend is ranked #1 of 25 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of LaunchBox and RetroArch. The best-ranked option with a free plan is LaunchBox. The lowest first paid tier on this page is RePlayOS at $5/mo.
25 emulation frontends ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ES-DE Frontend | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 2 | LaunchBox | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | 30 one-time | — | View |
| 3 |  RetroArch | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 |  RePlayOS | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $5/mo | Yes | — | Raspberry Pi Zero 2, 3, 4, and 5 running RePlayOS Linux | View |
| 5 |  KNULLI | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | Anbernic RG series, GoRetroid Pocket 5/Mini, Miyoo Flip, Powkiddy RGB30/X55, Orange Pi Zero 2w, TrimUI Brick/Smart Pro | View |
| 6 |  RetroHub | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | View |
| 7 |  ROCKNIX | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 8 | Batocera | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 9 | Pegasus Frontend | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 10 |  Lakka | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | PC; Raspberry Pi; Cubieboard; Banana Pi; Cubox-i; Hummingboard; UDOO; Odroid; WeTek Play | View |
| 11 | Recalbox | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 | RetroBat | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 | GameEx | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 14 |  Daijishō | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Android | View |
| 15 |  RetroPie | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 16 |  OnionOS | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini+ | View |
| 17 |  KRetro | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Linux; Plasma Desktop; Plasma Mobile; Plasma Bigscreen | View |
| 18 | Attract-Mode | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 |  EmulationStation | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 20 |  MustardOS | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Anbernic RG28XX H, RG34XX H, RG34XX SP, RG35XX 2024, RG35XX H, RG35XX PLUS, RG35XX PRO, RG35XX SP, RG40XX H, RG40XX V, RGCUBEXX; TrimUI Brick and Smart Pro | View |
| 21 |  RetroDECK | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 |  AmberELEC | 4.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 23 |  EmulatorJS | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 24 |  Maximus Arcade | 4.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | 25 one-time | Windows | View |
| 25 | HyperSpin | 4.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | 50 one-time | — | View |
Is your platform 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 emulation frontend is ranked first on Inferse?
ES-DE Frontend is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 7.4. LaunchBox is second and RetroArch third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, RePlayOS has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.