Best NES Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: Dendy is ranked #1 of 26 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Geolith and NESER. The best-ranked option with a free plan is NESER.
NES emulators vary in the platforms they support and in the options they offer while you play. This ranking compares save states and rewind with cheat support, netplay and shader support, and also notes free plans and paid-from details. KuroganeNES and Dendy lead the entries, with puNES and NESER also near the start. Check supported platforms against your setup first. Then weigh whether flexible saves, online play, cheats or visual adjustments matter most for the way you want to use an emulator.
26 NES emulators 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 |  Dendy | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, and modern web browsers via WebAssembly | View |
| 2 |  Geolith | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS | View |
| 3 |  NESER | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Web browser, Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop builds | View |
| 4 |  Nintengo | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | macOS, Linux, Windows, WebAssembly/browser | View |
| 5 |  puNES | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows | View |
| 6 |  Jnes | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Windows | View |
| 7 |  KuroganeNES | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Modern web browsers | View |
| 8 | binjnes | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Linux, macOS, web via WebAssembly | View |
| 9 |  HalfNES | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows; Linux; other Java-compatible platforms | View |
| 10 |  WebNES | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Web browsers; optimized for Chrome and unsupported in Internet Explorer | View |
| 11 |  FCEUX | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 |  JSNES | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Browser, Node.js | View |
| 13 |  Lynx.emu | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Android and Linux | View |
| 14 |  My NES | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows | View |
| 15 |  NET-NES | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | View |
| 16 |  no$nes | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows 32-bit | View |
| 17 |  OpenInvoice | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 18 | Nestopia Undead Edition | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Windows | View |
| 19 |  Nintendulator | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Windows 10 and later; older Windows versions may work; Wine is tested for recent builds | View |
| 20 |  Nesalizer | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Linux/POSIX; Windows (experimental port) | View |
| 21 |  Nestalgia | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Windows, Linux, macOS | View |
| 22 |  GoNES | 4.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, web browsers | View |
| 23 |  fixNES | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Windows, Linux | View |
| 24 |  NES Emulator + 6502 Studio | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Web browser; native builds via C++ and CMake | View |
| 25 |  Nesbit | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | iOS, iPadOS, macOS | 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 NES emulator is ranked first on Inferse?
Dendy is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 6.0. Geolith is second and NESER third.
How many of these have a free plan?
4 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
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.