Best 10 GBA Emulators for Android (Free and Paid) (2025)

If you’ve been a Pokemon fan for years like I have, you probably want to revisit the classic Pokemon Emerald and other titles like those that made your childhood better. But getting your hands on a Game Boy Advance has become almost impossible these days, and that’s exactly where our list of the best GBA emulators for Android comes in handy. We have already covered the list of the best GBA emulators for iOS, so check it out if you have an iPhone. Now, without wasting any more time, let’s get down to business.

1. My boy! light

Best 10 GBA Emulators for Android (Free and Paid) (1)

I’ve found myself revisiting GBA Pokémon titles from time to time when I want to play some wholesome retro gaming. Whenever that happens, MyBoy! is the number one emulator that I always use and install. The reason is that the free or lite version is enough to read the title smoothly. There are basically no bugs, and once you download the ROM of the game you want to play, you’re golden. Then just browse to your ROM and tap on it. that’s it. Games start in milliseconds and can be played without any hassle. Additionally, it takes up very little storage space on your device and is very lightweight at approximately 10 MB .

To further improve your experience, you can always get the Pro version of the emulator. Personally, I never felt the need for it as one slot was mostly enough. Additionally, you can fast forward up to 16x with the Pro version. Fast-forwarding the game’s long conversations is certainly a lifesaving feature. However, I always felt that the free version’s double fast-forwarding limit was appropriate. Overall, MyBoy! will continue to be one of the best GBA emulators for me for a long time to come.

Strong Points Cons
seamless emulation Free version cannot load state from multiple slots
Free version has many features Free version limits fast forwarding speed to 2x
Clean UI with no ads
super lightweight

Download MyBoy Lite! (Free) | Download My Boy! Premium ($4.99)

2.Retro arch

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Don’t get me wrong. Yes, John GBAC and all the other emulators on this list are great. But when it comes to sheer versatility, we have to hand the crown to RetroArch. The overall feel of RetroArch is, well, pretty retro . In other words, it is not easily available to ordinary users. It takes time to understand how RetroArch works and how emulation works with it. But once you have it, there’s nothing like it. While most of the other emulators on this list are easy, RetroArch is a little more complex.

At first I didn’t understand what the deal with Cores was. Then I tried the application and realized that I had to first download the GameBoy Advance Core and then load the ROM. If you can get past the not-so-pretty and unintuitive UI, you’ll have a good time. The things you can do with RetroArch are almost limitless, which is why it’s one of the best GBA emulators for Android out there.

Strong Points Cons
All-in-one emulation software may seem very confusing
No ads, completely free heavy
Open source with many customization options

Download RetroArch (free)

3. John GBAC

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If you’ve been looking for a good GBA emulator for a long time, you’ve probably come across Johh GBA or John GBC emulator. One only works with the Game Boy Advance ROM, while the other uses the Game Boy Classic ROM. If you only want to play GBA ROMs, that’s the way to go. However, if you want to add the occasional Game Boy classic into the mix, you’ll have to move on to John GBC. Let’s admit it, it’s annoying.

So John GBA and the developers of GBC came up with a solution and created John GBAC. This will allow you to play ROMs from both worlds. Additionally, a look at the PlayStore page shows that John GBA and GBC “will no longer be actively updated.” So, if you want a more optimized and supported experience, GBAC is your choice going forward. Plus, it’s also free, so you don’t have to rely on John GBA Lite.

Strong Points Cons
Has both GBC and GBA emulation capabilities Sometimes I can’t read files
Actively updated for improvements
Easy to understand UI

Download John GBAC | Download John GBA Lite | Download John GBA Premium

4.GBA emulator

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For us seasoned GBA emulator users, downloading ROMs from the internet and playing them is only natural. However, for people who aren’t familiar with the whole GBA emulation thing, searching for ROMs, unzipping them, and playing them can be a pain. The best part about GBA emulator is that you get an all-in-one GBA emulator that not only allows you to play compressed files without unzipping them, but also has an in-app game library with access to unlimited GBA titles. .

What’s more, unlike ClassicBoy where you can’t download titles, GBA emulators are great because you can download them instantly. That was something I really liked. A practical, straightforward game emulator. Features such as 2x fast forwarding and quick save/load are also available. However, there is a catch. There are a lot of ads in the emulator. If you are looking for a free tool to emulate GBA games, this is definitely the best emulator.

Strong Points Cons
Built-in GBA game library annoying ads
Millet
No restrictions on saving and loading games

Download GBA emulator (free)

5. Pizza Boy GBA

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If you’re an aesthetic person, this won’t appeal to you. What makes PizzaBoy GBA stand out is the fact that it’s very easy to get started. There’s basically nothing about the UI, just tap the three-dot menu in the bottom left to load the ROM and start playing. Additionally, we really liked the fact that this emulator allows you to use cheats . I mean, I’m sure that if you play the game hundreds of millions of times, you’ll be able to use cheats to spice up your game. That’s wonderful.

Other useful features include fast forwarding and setting your own customized control layout. Getting the Pro version of the game unlocks many other features, including access to multiplayer modes, quick saves, and more. If you need these features, they’re always available. Overall, PizzaBoy GBA is a great emulator to use for ROMs. Additionally, the fact that there are no ads makes it an even better option for outdoor use.

Strong Points Cons
Free without ads The UI feels cluttered
Free version provides most of the features you need
There are no problems with saving and loading

Download Pizza Boy GBA Basic | Download Pizza Boy GBA Pro

6. Nostalgia.GBA

Nostalgia is another great emulator that you can use on your Android device. Yes, there are ads, but if you really like the UI and are willing to push through some ads, it’s really not a big deal. The user interface is unique, with blue retro gamer-inspired text and theme. It’s minimal and the game loads and starts playing right away.

The free version does not have features such as fast forwarding, but you can rewind up to about 10 seconds. So even if you make a mistake, that’s what can save your life. I found myself rewinding a lot (newbie, I know), so it was very useful. You can also use cheats, take screenshots, and set the emulation quality to low, medium, or high depending on your device. Overall a good experience and highly recommended to use.

Strong Points Cons
Well-placed controls advertisement
Fast loading speed Importing individual games can be tedious
Decent UI No fast forwarding

Download Nostalgia.GBA (Free) | Download Nostalgia.GBA Pro ($2.99)

7. GBA Emulator – Classic Gameboy

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Not a lot of effort went into naming this emulator, but it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, there are some features that other emulators cannot perform on Android devices. For example, the fact that you can choose from a variety of themes. This will instantly improve your overall gaming experience on the emulator. Visual functionality plays an important role in emulators, especially since the only thing on the device is the screen. That said, this emulator completely nails it.

Additionally, what I really liked is that as soon as you install and open the emulator, it shows you the exact location where you can download the ROM and load it into the emulator. This is just a nifty tip for those who have never downloaded a ROM before and don’t know how they work. It’s very easy to use and the user interface is also very attractive. All of this costs money to advertise. In any case, it is definitely one of the best GBA emulators to use on your Android device.

Strong Points Cons
Internal ROM download guide and site annoying ads
Multiple themes to choose from
Sync saved files to Google Drive

Download GBA Emulator Classic Gameboy

8. Remroid

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Next up is Lemuroid. This is actually one of my personal favorites. The reason is the overall default placement of controllers and screen. It’s just perfect. The controls are well placed and the screen is somewhere in the middle, which I think is the best default HUD available in other emulators. Moreover, there is nothing going on here that will confuse you unnecessarily. You can get everything you want: play GBA games.

In terms of features, it doesn’t have things like rewinding, but it offers more than you’d expect for free software. The best part is that there are no intrusive ads here, so you get a completely clean experience. One thing that bothered me a little was that all the ROMs had to be in one folder so that the emulator could easily find them. Once I got through that, the rest was buttery smooth.

Strong Points Cons
Free without ads All ROMs must be moved to one place
great interface
very easy to use

download remroid

9. ClassicBoy Game Emulator

Best 10 GBA Emulators for Android (Free and Paid) (8)

ClassicBoy is another great emulator that you should add to your list. Although the emulator itself is lightweight, it supports not only GBA but also PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Nintendo SNES, DS, and more. It can be confusing at first, as each emulator requires a plugin to be installed to run its ROM. GBA was preinstalled. However, if you want to emulate DS ROM or some other ROMs, you will need to install a plugin. ClassicBoy Lite would be fine if you didn’t have the problem of having to start the game all over again, but I don’t think so. So it’s definitely worth getting the ClassicBoy Pro. However, the free version allows you to fast forward over 12x .

The top feature was the game library where you can access thousands of games for each plugin. However, ClassicBoy does not allow you to download them, it only provides a list where you can select a ROM and find out its file size, as well as some gameplay screenshots if available. Please note that You can then manually go to the web and download the ROM of your favorite game. Overall, this is a seamless emulator that you can use on Android.

Strong Points Cons
Plugins for some other consoles Unable to resume game
Quick slots and 9 save slots for each of these plugins
Extract and run the ROM.

Download ClassicBoy Lite (Free ) | Download ClassicBoy Pro Game Emulator (Free, $5.99)

10.VGBA Next

Most of the premium GBA emulators out there also have free versions. However, this is not the case as VGBANext is a standalone premium emulator. If you are looking for a premium tool that will do all the functions of a good emulator without putting too much strain on your pocket, this is the one for you. First, you can save your progress at any time and as many times as you want. Additionally, emulators allow you to rewind and replay games.

There’s also support for network play , so you can enjoy classic GBA games with your friends. Needless to say, this emulator also supports Google TV, Android TV, and some gamepads . Overall, this emulator certainly seems worth it if you don’t want to feel restricted when playing your favorite games.

Strong Points Cons
Can run GB, GBC, NES, GBA ROMs There is no free version
great user interface does not allow cheats
Will be actively updated

Download VGBANext ($4.99)

That was our list of the best GBA emulators that you can currently play on your Android device. Once you’ve sorted out some of your emulators, we recommend checking out our extensive guide to the best GBA games of all time. This way you won’t have to go through a never-ending list of titles and will be able to download and play the ones that are worth your time. Let us know in the comments which emulator worked best for you and which GBA games you recommend playing.

Best 10 GBA Emulators for Android (Free and Paid) (2025)
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