Best Nintendo 3DS Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: Virtual Jaguar is ranked #1 of 14 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of 3Beans and Azahar. The best-ranked option with a free plan is 3Beans. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Manic EMU at $0.42/mo.
A Nintendo 3DS emulator may be a fit for different setups depending on its supported platforms and system software. Compared on those details, plus graphics upscaling, save states, cheat support, online multiplayer, free plan, and paid-from pricing, these entries give you several features to weigh. Virtual Jaguar, 3Beans, and Azahar are among the options shown. Consider which platforms you plan to use and whether the listed system software support matches your needs. Then compare the features you care about, such as save states or graphics upscaling, and check whether online multiplayer or cheat support matters for your use. Free plans and starting prices add cost context.
14 Nintendo 3DS emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Nintendo 3DS Emulators, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 9 of the 14 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 Virtual JaguarFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 3BeansFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 AzaharFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 Manic EMUPaid from $0.42/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 5 Panda3DSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 AzaharPlusFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 Citra MMJFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 CitraVRFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 9 LunaDSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 10 Borked3DS
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 Tanuki3DS
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 12 emuThreeDS
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 Mandarine-Neo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 Folium
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 14 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | System software support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virtual Jaguar | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, Linux, Android | Yes |
| 2 | 3Beans | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes |
| 3 | Azahar | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | Manic EMU | 7.2 | Free plan | $0.42/mo | — | — | iOS | — |
| 5 | Panda3DS | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Yes |
| 6 | AzaharPlus | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Windows, Linux, Android | Yes |
| 7 | Citra MMJ | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, Linux, macOS | — |
| 8 | CitraVR | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S | Yes |
| 9 | LunaDS | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | iOS, macOS | Yes |
| 10 | Borked3DS | 6.8 | No | — | — | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | — |
| 11 | Tanuki3DS | 6.5 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS, Linux, Windows | Yes |
| 12 | emuThreeDS | 6.4 | No | — | — | — | iOS | — |
| 13 | Mandarine-Neo | 6.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | — |
| 14 | Folium | 6.1 | No | — | No | — | iOS, iPadOS | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which Nintendo 3DS emulator is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Virtual Jaguar is ranked #1 of 14 with a score of 7.5. 3Beans is second and Azahar third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 14 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Manic EMU has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.42/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.