Best Nintendo DS Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: 3Beans is ranked #1 of 18 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of DeSmuME and SkyEmu. The best-ranked option with a free plan is DeSmuME.
Choosing a Nintendo DS emulator can depend on the play features you want and the platforms you use. Compared on screen layout options, Nintendo DSi support, local multiplayer and save states, these entries also include cheat support and supported platforms as points to weigh. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing are listed too. 3Beans, DeSmuME and SkyEmu are among the emulators named. Check whether the available features suit your games and device setup, especially if you have a preference for screen arrangement, multiplayer or DSi support.
18 Nintendo DS emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Nintendo DS Emulators, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 10 of the 18 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 3BeansFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 DeSmuMEFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 SkyEmuFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 melonDSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 Pilas-melonDSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 6 DeltaFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 7 GB Enhanced+Free plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 iDroidDSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 9 nds4droidFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 10 dasShiny
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 DSperate
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 DS Anywhere
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 WatermelonDS
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 dustFree plan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 MindSpark
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 16 ANDSemu
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 DSVita
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 NO$GBA
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 18 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Save states |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3Beans | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Switch, Wii U, and Vita | — |
| 2 | DeSmuME | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | SkyEmu | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | melonDS | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Pilas-melonDS | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Web browsers on desktop and mobile devices | Yes |
| 6 | Delta | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | GB Enhanced+ | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, Linux, macOS | Yes |
| 8 | iDroidDS | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Android | Yes |
| 9 | nds4droid | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Android | Yes |
| 10 | dasShiny | 6.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | — |
| 11 | DSperate | 6.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Linux on AArch64 and ARMhf | Yes |
| 12 | DS Anywhere | 6.2 | No | — | — | — | web | — |
| 13 | WatermelonDS | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Android | Yes |
| 14 | dust | 6.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | MindSpark | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | ANDSemu | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | Android | Yes |
| 17 | DSVita | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | PlayStation Vita | Yes |
| 18 | NO$GBA | 5.3 | No | — | 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 DS emulator is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
3Beans is ranked #1 of 18 with a score of 7.2. DeSmuME is second and SkyEmu third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 18 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
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.