Compared | Updated November 2026
Every way
to play VPX
on mobile.
Two apps run the real Visual Pinball X engine on mobile. The official Visual Pinball app is on Android, iPhone and iPad. Pocket Pinball is on Android and adds online play: a weekly table, tournaments and worldwide leaderboards. Both are free, with no in-app purchases.
The short version
Which one?
- On iPhone or iPad
- Visual Pinball, the official VPX app for iOS
- Want to compete
- Pocket Pinball: weekly table, tournaments, leaderboards
- Want free tables a tap away
- Pocket Pinball and its Fan Arcade
- Want the desktop menus
- Visual Pinball, with the full VPX in-game menu
- Not sure
- Try both: they play the same .vpx files
Side by side
Pocket Pinball and Visual Pinball, compared
| Feature | Pocket Pinball | Visual Pinball for Android | Visual Pinball for iPhone and iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Retro Eki | Visual Pinball volunteers | Visual Pinball volunteers |
| Engine | Visual Pinball X | Visual Pinball X | Visual Pinball X |
| Source code | Built on the open-source VPX engine | Open source | Open source |
| Price | Free, no ads, no in-app purchases | Free, no ads, no in-app purchases | Free, no in-app purchases |
| Runs on | Android 13 or later, 64-bit phones, tablets and handhelds | Android phones and tablets | iOS and iPadOS 26.6 or later, Apple silicon Macs, Apple Vision Pro |
| Store rating | 4.3 from 114 reviews | Too new for a rating (500+ downloads) | 4.3 from 75 ratings |
| Adding your own tables | Point it at any folder or SD card, or share a download in and it is filed for you. Built-in file manager and web server | Imports .vpx, .vpxz and .zip files. A web file manager uploads folders and extracts archives | Imports .vpx, .vpxz and .zip files from the Files app, or through its web server |
| Free tables in the app | Yes: the Fan Arcade, fan-made tables one tap away | Not listed | Not listed |
| ROMs (PinMAME) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backglass and score displays | DMD, colour DMD (Serum), backglasses, FlexDMD, PuP packs | Backglass and DMD on screen, PuP packs, FlexDMD, B2S backglasses, VNI colourisations | More table add-ons, per its listing |
| External DMD | ZeDMD, and DMDServer over Wi-Fi | Not listed | Not listed |
| Touch controls | Touch zones with layout presets, made for portrait play | Not detailed on its listing | Not detailed on its listing |
| Gamepads and keyboards | Bluetooth and USB gamepads, every button remappable | Remap every button on keyboards and game controllers | Keyboard and controller remapping |
| In-game menu | Controls, audio, visuals, display, camera, service mode and table rules | The complete Visual Pinball in-game menu | Full in-game menus |
| Library | Automatic cover art and table details, favourites, search, arcades | Favourites, recently played, search, sorting, three tile sizes | Redesigned interface |
| Online leaderboards | Worldwide, with scores read from the game | Not listed | Not listed |
| Weekly table and tournaments | Table of the Week and free tournaments | Not listed | Not listed |
| Replays | Record games, watch them back, share as video | Not listed | Not listed |
Visual Pinball details come from its Google Play and App Store listings, November 2026. Not listed means the listing does not mention it, not that the app lacks it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on Discord.
Which one suits you
Pick by how you play
01
Android
Pick Pocket Pinball if
You want something to play for: a new Table of the Week every Monday, tournaments and worldwide leaderboards. Or you want free fan-made tables a tap away, and touch controls made for portrait play.
02
Android and iOS
Pick Visual Pinball if
You are on iPhone or iPad, where the official app is the way to play VPX. Or you want the official desktop menus and options, from an app that is open source end to end.
03
Same tables
Or use both
They play the same .vpx files, so a table you have works in either. Keep your tables in one folder and point both apps at it.
Other routes
Without a native app
Windows compatibility layers
Desktop VPX can run on some Android devices through a Windows compatibility layer such as Winlator. It needs a powerful device and more setup than a native app.
Streaming from a PC
A PC running VPX can stream to a phone. You play on the phone, but the PC does the work and has to stay on.
Handheld PCs
Windows and Linux handhelds run desktop VPX directly, the same way a PC does.
Good to know
Questions
What is the best VPX player for mobile?
It depends on your phone and how you play. On iPhone and iPad, the official Visual Pinball app is the way to play VPX. On Android, both run the same engine: Pocket Pinball adds online play and free tables in the app, and Visual Pinball brings the full desktop menus.
Is there an official VPX app?
Yes. The Visual Pinball volunteers publish Visual Pinball on Google Play and the App Store. Pocket Pinball is a separate app by Retro Eki, built on the same open-source engine and not affiliated with the Visual Pinball project.
Do both apps play the same tables?
Yes. Both play Visual Pinball X .vpx files, the same files people play on PC. Recreations of real machines need their ROMs in either app.
Do either include tables or ROMs?
Neither includes ROM files. Pocket Pinball comes without tables, and its Fan Arcade has free fan-made tables to download. Other tables come from community sites such as VPUniverse and VPForums.
Are they free?
Yes. Both are free with no in-app purchases, and neither shows ads.