R

Ruffle

An open-source Flash Player emulator. The extension finds Flash content on a page and plays it, with no setup.

Reviewed by Xplorekit's independent developer · Last checked · How we choose

Add to Chrome No price listed · Open source (MIT or Apache-2.0) · Chrome Web Store · Official site · Source on GitHub

Why it's a strong pick

Ruffle is a Flash Player emulator written in Rust that runs in the browser through WebAssembly. It is open source, licensed MIT or Apache-2.0 at your option. The Chrome Web Store version is 0.7.1, updated 7 October 2026, which matches the latest release on ruffle.rs. It uses Manifest V3. The trade-off: not every Flash file works.

What it does

The extension looks for Flash content on a page and plays it with Ruffle, with no setup. According to the store listing, it also upgrades older copies of Ruffle that sites already include. The project's README says the newer of the site's copy and the extension's copy takes precedence. Ruffle is also offered as a self-hosted web package and a desktop app.

Key features

  • Automatic detection. Finds Flash content on a page and replaces it with Ruffle.
  • Upgrades older Ruffle copies. If a site already ships Ruffle, the newer version wins, per the README.
  • Memory-safe design. The store listing says it uses Rust's memory safety and the browser sandbox. That is the developer's claim.
  • 32 languages. Per the store listing.
  • Other ways to run it. Self-hosted web package and desktop app, per ruffle.rs.

Who it's for

Ruffle is for people who still run into old Flash games, animations or learning content. It also suits site owners who keep Flash archives and want them to play again. If you want to change how other web pages behave with small scripts, see Tampermonkey. For video and audio you can speed up, see Video Speed Controller.

What is Ruffle?

Ruffle is a Flash Player emulator, written in Rust, that runs in the browser through WebAssembly. Ruffle reads Flash content and plays it inside a modern page. The project is open source and developed on GitHub. The extension is the easiest way to use it.

Will Ruffle play every Flash game?

We cannot promise that. The downloads page does not say which Flash content is supported, and we did not test a list of files. Some files may not play, or may play with problems. If a game fails, check the project's pages on ruffle.rs and its GitHub repository for compatibility notes before you give up.

Is Ruffle free and open source?

Open source, yes: the repository and the extension package license it as MIT or Apache-2.0, at your option. On price, neither the store listing nor the downloads page shows one, so we say: no price listed. The project is volunteer-run open source. We found no statement about needing an account.

What permissions does Ruffle ask for?

The project's source manifest asks for storage, scripting and declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess, plus access to all sites. A comment in the file says the host access is there to inject scripts, let the player bypass CORS and take over SWF files. The manifest also excludes some sites from the content script. Chrome shows the final list at install.

Does Ruffle collect my data?

The store listing says the developer will not collect or use your data. The privacy policy is on the project's GitHub wiki. Those are the developer's own statements, not an audit by us. Because the extension can read pages on all sites, read the policy and the install prompt before you add it.

FAQ

Does Ruffle work with Manifest V3? Yes. The source manifest has manifest version 3.

Who publishes the extension? The store listing names Michael Robert Welsh as the publisher and says it was created by the owner of ruffle.rs.

Is there a desktop version? Yes. ruffle.rs lists a desktop app and a self-hosted web package as well.

Good to know

Many look-alike "Flash Player" extensions exist in the Chrome Web Store. Install the one titled "Ruffle - Flash Emulator" that ruffle.rs links to, and check the publisher name before you click Add. If a Flash file does not play, do not assume Ruffle is broken: the project has not promised to cover everything. (Xplorekit's own tip; the look-alike warning comes from our store check.)

Other media tools to compare

Ruffle is one of 4 picks in our media tools guide:

Official sources

This is a third-party extension, not built or maintained by Xplorekit. We link to the official Chrome Web Store listing — install and permissions are entirely between you and the extension's own publisher.