When comparing RetroArch vs Bartender, the Slant community recommends Bartender for most people. In the question“What is the best OpenEmu alternative for Linux?” Bartender is ranked 1st while RetroArch is ranked 2nd.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Very customizable
RetroArch is built to be an extremely customizable emulator. You can edit and customize almost every part of the emulation experience (shaders, overlays, frame rate caps, controls, etc.)
Pro Most cross-platforming options
Pro Cleans up the menubar so it's less cluttered
Pro Great customisation options for the menu bar
Pro Lean and efficient
Does what it is supposed to do efficiently.
Cons
Con GUI is difficult to use
Like most other things that have to do with RetroArch, the GUI too is rather hard to use and un-intuitive for new users.
Con Notoriously difficult setup
The sheer number of options and settings that it presents the user with make it extremely hard to set up for beginners. It's not for the average user, it's for people who want to tweak their experience with emulators to the tiniest detail.
Con Expensive
$15 for download or $7.50 for upgrade if you have Bartender 1.