RomM From $6.49/mo · Free plan 9.0 Visit ROM Librarian
github.com
What it is
ROM Librarian is a free, open-source desktop application for managing retro gaming ROM collections on Windows and Linux. It renames batches with regular expressions, showing previews, handling filename collisions, and supporting undo. Its DAT rename tool matches ROMs with No-Intro or MAME DAT files using CRC32, MD5, and SHA1 hashes. The application compresses ROMs to ZIP or 7z and extracts both archive types. It converts CUE/BIN and ISO disc images to CHD; Windows includes chdman, while Linux users must have chdman in PATH. Renaming can update EmulationStation or RetroPie gamelist.xml metadata, with restoration through undo. Multi-disc detection creates M3U playlists. Duplicate detection uses SHA1 or MD5 and preferences for region, size, and date. A Linux command-line interface supports scripted operations. The MIT-licensed project credits RobotWizard.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- ROM Librarian is a desktop application for managing, organizing, and maintaining retro gaming ROM collections.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Platforms
- The project provides portable Windows ZIP and Linux tar.gz downloads; its Linux build also runs on Steam Deck.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- License
- The project is released under the MIT License.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Maker
- The README credits development to RobotWizard.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Archive tools
- It can batch compress ROMs to ZIP or 7z and extract ZIP and 7z archives.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Batch renaming
- It offers regex-based batch renaming with live previews, collision handling, and undo support.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Comparison limitation
- The project says archives are compared as files rather than by the ROM content inside, and recommends extracting them first for accurate duplicate detection.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- DAT matching
- Its DAT rename feature uses CRC32, MD5, and SHA1 hashes to match ROMs against No-Intro or MAME DAT files.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Disc conversion
- It converts CUE/BIN and ISO disc images to CHD, with chdman bundled for Windows and Linux users instructed to have chdman in PATH.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Duplicate detection
- It detects duplicates using SHA1 or MD5 hashing and supports region, file-size, and date preferences for choosing which copy to keep.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- EmulationStation and RetroPie
- When renaming files, it can update EmulationStation or RetroPie gamelist.xml metadata and supports restoring it with undo.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Headless use
- Its Linux CLI supports renaming, compression, extraction, and DAT-based renaming, with a --yes option for scripted use.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Multi-disc games
- It detects multi-disc games and generates M3U playlists for emulators.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Updates
- The app checks GitHub for releases, can check on startup, and provides a manual update check and release notes preview.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Plans and prices
ROM Librarian Free No paid tiers or usage limits stated on the opened project pages Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Regex batch renaming with previews and undo
- DAT matching uses CRC32, MD5, and SHA1
- ZIP and 7z compression and extraction
- Creates M3U playlists for multi-disc games
- Linux CLI supports scripted operations
Limits
- Archives are compared as files, not ROM contents
- Linux CHD conversion requires chdman in PATH
- No free trial is listed
Who it suits
It suits retro gaming collectors on Windows or Linux who need ROM naming, archive, disc-image, metadata, and duplicate-management tools. Linux users wanting scripted command-line work can use its CLI.
Verdict
ROM Librarian provides broad collection-management functions at free, with no paid tiers or usage limits stated. Its archive-comparison limitation matters when checking duplicate ROM content inside archives.
Where Specifiction places it
- ROM Management Software#16 of 397.6
