Attract-Mode vs RomM
Attract-Mode
attractmode.org
RomM
romm.appSide by side
| Figure | Attract-Mode | RomM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $6.49/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 9.1 (#2) | 8.7 (#6) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 8.9 (#11) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Documentation depth | Official documentation includes a readme, compilation guide, layouts manual, project wiki and an online layout editor. | Documentation covers Docker setup, databases, reverse proxies, Unraid, Synology, TrueNAS, Kubernetes, backups, administration, troubleshooting and development. |
| Limit: setup complexity | Unstore reports that setup is involved and that themes require more configuration than easier frontends. | Droix judged RomM unsuitable for people wanting plug-and-play emulation, universal browser play or zero-maintenance remote access. |
| Purpose | Attract-Mode is a graphical frontend for command-line emulators such as MAME, MESS and Nestopia, intended for joystick, gamepad or spin-dial control and arcade cabinet setups. | RomM is a self-hosted app for scanning, enriching, browsing, and playing a ROM collection. |
| Support | The official site links to a community forum and provides documentation, compile instructions, a layouts manual and a project wiki. | Troubleshooting directs users to GitHub issues and a Discord help channel staffed by maintainers and community members. |
| What it does | Attract-Mode is a graphical launcher for command-line emulators, designed for joystick or gamepad controlled arcade cabinets. | RomM is a self-hosted web application for scanning, enriching, organizing, downloading and playing personal ROM collections. |
Plans
In their own words
Attract-Mode
Attract-Mode is a graphical frontend for command-line emulators such as MAME, MESS, and Nestopia. It is intended for arcade cabinets and control by joystick, gamepad, or spin dial, and runs on Windows, OS X, and Linux, including Raspberry Pi and Odroid. Users can import game lists, generate lists from emulator directories, and set launch commands for individual games. The frontend can retrieve missing game details and artwork from TheGamesDB, Progetto-Snaps, and adb.arcadeitalia.net. Controls can be assigned to joystick, keyboard, or mouse inputs, including combinations. A built-in configuration menu has on-screen help, and settings are stored in text files. Layouts can be scripted in Squirrel and customized with themes, animations, and GLSL shaders. It supports media formats supported by FFmpeg and SWF files through gameswf. The feature list also names Steam support and plug-ins for extensions or integration with external programs. Attract-Mode is free and open source under the GNU General Public License v3. Pause functionality for returning to the frontend and resuming an emulator is listed only for Linux and Windows versions.
RomM
RomM is a free, self-hosted app for scanning, enriching, browsing, and playing a ROM collection. The project says it supports more than 400 platforms, including multi-disk games, DLCs, mods, hacks, and manuals. Compatible games can run in a browser through EmulatorJS and Ruffle without setup, while saves and states sync across devices with conflict resolution. Metadata providers include IGDB, ScreenScraper, LaunchBox, and MobyGames; RomM can also fetch artwork from SteamGridDB and track RetroAchievements. A built-in patcher applies ROM hacks and translations. The project lists granular per-user permissions, OIDC single sign-on, a REST API, and exports for ES-DE and Pegasus. Official clients include a Windows Playnite plugin, the Android Argosy handheld launcher, and the Linux Grout handheld client. A native iOS app is a community project, and the team says it does not regularly review community project source code. RomM is AGPL-3.0 licensed, with no tracking or paid features. Setup help and community discussion are available through Discord.