Bochs vs MAME
Bochs
bochs.sourceforge.ioMAME
mamedev.orgSide by side
| Figure | Bochs | MAME |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Emulator Software | 8.1 (#14) | 8.5 (#8) |
| Debugger | It provides optional command-line and GUI debuggers for examining registers and memory and setting breakpoints. | MAME includes an interactive low-level debugger for diagnosing emulation issues, developing software for vintage systems, and examining how software works. |
| Emulated systems | It includes Intel x86 CPU, common I/O-device, and custom-BIOS emulation. | MAME can emulate over 32,000 individual systems from the last five decades. |
| License | The Bochs Project distributes Bochs under the GNU Lesser General Public License. | The project as a whole is distributed under GPL-2.0, and the site says over 90% of its files, including core files, are under BSD-3-Clause. |
| Support | The project directs unresolved runtime issues to its developers mailing list or SourceForge bug tracker. | Users can report information or code through the MAME GitHub page, MAME Forums, or the project contact page. |
| What it does | Bochs is a highly portable open-source IA-32 (x86) PC emulator written in C++. | MAME is a multi-purpose emulation framework that documents and reproduces the inner components of arcade machines, computers, consoles, calculators and other electronic amusement machines. |
Plans
In their own words
Bochs
Bochs is a free, open-source emulator that models IA-32 x86 PC hardware. It can simulate Intel CPU families from 386 through x86-64, common I/O devices, and a custom BIOS, allowing users to run guest systems such as Linux, DOS, Windows, BSD, and other x86 operating systems. Optional command-line and graphical debuggers provide ways to inspect registers and memory or set breakpoints. Graphics support includes VGA, VESA VBE resolutions up to 2560x1600x32bpp, Cirrus Logic video, and four 3dfx Voodoo adapter models. Bochs also emulates USB controllers and devices, and can forward guest network packets to a physical network on several host systems. Multiprocessor simulation can be configured for up to 254 processor threads, but is experimental. The emulator uses a single-threaded simulation core and does not use dynamic code translation or virtualization. It supplies virtual hardware, not a setup wizard or guest installation disk, so users install guest systems themselves. Binary packages and source compilation are options; some features may require compiling it. It is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, among other documented host systems.
MAME
MAME is a free emulation framework intended to preserve software history by documenting and reproducing the inner components of arcade machines, computers, consoles, calculators, and other electronic amusement systems. It can emulate over 32,000 individual systems from the last five decades. Alongside emulation, it includes an interactive low-level debugger for investigating software behavior, diagnosing emulation issues, and developing software for vintage systems. Its Lua interface can inspect device state, access CPU registers, read and write memory, and draw overlays, though the API may change without notice. Plugins support uses such as external-program communication and alternate interfaces; included examples are Discord Presence and a GDB Stub. MAME can save and load states, record inputs for playback, and capture screenshots or video. It is available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows; official Windows binaries require Windows 10 or later. BIOS dumps and copyrighted software are generally not included. The project is distributed under GPL-2.0 overall, while more than 90% of files, including core files, are under BSD-3-Clause.