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DOS-Emulator vs DOSBox-X

DOS-Emulator

github.com

DOSBox-X

dosbox-x.com

Side by side

FigureDOS-EmulatorDOSBox-X
Price fromFreeFree
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Open source—Yes
Windows—Yes
macOSYesYes
LinuxYesYes
Self-hosted—Yes
Plans published12
Spec score · MS-DOS Emulators7.7 (#14)8.7 (#4)
LicenseThe repository is under the MIT License, which permits use, copying, modification, distribution, sublicensing and sale subject to its stated conditions.The main repository identifies the software as GPL-2.0 licensed.
PurposeDOS-Emulator is an IBM PC emulator running DOS, written in Rust.DOSBox-X is an open-source DOS emulator for running DOS applications and games.
ReleaseThe releases page lists v0.1.0 as the latest release.The homepage lists version 2026.10.01 released on October 1, 2026.

Plans

DOS-Emulator

  • FreeFree

DOS-Emulator pricing →

DOSBox-X

  • DOSBox-XFree
  • FreeFree

DOSBox-X pricing →

In their own words

DOS-Emulator

DOS-Emulator is a free IBM PC emulator that runs DOS and is written in Rust. Source code is available under the MIT License, and users can build it with Cargo or download a prebuilt binary from GitHub releases. The README identifies macOS and Ubuntu Linux as supported hosts; Windows lacks the ANSI escape sequences required by its CLI dependency. The project is inspired by DOSBox but is not a direct port, and many features are implemented differently or absent. Only Game of ROBOT episodes 0, 1, 3, and 4 are known to be playable. Its command-line interface can quit, pause into a debugger, or open a keyboard-mapping tool. The debugger profiles instructions, inspects register-selected data, scrolls its overview, and supports continue, step-over, and single-step actions. The architecture separates video and input on a GUI thread from audio synthesis for Sound Blaster and beeper signals. The latest listed release is v0.1.0.

Visit github.com

DOSBox-X

DOSBox-X is a free, open-source DOS emulator for running DOS applications and games on Linux, macOS and Windows. It also supports DOS-based Windows guests, including Windows 3.x and Windows 9x/Me. The project emphasizes general emulation and accurate hardware behavior, with DOS/V services and emulation for NEC PC-98, AX and J-3100 systems. A graphical configuration tool and many virtual-machine options let users adjust the emulated environment. DOSBox-X provides up to 100 save slots, with automatic saving for selected programs or at user-defined intervals. Its emulated NE2000 adapter supports guest networking through PCAP and Slirp backends. Printing can use parallel ports and real or emulated printers, with PostScript or PNG output. Launching host applications from the emulator is disabled by default for security and can be enabled through configuration or a command-line option. The project describes use for DOS software, historical preservation, testing and continued DOS development; emulating Pentium 4-or-higher CPUs and post-2000 PC hardware are listed as non-goals.

Visit dosbox-x.com