emudore vs Frodo

emudore is a Commodore 64 emulator for Linux, Windows, macOS, and browsers. Written in C++11 with SDL2, it can load PRG files and enter BASIC listings; its BASIC ROM runs, and most simple programs work without issues. Browser demos include one that starts in CBM BASIC and another that loads a Monopole PRG. Its VIC-II graphics support covers four of the five official modes, plus smooth scrolling, sprites, raster interrupts, and badlines. Screen refresh synchronizes to approximately 50 Hz for PAL. Debug builds on Linux and macOS can use radare2 to read and modify emulator memory. The project is free and open source under Apache 2.0. Some compatibility limits are explicit: special keys are unavailable for BASIC listings, undocumented MOS 6510 opcodes are unsupported, and incomplete hardware emulation and non-pixel-exact visuals can affect advanced games and demos. SID sound and VIC-1541 floppy drive support are among the maker’s stated future aims.

Frodo is a free, portable Commodore 64 emulator for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It focuses on reproducing special graphical effects from the C64 and supports disk and tape software, many game cartridges, and formats including D64, G64, T64, TAP, X64, and LYNX. It offers a cycle-exact regular mode and Frodo Lite, a less compatible version intended to run better on slower machines. The official site lists V4.5, which adds Datasette TAP emulation and support for banked cartridges including Ocean, Fun Play, Power Play, Super Games, and Simons' BASIC. TAP emulation is unavailable in Frodo Lite. V4.5 can auto-start disk and tape images, cartridges, and C64 BASIC program files from the command line. Frodo can detect connected controllers for C64 joystick ports and map additional buttons to C64 keys. Display settings include windowed or fullscreen mode and an initial window size. The V4.5 snapshot format changed, so it cannot read snapshots from earlier versions. Frodo is listed under GPL-2.0.