ES-DE Frontend vs RomM
ES-DE Frontend
es-de.org
RomM
romm.appSide by side
| Figure | ES-DE Frontend | 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 | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 9.2 (#1) | 8.7 (#6) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 9.3 (#3) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Documentation depth | The repository publishes a user guide, Android documentation, build instructions, theme-development documentation, FAQs and a detailed changelog. | Documentation covers Docker setup, databases, reverse proxies, Unraid, Synology, TrueNAS, Kubernetes, backups, administration, troubleshooting and development. |
| Licence | The project repository is licensed under the MIT License. | The core RomM application is licensed under GNU AGPLv3; related software uses GPLv3 and documentation uses CC0. |
| Purpose | ES-DE browses and launches games from a multi-platform collection and can also run locally installed games and applications. | RomM is a self-hosted app for scanning, enriching, browsing, and playing a ROM collection. |
| Support | The official installation page directs users to the user guide, FAQs and Discord for support. | Troubleshooting directs users to GitHub issues and a Discord help channel staffed by maintainers and community members. |
| System requirements | The Linux AppImage targets modern x86-64 distributions, and the documentation says ES-DE generally requires a 64-bit operating system. | The quick-start installation requires Docker, Docker Compose, organized ROM folders and credentials for at least one metadata provider. |
| What it does | ES-DE is a frontend for browsing and launching games from a multi-platform collection. | RomM is a self-hosted web application for scanning, enriching, organizing, downloading and playing personal ROM collections. |
Plans
ES-DE Frontend
- Windows, macOS and LinuxFree
- Windows, macOS and Linux desktopFree
- Android (Samsung Galaxy Store)$6.50, paid once
- AndroidPrice not published
In their own words
ES-DE Frontend
ES-DE Frontend browses and launches games from a multi-platform collection and can also run locally installed games and applications. It supports more than 150 game systems and comes configured for a large selection of emulators, game engines, game managers, and gaming services. Its built-in scraper downloads game details and media, including images, videos, and manuals. Users can adjust configuration options and themes, and download additional themes through the built-in theme downloader. The interface supports full controller navigation. Windows, macOS, and Linux editions are free to download and use, fully open source, and may be distributed freely. The Android release is a paid, partially closed-source app, and no price is listed. It is available through Patreon, Samsung Galaxy Store, and Huawei AppGallery. The Android FAQ gives 64-bit Android 10 or later as the basic requirement and says one purchase can be used on all of the buyer’s devices without a subscription or additional costs. Support links include a user guide, FAQs, and Discord.
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.