Flycast vs MAME
Flycast
flyinghead.github.ioMAME
mamedev.orgSide by side
| Figure | Flycast | MAME |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Dreamcast Emulators | 8.9 (#2) | 8.5 (#3) |
| License | The GitHub repository identifies its license as GPL-2.0. | 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. |
| Platforms | The README provides install instructions for Android, Linux via Flatpak, and macOS via Homebrew, and build instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux. | The current source can be compiled for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and macOS; official binary packages are designed for Windows. |
| Support | The README directs users to the project's Discord server for discussion. | Users can report information or code through the MAME GitHub page, MAME Forums, or the project contact page. |
| What it does | Flycast emulates Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2 and Atomiswave systems. | 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
Flycast
Flycast is a free emulator for Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, and Atomiswave. Its Android listing says it runs most Dreamcast games, including Windows CE titles, and arcade games for Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave, and System SP. Graphics options include OpenGL and Vulkan, high-definition and widescreen play, and custom high-definition texture packs. The Android listing specifies 10 save-state slots and names RetroAchievements, modem and LAN adapter emulation, and Power Smash online support in update notes. The project offers regular master builds, experimental nightly development builds, and versioned stable releases. The builds page describes master as relatively stable and cautions that other branches may be unstable, crash, or fail to run. Flycast is available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows, with controller support and online multiplayer listed. Game files are not included and must be owned by the user. The repository identifies the license as GPL-2.0.
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.