Gaseous vs Igir

Gaseous Server is a free, open-source self-hosted server for managing ROMs and game titles with basic in-browser emulation. It uses multiple sources to identify games and provide metadata. ROM management supports platforms listed by IGDB, while the built-in emulator covers a documented subset including Game Boy, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Super Nintendo. Installation options include Docker, source, Unraid, and a Windows MSI package. Windows installation is described as experimental. Setup requires MariaDB 11.1.2 or MySQL Server 8+ and FFmpeg; an IGDB API key is optional when using the Hasheous proxy. From version 2.0, authentication includes passwords, two-factor authentication, and OAuth2/OIDC, with Google, Microsoft, and custom OIDC providers documented. The project uses the AGPL-3.0 license and links to Discord for community support. Maintainers recommend avoiding internet exposure when remote access is unnecessary and state that exposure is at the user’s own risk. The free plan is a self-hosted server, so the operator supplies the database and FFmpeg.

Igir is a free ROM collection manager for scanning, organizing, filtering, patching, and reporting on game files. It can find DATs, ROMs, and ROM patches, including files inside archives, then organize ROMs with consistent names. Users can filter duplicates and unwanted ROMs, create multi-disc playlists, and apply patches in batches. Reports can show which ROMs are present or missing for each console, and Igir can generate fixdats for missing ROMs. For arcade collections, it can build or rebuild MAME sets by un-merging, splitting, or merging them. Documentation includes configuration guides for tools such as Batocera, LaunchBox, RetroArch, OpenEmu, and RomM. Igir runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems supported by Node.js. It is available as a downloadable executable or through npm, Homebrew, and Scoop. Every installation option requires a baseline understanding of command-line interfaces. The project describes its defaults as non-destructive and says it does not make network requests beyond those requested by the user, including usage or telemetry requests. Igir is licensed under GNU GPL version 3.