Gearlynx vs Stella
Gearlynx
github.comStella
stella-emu.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Gearlynx | Stella |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Atari Emulators | 7.5 (#12) | 7.3 (#14) |
| Debugger | The debugger includes a disassembler, CPU and memory breakpoints, debug symbols, memory tools, and Suzy and Mikey hardware inspectors. | Stella includes a debugger with static analysis using the Distella disassembler and runtime analysis of code, graphics, and data sections. |
| Emulation | It supports the commercial Atari Lynx catalog and most homebrew games and demos, with selectable Lynx I or Lynx II emulation. | Features include cycle-exact TIA video and sound emulation, stereo sound support, and dynamic sound resampling. |
| Intended users | The project describes its MCP server as supporting Atari Lynx game development, ROM hacking, reverse engineering, and debugging. | The project says one of its main goals is to help Atari 2600 homebrew developers, and describes playing a game as plug and play. |
| License | The repository states that Gearlynx is licensed under GNU GPL version 3.0. | Stella is released under the GNU General Public License and is described as open-source and free software. |
Plans
In their own words
Gearlynx
Gearlynx is a free, open-source Atari Lynx emulator and debugger written in C++. It supports the commercial Lynx catalog and most homebrew and demo software, with Lynx I or Lynx II emulation selectable. Supported ROM formats include lnx, lyx, o, bin, and zip, including compressed and homebrew files. Gaming tools include save states with previews, rewind, run-ahead to reduce input latency, audio emulation, VGM recording, and EEPROM and NVRAM save files. ComLynx multiplayer connects up to eight emulator instances on one computer. The debugger provides disassembly, CPU and memory breakpoints, debug symbols, memory editing and search, hardware register views, and cartridge and video inspectors. An embedded MCP server supports AI-assisted debugging, with execution controls, memory inspection, breakpoints, screenshots, and rewind over STDIO or HTTP. Standalone builds are listed for Windows, Linux, BSD, and macOS; libretro includes Android and iOS. Gearlynx requires a BIOS. Concurrent HTTP clients control the same emulator instance and may interfere with one another.
Stella
Stella is free, open-source software for playing Atari 2600 VCS games on a computer. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux under the GNU General Public License. It supports A26, BIN, and ROM images, including files in ZIP archives, as well as Supercharger games. Atari and other controllers can be emulated with a keyboard, joystick, or mouse; real Atari controllers can be used through Stelladaptor and 2600-daptor devices. Emulation features include cycle-exact TIA video and sound, stereo support, and dynamic sound resampling. Stella provides save and load for system states, automatic timeline recording, and high-score saving. Display support covers NTSC, PAL, and SECAM, with customizable CRT-style filters and bezels. A debugger offers static analysis using the Distella disassembler and runtime analysis of code, graphics, and data. The project names homebrew developers among its intended users. General requirements include SDL 2.0.14 or later and 256 MB of RAM for emulation; stable downloads include Windows binaries, a macOS disk image, an Ubuntu 22.04 DEB package, and source code for all systems.