JRomManager vs ROMSorter

JRomManager is a free Java ROM manager for organizing and checking ROM collections. It works with MAME and Logiqx DAT files and can also import data from the MAME executable. Its tools scan, fix, and rebuild split, non-merged, or merged sets. It supports ZIP and 7z archives, TorrentZip, RAR4 and RAR5 decompression, and multi-volume RAR and 7z decompression. Checks include full or on-demand SHA1 scans, MD5 for older DAT files, CHD, and Software Lists. One important CHD limit: verification reads the header for MD5 or SHA1 but does not hash the CHD data. With MAME linked to a profile, its viewer can launch games or software marked available. Batch tools include a directory updater, torrent checker, and archive compressor. Desktop packages are listed for Windows x64, macOS x64 and ARM, and Linux x64; it can also run on an OS with Java 21. Server mode serves a web interface. Simple Server lacks encryption, access control, and DDoS protection; Full Server offers accounts, access rights, and TLS 1.3, but is experimental.

ROMSorter detects and renames ROMs and other games, with tools for archives, duplicates and file checks. It can zip files, convert supported archive formats by extracting and recompressing them, or unpack archives into a folder. Identical files can be moved into a subfolder named after the original file. A catalog stores file names and hashes for later checks that files have not changed. The program can create DAT files for other ROM manager apps and rename single-file games using a supplied DAT file. It converts BIN/CUE or ISO files to CHD and can extract CHD back to BIN/CUE using chdman. Other tools include building one-game, one-ROM sets from Parent/Clone DAT files with region priorities, sorting Everdrive folders by starting letter, generating M3U playlists, and batch IPS/BPS patching. The current ROMSorter release is for Win-x64 only; its Librarian command-line companion is available across platforms. Both require .NET 6. Linux and Mac Librarian users need an appropriate MAME chdman build for CHD commands. It is free, MIT licensed and provided without warranty.