LaunchBox vs RetroHub

LaunchBox is a game collection frontend and manager for modern PC games and emulated console games. It can import Steam and GOG games, ROM files, and MS-DOS games, then retrieve box art and metadata from its Games Database along with fan art, screenshots, and logos. Collections can be arranged and filtered by genre, platform, ESRB rating, developer, and publisher, with custom status and source fields. The Windows app supports Windows 10 and higher, with Windows 10 and 11 described as fully supported. LaunchBox for Android is free for collections of 100 games or fewer; it shares the games database, media, and portable XML data with Windows, and Windows data can be exported to Android. Premium adds themes, Big Box mode, gamepad automation, startup and pause screens, and display customization. The Regular Windows license costs $30 as a one-time purchase and includes a year of free updates. The maker says Premium is DRM-free and can be deployed to as many personal devices as desired. Windows data can also be moved by copying the app to another folder or computer.

RetroHub is a free frontend for organizing, displaying, and launching a retro-game library on Windows, macOS, and Linux. A first-time setup wizard helps configure it, and users can import games and settings from supported frontends. The app supports more than 80 systems and more than 50 emulators, while allowing users to add settings for others; it does not include emulators. Game metadata and media can be customized, and the built-in ScreenScraper feature can identify games by file hash or filename and fetch related information and images. ScreenScraper applies hourly and daily API quotas, and scraped media for a large library may take more than 1 GB of disk space. Users can change themes, and theme development can shape the interface and add features. Inputs include keyboard, mouse, controller, and touch; keyboard and controller actions can be remapped. The interface adapts to screen size and aspect ratio and includes a screen-reader option. RetroAchievements is an optional integration. Source code is MIT-licensed, while official builds use GPLv3 due to bundled third-party libraries.