MAME vs MEKA
MAME
mamedev.orgMEKA
smspower.orgSide by side
| Figure | MAME | MEKA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 8.5 (#5) | 8.1 (#11) |
| Debugger | MAME includes an interactive low-level debugger for diagnosing emulation issues, developing software for vintage systems, and examining how software works. | MEKA includes a debugger and debugging and hacking tools. |
| Intended users | The debugger documentation identifies diagnosing emulation, developing vintage-system software, creating cheats, ROM hacking, and investigating software behavior as use cases. | The homepage describes MEKA's debugging and hacking tools as useful for programmers and people working with Sega 8-bit systems. |
| License | 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. | MEKA is free software under a BSD-like license, and the maker says its sources and data may be browsed and reused without restrictions. |
| Platforms | The current source can be compiled for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and macOS; official binary packages are designed for Windows. | The download page lists a Windows x86 build and says to build MEKA 0.80 from source for GNU/Linux and OSX. |
| Purpose | MAME is a multi-purpose emulation framework intended to preserve software history by documenting hardware and how it functions. | MEKA is a multi-machine emulator for Sega 8-bit systems and ColecoVision. |
| Support | Users can report information or code through the MAME GitHub page, MAME Forums, or the project contact page. | The download page directs users to MEKA Forums for support and communication. |
Plans
In their own words
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.
MEKA
MEKA is a free multi-machine emulator for Sega 8-bit systems and ColecoVision. It supports the SG-1000, SC-3000, SF-7000, Mark III, Master System, Game Gear, ColecoVision and Othello Multivision, along with a wide range of peripherals and unusual games. The project includes a debugger and tools for debugging and hacking, aimed at programmers and people working with Sega 8-bit systems. It also provides a game database and compatibility list, which the site describes as receiving fixes and changes. MEKA is free software under a BSD-like license, and its source and data may be browsed and reused without restrictions. The download page lists a Windows x86 build and directs GNU/Linux and macOS users to build from source. That page describes MEKA 0.80 as in development, while the GitHub releases page lists Meka 2025-08-17 as the latest release. Initiated in 1998, the project is maintained by Omar Cornut, known as Bock. The project says it has limited use for the average player.