QEMU vs RetroX
QEMU
qemu.orgRetroX
retrox.tvSide by side
| Figure | QEMU | RetroX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $1.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.4 (#9) | 7.4 (#41) |
| Installation | Linux distributions package QEMU, while macOS users can install it through Homebrew or MacPorts. | RetroX is distributed as an Android APK and its site says it is not in the Play Store. |
Plans
RetroX
- 1 year Activation Code$16.99 a year
- 2 years Activation Code$26.99 a year
- Lifetime Activation Code$76.99, paid once
In their own words
QEMU
QEMU is a free, open-source machine emulator and virtualizer. System emulation models an entire machine, including its CPU, memory and devices, so it can run a guest operating system. User-mode emulation runs processes built for one CPU architecture on another. The package also includes qemu-img, a command-line utility for creating, converting and modifying disk images. QEMU can work with KVM, Xen and Hypervisor.Framework so guests can run directly on the host CPU. Supported build platforms include Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and Windows. Windows support is limited to 64-bit, while macOS requires the newest version currently available; support for the prior version is eventually dropped. For complex networking and storage configurations, the project recommends management tools such as virt-manager. Its security guidance distinguishes virtualization with an accelerator and listed machine type from TCG non-virtualization use, which does not provide guest-isolation or security guarantees. QEMU is released under GNU GPL version 2, with some components under specific licenses.