Instead of ES-DE Frontend
ES-DE Frontend alternatives
ES-DE Frontend brings games and locally installed applications into a single place to browse and launch. It supports more than 150 game systems, comes preconfigured for many emulators, game engines, game managers and gaming services, and can download game information, images, videos and manuals with its scraper. Theme downloads, configuration options and full controller navigation help shape the interface. Its Windows, macOS and Linux releases are free and open source; Android is a paid, partially closed-source app and requires 64-bit Android 10 or later.
- 1
RetroArch
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3Emulator users wanting netplay and graphics shaders — RetroArch adds netplay, stacked graphics shaders and over 200 cores, while ES-DE Frontend emphasizes preconfigured systems and game scraping.
- 2
RomM
Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5Self-hosted ROM libraries across many platforms — RomM adds self-hosted library management, browser play, cross-device save syncing and support for more than 400 platforms.
- 3
GameEx
Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+1Arcade and emulator setups with media-center features — GameEx combines emulator support with HTPC features such as DVD playback, internet radio, a jukebox and online statistics.
- 4
Pegasus Frontend
Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+1Custom themes and user-supplied game assets — Pegasus offers fully customizable presentation and multiple game-source integrations, but users supply emulators, games and assets themselves.
- 5
RetroFE
Free plan LinuxMacWindowsCustom game collections and per-game launch settings — RetroFE organizes launchable items into custom collections and layouts, with per-game launcher settings that can override collection defaults.
- 6
Yamata Launcher
Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+1Unified catalogs, downloads and playtime tracking — Yamata Launcher adds catalog-based downloads, automatic extraction and desktop playtime tracking rather than ES-DE’s emulator-focused setup.
- 7
Attract-Mode
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2Arcade cabinets with joystick-focused emulator browsing — Attract-Mode targets arcade cabinet use with scriptable layouts, shader effects and configurable commands for individual games.
- 8
OpenEmu
Free plan Open source Mac - 9
- 10
Albion Online Launcher
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4 - 11
Minecraft Launcher
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+2 - 12
Battle.net
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+2 - 13
Prism Launcher
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 14
itch app
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 15
Epic Games Launcher
Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac+1 - 16
Gaseous
Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb+1 - 17
Bezel
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 18
- 19
Heroic Games Launcher
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 20
GOG Galaxy
Free plan APIExtensionMac+1 - 21
Rocksmith+
Free plan AndroidiPhoneWindows - 22
LaunchBox
Free plan AndroidAPIWindows - 23
Phoenix
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 24
GameIndex
Free plan LinuxWindows
Alternatives may suit readers who want network play, browser-based gaming, synchronized saves, broader media features or a different approach to organizing collections. The tradeoffs vary: some options expect you to configure emulators or provide assets, while others support self-hosted libraries, game downloads or extensive arcade controls. Compare device and operating-system support, how each tool handles games and metadata, and whether you prefer a customizable frontend or added services such as play tracking and achievements. For Android use, also weigh ES-DE’s paid app against free alternatives; for desktop, consider whether its preconfigured setup matters more than another product’s specialized features.