FREEDOM251

Freedom251 › Amiga Emulators

PUAE

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

Visit PUAE Alternatives

PUAE's own site

What PUAE is

PUAE is an Amiga emulator for Pandora and Unix-like systems that runs software made for Amiga computers on other platforms. It supports Amiga models including OCS, ECS Agnus, full ECS, AGA, CDTV and CD32. Listed host systems include Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, BeOS, AmigaOS and its clones, and Windows through Cygwin or MinGW32; feature support varies by system. Disk image support includes ADF, DMS, FDI and IPF, plus gzip-compressed images and ZIP archives. IPF support is listed for OS X and AMD64/Linux and requires the libcapsimage plug-in. Full use requires an Amiga Kickstart ROM image, although included ROM emulation may work with some older games. PUAE is open-source software under GPL-2.0. Its project lineage combines E-UAE 0.8.29WIP4 and WinUAE 1.6.10 and is based on UAE and WinUAE. The make_hdf command-line tool creates blank hardfile images, and X-Arcade joysticks are supported. A GTK+ configuration interface is available on compatible systems, but it is incomplete. The OpenGL renderer is experimental, and the virtual filesystem can alter filenames containing non-ASCII characters on UTF-8 platforms.

Who it suits

PUAE suits people who want to run Amiga software on Linux, macOS, Windows through Cygwin or MinGW, or other listed host systems. It may also suit users who can work with a Kickstart ROM image and a configuration interface that remains incomplete on GTK+ systems.

What it does well

  • Runs software designed for Amiga computers on other platforms.
  • Supports OCS, ECS, AGA, CDTV and CD32 models.
  • Reads ADF, DMS, FDI, IPF, gzip and ZIP disk images.
  • Includes make_hdf for creating blank hardfile images.
  • Supports X-Arcade joysticks.

What to know first

  • Full use requires an Amiga Kickstart ROM image.
  • GTK+ configuration interface is incomplete.
  • Serial and parallel emulation, AHI and graphics scaling are unsupported.
  • OpenGL renderer is experimental and unfinished.

Limits

Full use requires a Kickstart ROM image; included ROM emulation may work with some older games. The GTK+ configuration interface is incomplete, and several listed features are unsupported.

Getting started

  1. Visit the PUAE project website at GitHub.
  2. Choose a supported host system, noting that feature support varies by system.
  3. Obtain an Amiga Kickstart ROM image for full use; copyrighted ROMs may not be freely distributed.
  4. Use a libcapsimage plug-in if you need IPF support on OS X or AMD64/Linux.
  5. Use the GTK+ configuration interface only on a system with GTK+ support.

Verdict

Choose PUAE if you need an open-source emulator for Amiga software and your host system is among those supported. Look elsewhere if you need a complete configuration interface or rely on features such as serial and parallel port emulation, graphics scaling or floppy drive sounds.

Questions

Is PUAE free and open source?

Yes. It is open source under GPL-2.0.

Which systems can PUAE run on?

Listed hosts include Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, BeOS, AmigaOS and its clones, and Windows through Cygwin or MinGW32. Feature support varies by system.

Does PUAE need a Kickstart ROM?

Full use requires an Amiga Kickstart ROM image. Included ROM emulation may work with some older games; copyrighted ROMs may not be freely distributed.

Which disk image formats does it support?

Listed formats include ADF, DMS, FDI and IPF, as well as gzip-compressed images and ZIP archives. IPF support on OS X and AMD64/Linux requires the libcapsimage plug-in.

Is there a graphical configuration interface?

A usable configuration GUI is available only on GTK+-supporting systems, and it is incomplete.

Facts from PUAE's own pages

Configuration GUI
The README says a usable configuration GUI is available only on platforms supporting GTK+, and describes that GUI as incomplete. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Configuration interface
The README says a usable configuration GUI is available only on platforms with GTK+, and that the GTK+ GUI is incomplete. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Disk images
The project added a command-line tool called make_hdf for generating blank hardfile images. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Disk image tool
The README lists make_hdf, a command-line tool for generating blank hardfile images. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Documentation and support
The README describes documentation as a work in progress and directs users to a mailing list for discussion and to Richard Drummond for bug reports, comments, and patches. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Downloads
The repository's Releases page says there are no releases. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Floppy image support
IPF floppy image support is listed for OS X and AMD64/Linux, with the libcapsimage plug-in required. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Host systems
The README lists Unix-like systems including Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X, along with BeOS, AmigaOS and its clones, and Windows through Cygwin or MinGW32. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Input
The README lists X-Arcade joystick support. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
IPF support
The README lists IPF floppy image support on OS X and AMD64/Linux, with a libcapsimage plug-in required. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Joystick support
The README lists support for the X-Arcade joystick. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Kickstart ROM
Full use requires an Amiga Kickstart ROM image, though included ROM emulation may work with some older games; the README says copyrighted ROMs may not be freely distributed. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Known limitations
The README says its virtual filesystem mangles filenames containing non-ASCII characters on UTF-8 platforms, and its OpenGL renderer is experimental and unfinished. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
License
The README describes E-UAE as open-source software made available under the GPL; the repository identifies its license as GPL-2.0. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Lineage
E-UAE 1.6.10 combines E-UAE 0.8.29WIP4 and WinUAE 1.6.10. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Operating systems
The README lists Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, BeOS, AmigaOS and clones, and Windows with Cygwin or MinGW32 among supported host systems, with varying feature support. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Project basis
The README says E-UAE combines E-UAE 0.8.29WIP4 and WinUAE 1.6.10, and is based on UAE and WinUAE. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Purpose
PUAE is described as an Amiga emulator for Pandora and Unix-like systems. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
ROM rights
The README says Kickstart ROMs are copyrighted and may not be freely distributed. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Software compatibility
E-UAE lets users run software designed for Amiga computers on other platforms. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Unimplemented features
The README lists serial and parallel port emulation, AHI soundcard emulation, Catweasel support, graphics filters and scaling, and floppy drive sounds as unsupported. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Unsupported features
The README lists serial and parallel port emulation, AHI soundcard emulation, Catweasel support, graphics filters and scaling, and floppy drive sounds as not yet supported. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
What it runs
The emulator runs software designed for Amiga computers on other platforms. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026

Where PUAE stands on Freedom251

Look at these too