Best Game Library Managers in 2026
Updated
In short: RetroArch is ranked #1 of 40 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of RomM and ES-DE Frontend. The best-ranked option with a free plan is RomM.
Game library managers help organize collections so you can browse games across the sources and systems you use. Compared on store coverage and platform support, the entries can be checked against your particular collection. Emulator and controller support may matter for certain setups, while metadata editing is relevant if you want to maintain game details. Cloud sync and offline mode address different ways of accessing a library; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. RetroArch, RomM, and ES-DE Frontend are among the entries shown. Consider which combination of compatibility and library features fits your gaming setup.
40 game library managers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
18 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RetroArchWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | RomMWeb · Windows · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | ES-DE FrontendWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | Pegasus FrontendWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | Yamata LauncherWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 6 | Attract-ModeWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | BezelWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | GaseousWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | Heroic Games LauncherWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | LaunchBoxWindows · Android | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 11 | BatoceraLinux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | GOG GalaxyWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | LutrisLinux | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 14 | PlayniteWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 15 | DaijishōAndroid | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 16 | OpenEmuMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 17 | SimpleOrgChartWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 18 | ForsakenWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 19 | RetromWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 20 | Emulation NinjaWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 21 | GameExWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 5.4 | |
| 22 | DKAFEWindows · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 23 | GameIndexWindows · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 24 | OnyxWindows · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 25 | PhoenixWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Store coverage | Emulator support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RetroArch | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 2 | RomM | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 3 | ES-DE Frontend | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 4 | Pegasus Frontend | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 5 | Yamata Launcher | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 6 | Attract-Mode | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | single-store | Yes |
| 7 | Bezel | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 8 | Gaseous | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | — | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 9 | Heroic Games Launcher | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store | No |
| 10 | LaunchBox | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 30 one-time | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 11 | Batocera | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 12 | GOG Galaxy | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Lutris | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 14 | Playnite | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 15 | Daijishō | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | OpenEmu | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | SimpleOrgChart | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Forsaken | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 19 | Retrom | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 20 | Emulation Ninja | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 21 | GameEx | 5.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 22 | DKAFE | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 23 | GameIndex | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-store-plus-emulators | Yes |
| 24 | Onyx | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-store | — |
| 25 | Phoenix | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which game library manager is ranked first on Freedom251?
RetroArch is ranked #1 of 40 with a score of 6.8. RomM is second and ES-DE Frontend third.
How many of these have a free plan?
18 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.