Best MS-DOS Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: DOS Browser is ranked #1 of 26 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of DosKit and DOSBox. The best-ranked option with a free plan is DosKit.
If you want to run software or games made for MS-DOS, compare these emulators by DOS target versions, host platforms and disk image formats. Audio CD and gamepad support may matter for particular setups, while save states and source availability add other useful distinctions. Free-plan and paid-from details can help you assess access and cost. DOSBox and DOSBox Staging are among the entries, as are DOSBox Pure and Magic DosBox. Check the listed compatibility and features against the software you want to run and the device you plan to use.
26 MS-DOS emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
8 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 | DOS BrowserWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | DosKitWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | DOSBoxWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 4 | DOSBox PureWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | DOSBox StagingWindows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | js-dosWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | DOS Wasm XWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | Magic DosBoxAndroid | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | DOSBox OptionalsWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 10 | dosbox-automationWindows · Linux · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 11 | EM-DOSBoxWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 12 | dosdoorMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 13 | DOSVAXJ3Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 14 | Retro-DOSAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | UniPCemuWindows · Android | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 16 | DOS-EmulatorMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | DOSBox-XWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | MS-DOS PlayerWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | riapyxWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | ShedWeb · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | DOSBox 3DSNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | DOSBox PSPNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | DOSBox WiiNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | DOSVisorWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | iDOS 3Mac · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported host platforms | DOS target versions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DOS Browser | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Steam Deck | ms-dos |
| 2 | DosKit | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | windows, macos, linux, ios, android | — |
| 3 | DOSBox | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, Linux, macOS | dos-compatible |
| 4 | DOSBox Pure | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | ms-dos |
| 5 | DOSBox Staging | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | ms-dos |
| 6 | js-dos | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | web browser, Node.js, mobile browsers | ms-dos |
| 7 | DOS Wasm X | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | web, mobile | dos-compatible |
| 8 | Magic DosBox | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Android | ms-dos |
| 9 | DOSBox Optionals | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows | ms-dos |
| 10 | dosbox-automation | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, Linux | ms-dos |
| 11 | EM-DOSBox | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | web | — |
| 12 | dosdoor | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Linux x86_64; macOS ARM64; macOS x86_64 | freedos |
| 13 | DOSVAXJ3 | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, Linux, macOS | — |
| 14 | Retro-DOS | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | android, ios | freedos |
| 15 | UniPCemu | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, Android, PSP, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita | ms-dos |
| 16 | DOS-Emulator | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS, Ubuntu Linux | dos-compatible |
| 17 | DOSBox-X | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 18 | MS-DOS Player | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows | ms-dos |
| 19 | riapyx | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | windows, macos | ms-dos |
| 20 | Shed | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | DOSBox 3DS | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Nintendo 3DS | dos-compatible |
| 22 | DOSBox PSP | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | PlayStation Portable | ms-dos |
| 23 | DOSBox Wii | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Wii, Wii U/vWii | dos-compatible |
| 24 | DOSVisor | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | windows | ms-dos |
| 25 | iDOS 3 | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | iOS, iPadOS, macOS | dos-compatible |
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 MS-DOS emulator is ranked first on Freedom251?
DOS Browser is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 6.7. DosKit is second and DOSBox third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 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.