Side by side
RetroBat vs Retrom
Both stand on game launchers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Windows
Choose RetroBat if you want a free Windows frontend for a broad retro ROM library, with scraping and play options in one place. Look elsewhere if you need a platform other than Windows or expect emulator programs to be part of the initial setup.
Visit RetroBat Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
Retrom offers library management, emulator profiles and cloud saves for self-hosted setups. Its project notes on security and its path-matching requirement are important considerations before connecting clients.
Visit RetromThe facts
| RetroBat | Retrom | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | retrobat.org | github.com |
| On game launchers | #47 of 68 | #43 of 68 |
RetroBat: what it does well
- Covers more than 230 consoles and computers.
- Can be installed on a PC, hard drive, or USB key.
- Offers five listed metadata scraping services.
- Includes themes, shaders, bezels, netplay, cheats, and rewind.
- Free and open source, with a free plan.
What to know first
- Windows only, with Windows 11, 10, and 8.1 supported.
- Emulator programs are not included in the setup.
- ScreenScraper requires credentials when used as the default scraper.
Retrom: what it does well
- Scans a filesystem and adds games to a library.
- Desktop clients support Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Syncs save data and save states to the server.
- Supports standalone and dedicated server modes.
- Free and distributed under GPL-3.0.
What to know first
- Designed without specific security measures.
- Standalone server is available only while its client runs.
- IGDB is the only listed metadata provider.
- Sharing emulator configurations requires matching client paths.
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