Side by side
Retrom vs ROM Librarian
Both stand on rom management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
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 RetromChoose ROM Librarian if you need a free desktop tool for maintaining retro game files, especially for batch renaming, DAT matching, archive work, or multi-disc organization. Look elsewhere if you need a platform beyond Windows or Linux, or want duplicate checks to inspect ROMs inside archives without extracting them first.
Visit ROM LibrarianThe facts
| Retrom | ROM Librarian | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Linux, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | github.com |
| On rom management software | #11 of 39 | #15 of 39 |
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.
ROM Librarian: what it does well
- Previews regex-based batch renames and supports undo.
- Matches ROMs to No-Intro or MAME DAT files by hash.
- Compresses to ZIP or 7z and extracts both formats.
- Creates M3U playlists for detected multi-disc games.
- Offers duplicate selection preferences for region, size, and date.
What to know first
- Available for Windows and Linux only.
- Archives are compared as files, not by their ROM contents.
- Linux disc conversion requires chdman in PATH.
Alternatives to Retrom Alternatives to ROM Librarian The whole list