Best EmulationStation Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from game library managers ranked against EmulationStation on the same published basis.
- 1EmulationStation vs LaunchBox
- 2EmulationStation vs RetroArch
- 3EmulationStation vs ES-DE Frontend
- 4EmulationStation vs Pegasus Frontend
- 5EmulationStation vs RomM
- 6EmulationStation vs Yamata Launcher
- 7EmulationStation vs Daijishō
- 8EmulationStation vs Forsaken
- 9EmulationStation vs Console Launcher
- 10EmulationStation vs Jam Pad
- 11EmulationStation vs Attract-Mode
- 12EmulationStation vs Batocera
- 13EmulationStation vs Bezel
- 14EmulationStation vs GOG Galaxy
- 15EmulationStation vs Heroic Games Launcher
- 16EmulationStation vs Lutris
- 17EmulationStation vs Playnite
- 18EmulationStation vs Gaseous
- 19EmulationStation vs OpenEmu
- 20EmulationStation vs SimpleOrgChart
EmulationStation alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaunchBox | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, Windows |
| 2 | RetroArch | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 3 | ES-DE Frontend | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Pegasus Frontend | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | RomM | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 6 | Yamata Launcher | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | Daijishō | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Android |
| 8 | Forsaken | 7.3 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 9 | Console Launcher | 6.9 | No | — | Android |
| 10 | Jam Pad | 6.6 | No | — | Android |
| 11 | Attract-Mode | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | Batocera | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 13 | Bezel | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 14 | GOG Galaxy | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Mac, Windows |
| 15 | Heroic Games Launcher | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 16 | Lutris | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 17 | Playnite | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 18 | Gaseous | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 19 | OpenEmu | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Mac |
| 20 | SimpleOrgChart | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | self-hosted, Web |
Make your app an alternative to EmulationStation
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about EmulationStation alternatives
What is the best alternative to EmulationStation?
LaunchBox, number 1 in game library managers with a score of 7.9 out of 10. The others here: RetroArch, ES-DE Frontend, Pegasus Frontend and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to EmulationStation?
LaunchBox is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 17 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.