Best EmulationStation Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from game launchers ranked against EmulationStation on the same published basis.
- 1EmulationStation vs RomM
- 2EmulationStation vs Steam
- 3EmulationStation vs Heroic Games Launcher
- 4EmulationStation vs LaunchBox
- 5EmulationStation vs ES-DE Frontend
- 6EmulationStation vs Pegasus Frontend
- 7EmulationStation vs GOG Galaxy
- 8EmulationStation vs Bezel
- 9EmulationStation vs Lutris
- 10EmulationStation vs itch app
- 11EmulationStation vs Prism Launcher
- 12EmulationStation vs Battle.net
- 13EmulationStation vs Epic Games Launcher
- 14EmulationStation vs Yamata Launcher
- 15EmulationStation vs EA app
- 16EmulationStation vs Minecraft Launcher
- 17EmulationStation vs GDLauncher
- 18EmulationStation vs RetroArch
- 19EmulationStation vs Retrom
- 20EmulationStation vs Google Play Games on PC
EmulationStation alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RomM | 9.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Steam | 9.2 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 3 | Heroic Games Launcher | 8.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | LaunchBox | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, Windows |
| 5 | ES-DE Frontend | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Pegasus Frontend | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | GOG Galaxy | 8.7 | Free plan | Free | Mac, Windows |
| 8 | Bezel | 8.5 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 9 | Lutris | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 10 | itch app | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | Prism Launcher | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | Battle.net | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 13 | Epic Games Launcher | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 14 | Yamata Launcher | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 15 | EA app | 8.1 | No | $3.33/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 16 | Minecraft Launcher | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 17 | GDLauncher | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 18 | RetroArch | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 19 | Retrom | 7.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 20 | Google Play Games on PC | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, Windows |
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Questions about EmulationStation alternatives
What is the best alternative to EmulationStation?
RomM, number 1 in game launchers with a score of 9.3 out of 10. The others here: Steam, Heroic Games Launcher, LaunchBox and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to EmulationStation?
RomM is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 18 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each host or developer publishes: price of the first paid plan, a free tier or trial, supported platforms and the depth of its public documentation.