DOSBox Pure vs DOSBox-X

DOSBox Pure8.8Visit DOSBox-X7.7Visit

Higher score DOSBox Pure #2 in MS-DOS Emulators 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit DOSBox Pure

vs

DOSBox-X #3 in MS-DOS Emulators 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit DOSBox-X

• DOSBox Pure fits best

  RetroArch users wanting streamlined game loading

• DOSBox-X fits best

  Advanced DOS and legacy Windows emulation

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Side by side

Feature	DOSBox Pure 8.8/10 Visit ↗	DOSBox-X 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	7.7
Ranking	#2 in MS-DOS Emulators	#3 in MS-DOS Emulators
Best for	RetroArch users wanting streamlined game loading	Advanced DOS and legacy Windows emulation
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features DOSBox Pure 3/4 · DOSBox-X 0/4
Gamepad support	✓ (best)	Not published
Save states	✓ (best)	Not published
Audio CD support	Not published	Not published
Source available	✓ (best)	Not published
Specs
Supported host platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Not published
DOS target versions	Ms-dos	Not published
Disk image formats	ISO, CUE, INS, IMG, IMA, VHD, JRC, TC, M3U, M3U8	Not published
Our review
Pros	Loads ZIP and DOSZ archives without extraction Includes save states, rewind, controller mapping, and joystick emulation Works as a standalone app or RetroArch/Libretro core	Supports DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/ME, PC-98, AX, and J-3100 systems Includes save states, networking, shaders, pixel scaling, and 3dfx emulation Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with graphical configuration tools
Cons	Standalone release is still in development Focuses on MS-DOS rather than broader platform emulation Some advanced setup may still involve disk images or DOS files	No officially supported Android platform Its broad configuration may exceed the needs of simple DOS use Focused on DOS-era systems rather than arcade emulation
Our verdict	DOSBox Pure is a free, open-source emulator for MS-DOS games, available as a standalone desktop application and as a RetroArch or Libretro core. It is aimed at players who want to load classic DOS software without repeatedly managing… Read the review →	DOSBox-X is a free, open-source, cross-platform emulator for DOS applications and games, with additional support for DOS-based Windows 3.x, 9x, and ME. It also covers NEC PC-98, AX, and J-3100 systems, making it suited to historical… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• DOSBox Pure — where it wins

  • Loads ZIP and DOSZ archives without extraction
  • Includes save states, rewind, controller mapping, and joystick emulation
  • Works as a standalone app or RetroArch/Libretro core

  Where it doesn't

  • Standalone release is still in development
  • Focuses on MS-DOS rather than broader platform emulation
  • Some advanced setup may still involve disk images or DOS files

• DOSBox-X — where it wins

  • Supports DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/ME, PC-98, AX, and J-3100 systems
  • Includes save states, networking, shaders, pixel scaling, and 3dfx emulation
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with graphical configuration tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No officially supported Android platform
  • Its broad configuration may exceed the needs of simple DOS use
  • Focused on DOS-era systems rather than arcade emulation

• DOSBox Pure8.8/10 · Free plan

  A focused, free DOS emulator with convenient archive loading and Libretro support.

  Visit DOSBox PureFull verdict →
• DOSBox-X7.7/10 · Free plan

  A free, highly configurable choice for advanced DOS and legacy Windows emulation.

  Visit DOSBox-XFull verdict →