DOSBox vs Magic DosBox

DDOSBox7.4Visit Magic DosBox6.7Visit

Higher score D DOSBox #4 in MS-DOS Emulators 7.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit DOSBox

vs

Magic DosBox #8 in MS-DOS Emulators 6.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Magic DosBox

• DOSBox fits best

  General-purpose classic DOS emulation

• Magic DosBox fits best

  Android users playing DOS games

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Side by side

Feature	DDOSBox 7.4/10 Visit ↗	Magic DosBox 6.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.4	6.7
Ranking	#4 in MS-DOS Emulators	#8 in MS-DOS Emulators
Best for	General-purpose classic DOS emulation	Android users playing DOS games
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Android
Support	Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Features DOSBox 3/4 · Magic DosBox 3/4
Gamepad support	✓	✓
Save states	Not published	✓ (best)
Audio CD support	✓ (best)	Not published
Source available	✓	✓
Specs
Supported host platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS	Android
DOS target versions	Dos-compatible	Ms-dos
Disk image formats	ISO, CUE/BIN, CUE/IMG, floppy images, hard-drive images	ISO, GOG, INST, CUE
Our review
Pros	Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux Emulates period graphics, sound, CPU, controller, and CD hardware Supports directories, floppy images, hard-drive images, and CD images	Custom profiles, collections, layouts, and virtual controls Supports keyboard, mouse, stylus, gamepad, audio, CD-ROM, and ISO input Includes save states, networking, and layout import/export
Cons	Primarily operated through command-line commands and configuration files The listed 0.74-3 release dates to an older development period Modern convenience features are less prominent than core emulation support	Free Lite limits users to one game profile Free Lite allows only three widget types Games are not included, and save states have reliability limitations
Our verdict	DOSBox is a free, open-source emulator for running classic DOS games and applications on modern computers. It is aimed at users who need general-purpose DOS compatibility across Windows, macOS, and Linux, with support for DOS-compatible… Read the review →	Magic DosBox is an open-source Android port of DOSBox for running users’ own MS-DOS games and applications on phones, tablets, and other Android devices. It is aimed at Android users who want configurable touch controls alongside physical… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• DOSBox — where it wins

  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Emulates period graphics, sound, CPU, controller, and CD hardware
  • Supports directories, floppy images, hard-drive images, and CD images

  Where it doesn't

  • Primarily operated through command-line commands and configuration files
  • The listed 0.74-3 release dates to an older development period
  • Modern convenience features are less prominent than core emulation support

• Magic DosBox — where it wins

  • Custom profiles, collections, layouts, and virtual controls
  • Supports keyboard, mouse, stylus, gamepad, audio, CD-ROM, and ISO input
  • Includes save states, networking, and layout import/export

  Where it doesn't

  • Free Lite limits users to one game profile
  • Free Lite allows only three widget types
  • Games are not included, and save states have reliability limitations

• DDOSBox7.4/10 · Free plan

  A capable free DOS emulator with broad hardware and disk-image support.

  Visit DOSBoxFull verdict →
• Magic DosBox6.7/10 · Free plan

  A feature-rich Android DOS emulator with a capable free Lite tier.

  Visit Magic DosBoxFull verdict →