MAME

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Score7.4

Rank#3 of 54

PriceFree

Free planYes

Runs onAndroid, Linux, macOS, Windows

Summary

MAME is a free emulation framework built to document and preserve the hardware behind arcade games, vintage computers, consoles, calculators, and other electronic amusement machines. It reproduces their inner components and can emulate over 32,000 individual systems from the last five decades. Alongside emulation, it includes an interactive low-level debugger for examining software behavior, diagnosing emulation issues, and developing software for vintage systems. Its Lua interface can inspect device state, access CPU registers, read and write memory, and draw overlays, although the API may change without notice. Plugins support tasks such as communicating with external programs and offering alternate interfaces; included examples are Discord Presence and a GDB Stub. MAME can save and load states, record inputs for playback, and capture screenshots or video. It is available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Official Windows packages require Windows 10 or later. BIOS dumps and copyrighted software are generally not included, and emulation may be imperfect or run below full speed.

Who it is for

MAME suits people interested in preserving or exploring vintage systems, as well as developers, ROM hackers, and users investigating software behavior. Its debugger and Lua interface also serve technical work on emulation and vintage software.

What is good

Documents and reproduces a wide range of vintage hardware
Includes an interactive low-level debugger
Lua interface can inspect and manipulate device state
Supports save states, input recordings, screenshots, and video
Available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows

What to know first

BIOS dumps and copyrighted software are generally not included
Lua API may change without prior notice
Some systems may not emulate perfectly or at full speed
Not designed for secure sites or administrator use

Everything Xiaomi review

MAME: the full review

MAME combines historical hardware documentation with emulation and tools for inspecting software behavior. Users should account for missing ROM and BIOS files, changing Lua APIs, and imperfect emulation on some systems.

MAME is a preservation-focused emulation framework for arcade machines and vintage computers, consoles, calculators, and other electronic amusement systems. It is best for users who want to explore many kinds of historical software or investigate how it works, rather than those seeking a polished emulator for one system. Its scope is unusually broad, but access to the software and fidelity of emulation can limit what it delivers.

Overview

MAME documents and reproduces the inner components of systems spanning the last five decades, covering more than 32,000 individual machines. That breadth makes it a practical starting point for preservation and cross-system exploration; it also means that support for a system does not promise a perfect or full-speed experience. Some systems may run slowly even on the fastest computers.

Users can save and load states, record inputs for playback, and capture screenshots or video. These tools help preserve a moment in a session or examine repeatable behavior. MAME is not a collection of ready-to-play games: BIOS dumps and software are generally not included because of copyright, though the project has permission to redistribute some older software.

Key features

Debugging and inspection

The interactive low-level debugger supports diagnosing emulation problems, developing software for vintage systems, creating cheats, ROM hacking, and investigating program behavior. Lua scripts can inspect and change device state, access CPU registers, read and write memory, and draw graphical overlays. That makes MAME useful to developers and technically curious users, but its Lua API is not stable and may change without notice, so scripts can require upkeep.

Plugins and linked play

Lua plugins can communicate with external programs, display game structures, provide alternate interfaces, or test emulation. Included examples such as Discord Presence and a GDB Stub extend MAME beyond ordinary game launching. Network play is also supported for at least one specific case: the MAME 0.288 release notes describe networked linked-play deathmatches in Taito’s Gunbuster. That is a concrete capability, not a guarantee of netplay across every system.

Pricing

MAME is free: its MAME plan costs 0.00 USD per free and is distributed under GPL-2.0 or later. There is no free trial because the software is already free. The project as a whole uses GPL-2.0, while the site says more than 90% of files, including core files, use BSD-3-Clause. The main practical cost is obtaining compatible ROMs or BIOS files separately where they are not legally redistributable.

Platforms

MAME supports Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Official Windows packages include x64 and Arm64 builds and require Windows 10 or later, 4 GB of RAM, and a supported x86-64 or Arm CPU. The MAMEDEV wiki provides Linux and macOS build instructions. MAME says it is not designed or audited for secure sites; it should not be run as administrator or root.

Who it's for

MAME suits preservation enthusiasts, developers working with vintage systems, and users who want to inspect or modify software behavior. Its debugger and scripting options reward technical interest, while its broad system coverage appeals to people exploring more than one era or machine type. It is a less suitable choice for anyone who expects included games, guaranteed full-speed emulation, or a stable Lua API.

Pros and cons

Pro: Coverage across more than 32,000 systems makes one framework useful for a wide range of preservation and exploration.
Pro: Debugger, Lua access, and plugins support serious inspection and development work, not just playback.
Pro: State handling, input recording, and media capture help document and revisit software behavior.
Con: ROMs and BIOS files are generally not included, so having MAME alone may not be enough to run a desired system.
Con: Emulation can be imperfect or slow, even on powerful hardware.
Con: The Lua API may change without warning, which makes scripts less dependable over time.

Alternatives

For a Dreamcast-focused option, Flycast is free, has no ads, and supports Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows; its game files are also left to the user. The other Flycast listing is free and specifically covers Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, and Atomiswave emulation. Choose either when those systems, rather than MAME’s broad preservation scope, are the priority.

WashingtonDC is a free Linux and Windows alternative; its maker describes washDC as open-source under GNU GPL version 3 and as the team’s only product to date. Flycast is another free, open-source option for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Deecy is free and supports Linux and Windows; its maker identifies as a developer from France.

Redream is a freemium alternative for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows; its Premium plan starts at 6.00 USD per once, with pay-what-you-want amounts listed at $6, $8, $10, and $20. Nitrocast is a free Linux option, while nullDC 2.0.0 is free and supports web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Readers comparing system-specific choices can also browse Dreamcast Emulators, Sega CD Emulators, Sega Genesis Emulators, Multi-System Emulators, TurboGrafx-16 Emulators, and Game Gear Emulators.

Verdict

Choose MAME if you want a free, unusually wide-ranging preservation framework with tools for debugging, scripting, and studying vintage software. Look elsewhere if your priority is a focused, consistently faithful gaming experience or if you need ROMs and BIOS files bundled with the emulator.

MAME plans and pricing

All plans

MAME Free GPL-2.0 or later; ROMs and copyrighted software are generally not included mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on multi-system emulators

Free plan: Yesmamedev.org
Dreamcast BIOS required: Yesmamedev.org

Facts

Purpose: MAME is a multi-purpose emulation framework intended to preserve software history by documenting hardware and how it functions.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Systems covered: MAME documents arcade games as well as a wide variety of mostly vintage computers, video game consoles, and calculators.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
License: The project as a whole is distributed under GPL-2.0, and the site says over 90% of its files, including core files, are under BSD-3-Clause.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Windows downloads: The official release page offers Windows x64 and Arm64 binary packages; both require Windows 10 or later.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Other platforms: The MAMEDEV wiki lists macOS and Linux among the non-Windows platforms and provides platform build instructions.wiki.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Debugger: MAME includes an interactive low-level debugger for diagnosing emulation issues, developing software for vintage systems, and examining how software works.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Lua scripting: MAME's Lua interface can inspect and manipulate device state, access CPU registers, read and write memory, and draw graphical overlays.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Lua API limitation: The Lua API is not declared stable and may change without prior notice.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Plugins: MAME supports plugins for tasks including communicating with external programs, displaying game structures, providing alternate interfaces, and testing emulation.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Integration: Included plugins include Discord Presence and a GDB Stub.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Support: The MAMEDEV forums include discussion for MAME emulation, compilation, and general help.forum.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Intended users: The debugger documentation identifies diagnosing emulation, developing vintage-system software, creating cheats, ROM hacking, and investigating software behavior as use cases.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
What it does: MAME is a multi-purpose emulation framework that documents and reproduces the inner components of arcade machines, computers, consoles, calculators and other electronic amusement machines.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Preservation purpose: The project’s primary purpose is to preserve decades of arcade, computer and console history.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Emulated systems: MAME can emulate over 32,000 individual systems from the last five decades.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Platforms: The current source can be compiled for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and macOS; official binary packages are designed for Windows.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Latest release: The latest official release listed is MAME 0.289, with official Windows x64 and Arm64 binaries and source code packages.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Windows requirements: Official Windows binaries require Windows 10 or later, 4 GB RAM and a supported x86-64 or Arm CPU.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Features: MAME can save and load state files, record inputs for playback, and capture screenshots or video.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Extensibility: MAME supports Lua plugins loaded from configurable plugin paths.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Network play: The MAME 0.288 release notes say linked play deathmatch mode in Taito’s Gunbuster is supported over a network.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
ROM availability: MAME does not generally include BIOS dumps or software because these are often copyrighted; the team has permission to redistribute some older software.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Security: MAME says it is not designed for secure sites, has not been audited for such use, and should not be run as administrator or root.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026
Emulation limits: Supported systems may not emulate perfectly, and some systems may not run at full speed even on the fastest computers.docs.mamedev.org · 30 Sept 2026