86Box vs Multipass

Struggling to choose between 86Box and Multipass? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

86Box is a Gaming Software solution with tags like emulator, dos, windows, vintage-computing, retro-gaming.

It boasts features such as Emulation of x86-based PCs from the 1980s and early 1990s, Supports emulating DOS, early Windows, classic games and apps, Modular and plugin-based design, Cycle-accurate emulation for high compatibility, Supports graphics, sound and input devices from the era, Customizable configuration of emulated hardware, Save states and snapshots, Debugging tools and pros including High accuracy and compatibility, Active development and support, Open source and free, Allows using old software easily, Customizable to suit needs, Preserves old systems and software.

On the other hand, Multipass is a Development product tagged with virtualization, ubuntu, linux, docker.

Its standout features include Create Ubuntu VMs with a single command, CLI and GUI available, Built-in SSH access to VMs, Suspend and restart VMs while maintaining state, Share folders between host and VMs, Customizable CPU and memory allocation, VM image caching to speed up launches, and it shines with pros like Simple and easy to use, Lightweight and fast VM launches, Reproducible dev environments, Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows, Active development and maintenance.

Feature	86Box	Multipass
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Gaming Software	Development

Product Overview

86Box

Description: 86Box is an open-source x86 emulator that specializes in emulating software and hardware from the 1980s and early 1990s. It supports emulating systems like DOS, early versions of Windows, and classic games and applications.

Multipass

Description: Multipass is a lightweight virtual machine manager for Linux, Windows and macOS. It simplifies setting up virtual Ubuntu instances in just a few clicks, allowing developers to easily create reproducible development environments.

Key Features Comparison

86Box Features

• Emulation of x86-based PCs from the 1980s and early 1990s
• Supports emulating DOS, early Windows, classic games and apps
• Modular and plugin-based design
• Cycle-accurate emulation for high compatibility
• Supports graphics, sound and input devices from the era
• Customizable configuration of emulated hardware
• Save states and snapshots
• Debugging tools

Multipass Features

• Create Ubuntu VMs with a single command
• CLI and GUI available
• Built-in SSH access to VMs
• Suspend and restart VMs while maintaining state
• Share folders between host and VMs
• Customizable CPU and memory allocation
• VM image caching to speed up launches

Pros & Cons Analysis

86Box

Pros

• High accuracy and compatibility
• Active development and support
• Open source and free
• Allows using old software easily
• Customizable to suit needs
• Preserves old systems and software

Cons

• Can require tinkering to work properly
• Limited support for newer systems
• Steep learning curve
• Potential stability issues
• Requires decent system resources

Multipass

Pros

• Simple and easy to use
• Lightweight and fast VM launches
• Reproducible dev environments
• Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows
• Active development and maintenance

Cons

• Only supports Ubuntu VMs currently
• Limited configuration options compared to other VM managers
• No snapshot or cloning support yet
• No built-in orchestration features

Pricing Comparison

86Box

• Open Source
• Free

Multipass

• Free
• Open Source