Emu8086 vs NASM

Struggling to choose between Emu8086 and NASM? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Emu8086 is a Development solution with tags like emulator, 8086, assembly, debugging, dos.

It boasts features such as Full emulation of 8086/8088 microprocessors, Supports real mode and protected mode, Built-in assembler and debugger, Supports INT 10h video and BIOS calls, Can run .COM and .EXE DOS binaries, Includes library of software examples and pros including Free and open source, Easy to use interface, Good for learning assembly language, Allows running old DOS programs on modern systems.

On the other hand, NASM is a Development product tagged with assembler, x86, open-source.

Its standout features include Supports x86 and x86-64 instruction sets, Can generate output in multiple object file formats like ELF, COFF, Mach-O, etc, Supports macros for code reuse, Has built-in optimizations, Integrates with various linkers and debuggers, Cross-platform - runs on Windows, Linux, BSD, macOS, Open source with active community support, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Fast and lightweight, Supports latest x86 instructions, Portable across platforms, Integrates well with build tools, Lots of documentation and examples available.

Feature	Emu8086	NASM
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

Emu8086

Description: Emu8086 is an emulator for the Intel 8086 16-bit microprocessor. It allows software made for the 8086 CPU to be run on modern computers without any modifications. It's useful for learning assembly language, debugging old DOS programs or playing classic DOS games that rely on the 8086 instruction set.

NASM

Description: NASM (Netwide Assembler) is an open-source assembler for the x86 processor architecture. It supports a range of object file formats and can be used to write 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit applications for Windows, Linux, BSD, and macOS.

Key Features Comparison

Emu8086 Features

• Full emulation of 8086/8088 microprocessors
• Supports real mode and protected mode
• Built-in assembler and debugger
• Supports INT 10h video and BIOS calls
• Can run .COM and .EXE DOS binaries
• Includes library of software examples

NASM Features

• Supports x86 and x86-64 instruction sets
• Can generate output in multiple object file formats like ELF, COFF, Mach-O, etc
• Supports macros for code reuse
• Has built-in optimizations
• Integrates with various linkers and debuggers
• Cross-platform - runs on Windows, Linux, BSD, macOS
• Open source with active community support

Pros & Cons Analysis

Emu8086

Pros

• Free and open source
• Easy to use interface
• Good for learning assembly language
• Allows running old DOS programs on modern systems

Cons

• Only emulates 8086 CPU and peripherals, not full PC hardware
• Limited compatibility with more complex DOS and Windows software
• Debugger is basic and lacks some advanced features

NASM

Pros

• Free and open source
• Fast and lightweight
• Supports latest x86 instructions
• Portable across platforms
• Integrates well with build tools
• Lots of documentation and examples available

Cons

• Steep learning curve for beginners
• Lacks high-level features like C compilers
• Manual register allocation required
• Not as full-featured as commercial assemblers

Pricing Comparison

Emu8086

• Free
• Open Source

NASM

• Open Source