Multipass vs PCem

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

Multipass is a Development solution with tags like virtualization, ubuntu, linux, docker.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including Simple and easy to use, Lightweight and fast VM launches, Reproducible dev environments, Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows, Active development and maintenance.

On the other hand, PCem is a Gaming Software product tagged with emulator, x86, msdos, retro-gaming.

Its standout features include Emulate old x86 PCs and hardware, Run MS-DOS games and applications, High compatibility with older software, Customizable emulated hardware, Open source codebase, Cross-platform - works on Windows, Linux, macOS, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Active development community, High configurability and customization, Good performance, Preserves old games and software.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Multipass

Multipass

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.

Categories:
virtualization ubuntu linux docker

Multipass Features

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

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

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


PCem

PCem

PCem is an open-source IA-32 PC emulator that allows you to emulate old x86 based PCs. It aims to be highly compatible and allows you to run many older MS-DOS games and applications. PCem is free, customizable, and works on Windows, Linux and macOS.

Categories:
emulator x86 msdos retro-gaming

PCem Features

  1. Emulate old x86 PCs and hardware
  2. Run MS-DOS games and applications
  3. High compatibility with older software
  4. Customizable emulated hardware
  5. Open source codebase
  6. Cross-platform - works on Windows, Linux, macOS

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Active development community

High configurability and customization

Good performance

Preserves old games and software

Cons

Steep learning curve

Requires tinkering to optimize performance

Limited support for newer OSes like Windows XP

User interface not very intuitive