LaunchBox AlternativesOnly apps from the EU

The best alternative to LaunchBox is Playnite, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to LaunchBox and 12 are so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting alternatives to LaunchBox are Lutris, RetroArch, Lemuroid and Pegasus.

filter to find the best alternatives

LaunchBox alternatives are mainly Game Emulators, but if you're looking for Game Library Managers or Game Stores you can filter on that. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to LaunchBox.
LaunchBox iconLaunchBox
  48
  • ...

LaunchBox was originally built as an attractive frontend to DOSBox, but has since expanded to support both modern PC games and emulated console platforms. LaunchBox aims to be the one-stop shop for...

More about LaunchBox
More about LaunchBox
LaunchBox alternatives page was last updated Apr 29, 2025
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
  1. Playnite icon

    Playnite

     212 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Video game library manager and launcher with support for 3rd party libraries like Steam, GOG, Origin and Uplay, providing one unified interface for your games.

    41 Playnite alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CZ flagCzechia
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Playnite screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Games library
    2.  Game Launcher
    3.  Multiple Account support
    4.  Import from Epic Games
    5.  Front End Emulation
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7. Steam icon  Import from Steam
    8.  Search metadata
    9.  Launcher
    10.  API Integration
    11. GOG.com icon  Import from GoG
    12.  Controller Support

    Playnite VS LaunchBox

     
    Comments about Playnite as an Alternative to LaunchBox
    Eyji
    Positive Mar 10, 2019
    1

    Does the same job for free (completely) and uses the Internet Games Datab which I find better

    LaunchBox Icon
    Playnite icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Playnite is a great LaunchBox alternative.

    • Playnite is the most popular Windows alternative to LaunchBox.

    • Playnite is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to LaunchBox.

    • Playnite is Free and Open SourceLaunchBox is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Playnite is CustomizableLaunchBox is not according to our users
  2. Lutris icon

    Lutris

     217 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Lutris is an open source gaming platform for GNU/Linux. It allows you to gather and manage (install, configure and launch) all your games acquired from any source, in a single interface.

    55 Lutris alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Flathub
    Lutris screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Game Launcher
    2.  Custom Scripts
    3.  Multi System Emulator
    4.  Compatibility Layer
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Two-factor Authentication

    Lutris VS LaunchBox

     
    Comments about Lutris as an Alternative to LaunchBox
    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Negative Jan 20, 2019
    0

    Launchbox is internally capable of batch imports for supported platforms. Lutris can only batch import from a few sources.

    Guest
    Negative Mar 10, 2020
    0

    Launchbox is primarily designed for importing libraries of retro game roms and then setting up as a frontend to launch external emulators.

    Lutris is primarily a community driven frontend for managing wine and proton emulation configs for modern windows games.

    Guest
    Positive Jul 11, 2016
    0

    Lets you collect and run all your games, no matter how you are running them, from one place.

    LaunchBox Icon
    Lutris icon

    • Most users think Lutris is a great LaunchBox alternative.

    • Lutris is the most popular Web-based & Linux alternative to LaunchBox.

    • Lutris is Free and Open SourceLaunchBox is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Lutris is LightweightLaunchBox is not according to our users
  4. RetroArch icon

    RetroArch

     296 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    A fast, modular emulator frontend offering portability and extensive support for systems from arcade consoles to mobile platforms, featuring game engines like Doom and Quake, and capabilities for real-time rewinding and shader support on a variety of devices.

    135 RetroArch alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • iPad
    • F-Droid
    • Steam
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Main view

    RetroArch Features

    1.  Multi System Emulator
    2.  Multiplatform
    3.  Emulation
    4.  Controller Support
    5.  Modular System
    6.  Gameboy emulation
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  Variety
    9.  Rewind button
    10.  Portable

    RetroArch VS LaunchBox

     

    • RetroArch is the most popular Android, Mac, iPhone & iPad alternative to LaunchBox.

    • RetroArch is Free and Open SourceLaunchBox is Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Lemuroid icon

    Lemuroid

     33 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Lemuroid is an open-source emulation project based on Libretro. It's completely free, without ads and focused on ease of use and good user experience.

    26 Lemuroid alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • IT flagItaly
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Lemuroid screenshot 1
    Lemuroid screenshot 2
    Lemuroid screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Emulation
    2.  Playstation
    3.  Gameboy emulation
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Controller Support

    Lemuroid VS LaunchBox

     
  6. Pegasus icon

    Pegasus

     27 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Pegasus is a graphical frontend for browsing your game library (especially retro games) and launching them from one place. It's focusing on customizability, cross platform support (including embedded devices) and high performance.

    45 Pegasus alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • HU flagHungary
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi
    Pegasus screenshot 1

    Pegasus Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Game Launcher

    Pegasus VS LaunchBox

     
  7. Lakka icon

    Lakka

     33 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Lakka is the official Linux distribution of RetroArch and the libretro ecosystem. Each game system is implemented as a libretro core, while the frontend RetroArch takes care of inputs and display.

    31 Lakka alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Cubieboard
    • HummingBoard
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Odroid
    Splash screen

    Properties

    1.  Gaming-focused

    Features

    1.  Emulation
    2.  Linux-based

    Lakka VS LaunchBox

     
    Comments about Lakka as an Alternative to LaunchBox
    Guest
    Negative Nov 23, 2020
    0

    Linux-OS not meant to be used as game library organizer.

    LaunchBox Icon
    Lakka icon
    • Lakka is Free and Open SourceLaunchBox is Freemium and Proprietary
  9. Gavilya icon

    Gavilya

     8 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Gavilya is a user-friendly game launcher built using C# .NET 6 and WPF, designed to streamline the gaming experience by consolidating games from various sources into a single, accessible platform. With its intuitive interface and diverse set of features, Gavilya offers gamers a...

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Gavilya screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Launcher
    4.  Game Launcher

    Gavilya VS LaunchBox

     
  10. RetroDECK icon

    RetroDECK

     4 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    RetroDECK is an all-in-one retro gaming platform with built-in emulators, game engines, and systems. For Steam Deck or Linux Desktop.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • IT flagItaly
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • SteamOS
    • Flathub
    • Linux
    • Flatpak
    RetroDECK screenshot 1

    RetroDECK Features

    1.  Achievements Supported
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Controller Support
    4.  Emulation
    5.  Flatpak

    RetroDECK VS LaunchBox

     
  11. kolektor icon

    kolektor

     3 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    kolektor is a Video Game Collection manager for Windows, for organizing user's game library.

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • SI flagSlovenia
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Grid view

    kolektor Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Games library
    3.  Game Launcher
    4.  Search metadata
    5.  Personal video game library
    6.  Launcher

    kolektor VS LaunchBox

     
  12. Metropolis Launcher icon

    Metropolis Launcher

     2 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Metropolis Launcher is a game launcher, emulation front-end and an extensive offline database of video game metadata thanks to MobyGames.

    Metropolis Launcher is based on the .NET 4.0 Framework and runs on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Metropolis Launcher screenshot 1

    Metropolis Launcher Features

    1.  Multiple languages
    2.  Front End Emulation
    3.  Launcher
    4.  Multi System Emulator
    5.  Emulation

    Metropolis Launcher VS LaunchBox

     
10 of 12 LaunchBox alternatives