Bochs is a highly portable open source IA-32 (x86) PC emulator written in C++, that runs on most popular platforms. It includes emulation of the Intel x86 CPU, common I/O devices, and a custom BIOS. Bochs can be compiled to emulate many different x86 CPUs, from early 386 to the most recent x86-64 Intel and AMD processors which may even not reached the market yet.
Bochs is capable of running most Operating Systems inside the emulation including Linux, DOS or Microsoft Windows. Bochs was originally written by Kevin Lawton and is currently maintained by this project.
Bochs can be compiled and used in a variety of modes, some which are still in development. The 'typical' use of bochs is to provide complete x86 PC emulation, including the x86 processor, hardware devices, and memory. This allows you to run OS's and software within the emulator on your workstation, much like you have a machine inside of a machine. For instance, let's say your workstation is a Unix/X11 workstation, but you want to run Win'95 applications. Bochs will allow you to run Win 95 and associated software on your Unix/X11 workstation, displaying a window on your workstation, simulating a monitor on a PC.
Publisher’s description
What is Bochs?
Bochs by The Bochs Project is open-source Windows software in the virtualisation category. It ranks 48th by popularity among virtualisation in this catalogue. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 3.1, released on August 23, 2026. The version history goes back to February 16, 2025: 2 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 1.3 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (bochs-emu/Bochs) has 1,384 stars. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .bxrc. Similar programs include Sandboxie, Oracle VirtualBox and Vagrant.
Project description on GitHub: “Bochs - Cross Platform x86 Emulator Project”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Bochs is an open-source virtualisation tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Bochs safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
CCBEC06EC5BAA81064CFE7C91862D0027B5033DBFA0B773D22E8BE92094FDBB5· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›2 versions over 2 years · about 1.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1Latest | August 23, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3.0 | February 16, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Bochs.Bochs -escoop install main/bochsBochs-win64-3.1.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install bochsInformation
- Publisher
- The Bochs Project
- Category
- Virtualisation
- Licence
- LGPL-2.1
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/bochs-emu/Bochs
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 3.1
- Released
- August 23, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- February 17, 2025
- Versions listed
- 2
- Updates / year
- 1.3
- GitHub stars
- 1,384
- GitHub forks
- 196
- Website
- bochs.sourceforge.io
- winget ID
- Bochs.Bochs
- Scoop package
- main/bochs
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Bochs
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bochs free?
Yes. Bochs is open-source software under the LGPL-2.1 licence.
Is Bochs safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Bochs with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Bochs be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Bochs run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Bochs?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 16, 2025.
What are alternatives to Bochs?
Sandboxie, Oracle VirtualBox, Vagrant, QEMU and Multipass. The alternatives page compares them.
