DOSBox is an emulator program which emulates an IBM PC compatible computer running a DOS operating system.
Publisher’s description
What is DOSBox?
DOSBox by DOSBox is open-source Windows software in the pc games category. It ranks 47th by popularity among pc games in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2002. It is written in C++ and C. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Linux, OS/2, FreeBSD and RISC OS. Its interface is available in 4 languages.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 32-bit Windows. The main installer is 1.5 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 23,427 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 25 of our languages. Similar programs include RetroArch, OpenTTD and Steam.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Small download (1.5 MB)
- Also runs on macOS, Linux and OS/2
- Mature project (since 2002)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: DOSBox is an open-source pc game tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is DOSBox safe to download?
- The file is served by sourceforge.net, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
A9E270217D12867C2609D9423D1B2ED83FCF7CD08AEEEE3AB09A4AFDF9E9418E· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- 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 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.74-3Latest | June 26, 2019 | 1.5 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id DOSBox.DOSBox -echoco install dosbox -yscoop install main/dosboxDOSBox0.74-3-win32-installer.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask dosboxflatpak install flathub com.dosbox.DOSBoxInformation
- Publisher
- DOSBox
- Category
- PC games
- Licence
- GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPL-2.0)
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- sourceforge.net
- Written in
- C++ and C
- Interface languages
- English, German, Russian, and French
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- macOS, Linux, OS/2, FreeBSD, RISC OS
- Version
- 0.74-3
- Released
- June 26, 2019
- First release
- 2002
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 1
- Chocolatey downloads
- 23,427
- Website
- sourceforge.net
- winget ID
- DOSBox.DOSBox
- Chocolatey package
- dosbox
- Scoop package
- main/dosbox
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is DOSBox free?
Yes. DOSBox is open-source software under the GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPL-2.0) licence.
Is DOSBox safe to download?
The download comes from sourceforge.net, 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 DOSBox 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 DOSBox be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does DOSBox run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
What are alternatives to DOSBox?
RetroArch, OpenTTD, Steam, PPSSPP and ScummVM. The alternatives page compares them.
