Z80CPM vs TERMinator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Z80CPM
Experience the classic CP/M operating system on your iOS or Mac device with a full Z80 processor emulator. Run authentic CP/M software, including operating systems, word processors, programming languages, and text adventures. Works offline with support for multiple disk images.
- Full Z80 emulation
- VT100 terminal support
- Multiple disk image mounting
- Offline functionality
- Native Mac support
- Downloadable CP/M disk images
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RomWBW CP/M brings the classic CP/M operating system to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac with a full Z80 processor emulator. FEATURES • Full Z80 Emulation - Accurate instruction emulation runs authentic CP/M software • VT100 Terminal - ANSI escape sequence support for text adventures and productivity apps • Multiple Disk Support - Mount up to 4 disk images simultaneously • Download Disk Images - Fetch CP/M disk images directly from the RomWBW project • Works Offline - Downloaded disk images are stored locally • Native Mac Support - Runs natively on macOS via Mac Catalyst CLASSIC SOFTWARE Run the software that defined personal computing: • Operating Systems: CP/M 2.2, CP/M 3, ZSDOS, NZCOM, ZPM3 • Word Processing: WordStar • Programming: Turbo Pascal, Microsoft BASIC • Text Adventures: Zork, Adventure, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy • Databases: dBASE II • And thousands more CP/M programs GETTING STARTED 1. Open Settings and download a disk image (CP/M 2.2 recommended) 2. Select the disk image for Unit 0 3. Press Play to start the emulator 4. Press 0 at the boot menu to boot from disk BUILT ON ROMWBW This emulator is built on the RomWBW HBIOS platform, the same firmware used by real retro Z80 hardware projects. Disk images are downloaded from the official RomWBW project and include freely distributable CP/M software. TECHNICAL DETAILS • 80x25 character terminal display • hd1k disk format (8MB per slice, 64MB per disk) • Hardware keyboard support • Portrait and landscape orientation Perfect for retrocomputing enthusiasts, computer history education, or anyone who wants to experience the operating system that launched the personal computer revolution.
TERMinator
Connect to Bulletin Board Systems and SSH servers with a retro terminal client. Experience authentic CP437 ANSI art rendering, classic fonts, and ZMODEM file transfers. Manage your connections with a phonebook and quick connect options.
- Telnet and SSH connections
- CP437/ANSI art rendering
- Classic bitmap fonts
- ZMODEM file transfer
- Scrollback history
- Phonebook management
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TERMinator is a retro BBS terminal client for iOS. Connect to Bulletin Board Systems and SSH servers with authentic CP437 ANSI art rendering, multiple classic fonts, and ZMODEM file transfers. Features: - Telnet and SSH connections - Pixel-perfect CP437/ANSI art with Metal rendering - Multiple screen modes (80x25, 80x40, 80x50, 132x25, 132x50) - Classic bitmap fonts including IBM VGA, Topaz, and more - ZMODEM file upload and download - Scrollback history - Session logging - Phonebook with drag-to-reorder and thumbnails - Quick Connect buttons for favorite BBSes - Zoom and pan controls - Clickable URL detection - Export/import BBS lists
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Z80CPM at 5.0 against TERMinator's 4.6. Z80CPM also leads on device support (4 vs 2). TERMinator's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Z80CPM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 9 respectively.
Z80CPM ships an update every 10 days, TERMinator every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Z80CPM | TERMinator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.6 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 120 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aaron Wohl | Phil Whittemore |
Customer experience
Z80CPM
TERMinator
In-app purchases
Z80CPM
No in-app purchases
TERMinator
No in-app purchases
