Z80CPM vs BBStelnet
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.
BBStelnet
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BBStelnet — A minimalist BBS terminal designed exclusively for iPhone. Built with native SwiftUI for fluid performance and excellent battery efficiency. [Supported Servers] • PTT — secure WebSocket (WSS) connection • Bahamut, Hua Kui, and any Telnet / WebSocket BBS • Custom host / port; save multiple servers and accounts [Full Chinese Support] • Dual BIG5 / UTF-8 encoding with built-in Big5-UAO character mapping (25,916 characters) • Built-in Bopomofo (Zhuyin) input method with familiar key layout • Clean rendering of PTT push messages, posts, and mail — no garbled text [Reading Experience] • 14 ambient sounds (rain, waves, thunderstorm, waterfall, campfire, and more) for immersive reading • Full 16-color ANSI palette customization • Adjustable font family and size • Portrait / landscape rotation [Productivity Tools] • Floating keyboard for one-tap BBS commands • Quick Keys with cross-page paging, sorting, and grouping — kaomoji, arrow keys, and edit commands all included • Auto-login scripts and keep-alive (no idle disconnects) • Automatic URL detection in articles; built-in pinch-zoom image viewer [BBStelnet Pro — One-time purchase, unlocks forever] • Permanently remove ads (banner + interstitial) • Unlock 10 additional ambient sounds • Data export / import — back up sites, quick keys, and floating keyboard layouts in one tap Also available as consumable add-ons: Quick Key +10 cells, Station +5 slots — purchase as needed. Actively maintained by the developer. Welcome to all BBS enthusiasts and longtime PTT users.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Z80CPM at none against BBStelnet's 3. Z80CPM also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 1). On price and update cadence 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. BBStelnet sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Z80CPM asks for nothing beyond the download.
Z80CPM ships an update every 10 days, BBStelnet every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Z80CPM | BBStelnet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Aaron Wohl | Hsu Chia-cheng |
In-app purchases
Z80CPM
No in-app purchases
BBStelnet
- Quick Key Cells +10$0.99
- Station Slots +5$0.99
- BBStelnet Pro$9.99









