EKA2L1 vs PocketDOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
EKA2L1
This application allows you to play classic Symbian and N-Gage games on your iPhone or iPad. It supports a variety of device profiles and requires you to provide your own game files. It is an open-source project.
- Symbian/N-Gage game emulation
- Supports S60v1, S60v3, S60v5, Symbian^3
- Requires user-provided ROMs and game packages
- Open-source project
- Available for iPhone, iPad, and macOS
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EKA2L1 is a Symbian game emulator for iPhone, iPad and macOS. It supports a wide range of games developed for S60v1, S60v3, S60v5, and Symbian^3. Recommended device profiles for the best compatibility: • S60v1: Nokia N-Gage • S60v3: Nokia 5320 XpressMusic • S60v5: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic • Symbian^3: Nokia X7-00 To use EKA2L1, you must provide your own legally obtained ROM dump and game packages. ROMs, firmware, and games are not included with the app. EKA2L1 is an open-source project. View the source code on GitHub: https://github.com/EKA2L1/EKA2L1 **EKA2L1** is in no way affiliated with Nokia. The name "Nokia" and all associated device names are registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation.**
PocketDOS
This app allows you to play classic DOS and Windows 9x games and software on your iPhone. Import your own licensed titles and enjoy them offline with customizable controls and settings. It also features an experimental Windows 98 installation wizard.
- Import DOS & Windows 9x software
- On-device, offline emulation
- Customizable touch and hardware controls
- Session persistence and quick save/load
- Optional iCloud save sync
- Experimental Windows 98 installer
- Open source
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PocketDOS plays the DOS and Windows 9x software you already own, on your iPhone. Import your games and programs from the Files app and they run entirely on-device, offline, at usable speed — no account, no ads, no data collection. PocketDOS ships no games and no Microsoft software. Everything it runs comes from media you supply and are licensed to use. FEATURES - Game library: import .jsdos bundles, .zip archives, or chunked hard-disk machines. Rename, delete, and tune each entry. Your library lives in the Files app, so you can back it up yourself. - Session persistence: autosave every 3 minutes, save on quit and when backgrounding, quick save/load (F6/F7) on a hardware keyboard, and per-game "reset saved session". - iCloud save sync (optional): small save files follow you between installs via your own iCloud Drive. The app works fully offline without it. - Touch controls, three per-game profiles: a D-pad with an action cluster for keyboard-driven games; a tap-to-click mouse mode with a dedicated right-click button for point-and-click adventures; or none. - Hardware keyboards and game controllers are supported, with per-game remapping. - Per-game settings: emulated RAM size and an editable DOS configuration with one-tap presets (Sound Blaster IRQ, General MIDI, MT-32, FM-only). - Sound: Sound Blaster digital audio and AdLib/OPL FM synthesis out of the box, General MIDI via a bundled SoundFont, and Roland MT-32 music with ROMs you supply. - Private by design: every asset is served from inside the app and the emulator cannot reach the network. No telemetry, no analytics. The privacy policy fits on one screen. WINDOWS 98 INSTALL WIZARD (EXPERIMENTAL) Build a real, bootable Windows 98 SE machine from your own Windows 98 SE CD image and your own product key. Entirely on your device, the wizard reads the CD image, extracts its boot floppy, and runs Microsoft Setup unattended — file copy, wizard pages, first boot to the desktop — then installs a mouse-integration driver so your touch input works on the Windows desktop. The finished machine appears in your library like any other entry, with persistent disk state. Honest expectations: a full install runs unattended for 30-60 minutes, and the feature is young — it is labeled Experimental because it means it. If an install fails, it fails cleanly and you can try again. Your CD image is read on-device and never uploaded; your product key is held in memory only and is never stored, logged, or transmitted. OPEN SOURCE PocketDOS is free software (GPL-2.0) built on DOSBox, DOSBox-X, and js-dos. The complete source code, including the exact emulator build recipe, is public: https://github.com/Mantene/PocketDos WHAT POCKETDOS DOES NOT INCLUDE No game content, no operating systems, no product keys, no MT-32 ROMs. You supply your own legally obtained software. DOS, Windows, and all emulated software remain the property of their respective owners. Requires iOS 17 or later. iPhone-first; iPad support is planned.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PocketDOS at Free against EKA2L1's $2.99. EKA2L1's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and chart position (#60 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
PocketDOS is free to download; EKA2L1 costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
EKA2L1 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively.
| Parameter | EKA2L1 | PocketDOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | 3.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #60 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 超 杨 | Matthew Hood |
In-app purchases
EKA2L1
No in-app purchases
PocketDOS
No in-app purchases









