I’m trying to connect two software applications that both require serial communication, but my PC doesn’t have a physical serial port. I’ve read about virtual serial port emulators but there are so many options. Can anyone share their experience with the best virtual serial port emulator for reliability and ease of use? Any tips or recommendations would really help. Thanks!
If you want the short version: try Virtual Serial Port Driver, especially if you’re running Windows. It reliably creates virtual COM port pairs so two serial-based apps can talk to each other like there’s an actual cable, but without you crawling around under your desk. I’ve used it to get legacy CNC software talking to a modern UI, and it Just Worked™. The UI’s actually decent, and it plays nice with Windows updates (unlike some cheap/free options that break every 5 minutes).
There are other tools out there—com0com (open source, a little fiddly), Eltima’s other serial toolkit (pricey, but industrial strength). But honestly, if you want something plug-and-play-ish, Virtual Serial Port Driver wins for stability and support.
If you want to check it out, here’s a link I saved: get started with virtual serial ports here. Hope that saves you an evening of forum scrolling!
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If you’re drowning in options for serial port virtualizers, I’m right there with you. @nachtdromer made some good points – Virtual Serial Port Driver is certainly a staple for Windows, especially if you crave something that’s not gonna throw a tantrum after an update. But, not everyone wants to shell out for a solution if they’re just tinkering for a weekend project (or they’re, you know, stubborn like me).
On the other hand, com0com is a classic open-source tool that’s admittedly less of a “set it and forget it” solution and more of a “read the manual, search a few GitHub issues, and occasionally threaten your PC out loud” type of ordeal. Sometimes it just flat-out refuses to handshake with legacy apps, especially under Windows 10+ with signature hassle. You get what you pay for… or what you don’t, I guess.
A quick detour: if you’re hoping for something non-Windows, like a Mac or Linux? It’s a totally different jungle, and you’ll want to head toward socat or tty0tty for that virtual COM link, but expect more command-line acrobatics.
For most folks though, the Virtual Serial Port Driver wins out for pure convenience—less friction, same outcome. It’s worth noting their customer support is pretty solid if you actually run into weird compatibility problems. If you want to skip the “Will this brick my morning?” part, just check out setting up virtual serial communication with ease. Not gonna sugarcoat it, sometimes paying a bit just saves time and sanity.
In summary: If you want open-source and don’t mind tinkering, com0com. Want to just get on with your life? Try Virtual Serial Port Driver. Either way, make sure your firewall or antivirus isn’t interfering, since that can create ghostly “COM ports” that vanish at startup (ask me how I know…).