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Decanter

Paid Mac

What Decanter is

Decanter is a free, open-source macOS app for managing Wine environments so Windows games can run on Apple Silicon Macs. It examines each game’s engine, architecture and Direct3D requirements, then recommends a runtime and graphics layer and explains why. Each game gets a separate APFS copy-on-write Windows environment; the project says it can clone one in about half a second. A game can access its own folder and a shared games directory, with access checked before every launch.

Decanter can move saves outside a game environment and link them back in, and it snapshots before destructive actions. It detects and configures BepInEx mods, reports plugin failures and can generate a game diagnostic report. Users can export a game setup as a small file or package the game as a Mac app that runs without Decanter. Users must supply Wine and Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit; Decanter keeps its own copies and does not download them. It requires macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon and Rosetta 2. Releases are not notarised, so macOS requires allowing the app to open once in Privacy & Security.

Who it suits

Decanter suits Apple Silicon Mac users who want separate, managed Wine environments for Windows games, with game-specific setup recommendations and save protection. It may also suit players who use BepInEx mods or want to export a setup or package a game as a Mac app.

What it does well

Recommends a runtime and graphics layer based on game requirements.
Creates an APFS copy-on-write environment for each game.
Keeps saves outside game environments and snapshots before destructive actions.
Detects BepInEx mods and reports plugin failures.
Can export setups or package games as Mac apps.

What to know first

Requires macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon and Rosetta 2.
Users must provide Wine and Apple's Game Porting Toolkit.
Releases are not notarised; opening requires a Privacy & Security approval.
Kernel-level anti-cheat games do not work under Wine.

Limits

Decanter does not download Wine or Apple's Game Porting Toolkit; users must supply both. The README says games with kernel-level anti-cheat do not work under Wine, and Unity 6 games require Metal graphics (DXMT) and a compatible Wine build.

Getting started

Open the Decanter project on GitHub.
Use a Mac with Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later.
Install Rosetta 2 as part of setup.
Allow the app to open once in Privacy & Security.
Supply Wine and Apple's Game Porting Toolkit; Decanter keeps its own copies.
Add a game for Decanter to analyze and recommend a runtime and graphics layer.

Verdict

Choose Decanter if you use an Apple Silicon Mac and want per-game Wine environments, setup recommendations and save safeguards. Look elsewhere if you need support for kernel-level anti-cheat games, or cannot provide Wine and Apple's Game Porting Toolkit yourself.

Questions

Does Decanter cost anything?

Decanter is free and open source.

Which Macs does it support?

It requires macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon, plus Rosetta 2.

Does Decanter provide Wine or the Game Porting Toolkit?

No. Users supply both, and Decanter keeps its own copies rather than downloading them.

Can it run games with kernel-level anti-cheat?

The README says games with kernel-level anti-cheat do not work under Wine.

Does Decanter make network requests?

The project says it makes no network requests except when a user invokes Windows Components to fetch a Visual C++ runtime or codec from its publisher.

How can users get help?

The maintainer describes it as a one-person project with no paid support. Users can seek help through GitHub issues and discussions.

Facts from Decanter's own pages

Compatibility limits: The maker says games with kernel-level anti-cheat do not work, and Unity 6 requires Metal graphics (DXMT) and a compatible Wine build. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Distribution caveat: The project says its releases are not notarised, so macOS users must allow the app to open in Privacy & Security once. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Exports: Users can export a setup file or bundle a game as a Mac app that can run without Decanter. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
File access: Each game is limited to its own folder and a shared games directory, and Decanter checks this scope before launch. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Game setup: It analyzes a game's engine, architecture, and Direct3D requirements, recommends a runtime and graphics layer, and shows its reasoning. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
License: The repository identifies Decanter's license as GPL-3.0. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Mods: Decanter detects and configures BepInEx mods and reports which plugin failed and why. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Mods and diagnostics: Decanter detects and configures BepInEx mods, reports plugin failures, and can generate a diagnostic report for a game. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Per-game environments: Each game gets its own APFS copy-on-write Windows environment, isolated from other games. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Privacy: The maker says Decanter makes no network requests; its Windows Components feature can fetch a runtime or codec from its publisher when the user invokes it. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: Decanter runs Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs by choosing a Windows environment and graphics translation for each game. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Requirements: Decanter requires macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon and Rosetta 2; its setup installs Rosetta 2. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Runtimes: Users supply Wine and Apple's Game Porting Toolkit; Decanter does not download runtimes and keeps its own copies of those supplied. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Runtime setup: Users supply Wine and the Game Porting Toolkit themselves; Decanter copies runtimes into its own store and does not download them. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Saved games: Saves can be moved outside a game's Windows environment and linked back in, and Decanter snapshots before destructive actions. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Save protection: Protected saves are stored outside a game's environment and linked back in, and Decanter snapshots before destructive actions. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Security caveat: Releases are not notarised, so macOS requires users to allow the app to open once in Privacy & Security. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Security reporting: The security policy asks users to report vulnerabilities privately through GitHub's security advisory form. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Setup recommendations: It analyzes a game's engine, architecture, and Direct3D version to recommend a runtime and graphics layer, and shows its reasoning. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Support: Users can create a diagnostic report from a game's page and open a prefilled GitHub issue; they may redact the game name. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
System requirements: The README requires macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon and Rosetta 2. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026

Where Decanter stands on Freedom251

Windows Compatibility Layers#23 of 26