Best Windows Compatibility Layers in 2026
Updated
In short: Boxedwine is ranked #1 of 25 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of PlayOnLinux and Crosswire. The best-ranked option with a free plan is PlayOnLinux. The lowest first paid tier on this page is CrossOver at $6.17/mo.
Running Windows software on another operating system often makes platform compatibility the starting point. Compared on Apple silicon support, compatibility databases, graphics acceleration, Linux and macOS support, and prefix management, these layers offer different criteria to consider. Boxedwine, PlayOnLinux, and Q4Wine are among the entries. Check the compatibility information for the software you want to run, then consider how prefix management and graphics acceleration fit your setup. Free-plan availability and paid-from details add cost context as you compare options for the platform and applications you use.
25 Windows compatibility layers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BoxedwineWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | PlayOnLinuxMac · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 3 | CrosswireMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 4 | PlayOnMacMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 5 | Porting KitMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | Q4WineMac · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | WINE@EtersoftLinux | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | BottlesMac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 9 | HangoverLinux | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 10 | WineMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 11 | BottleLiteMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 12 | DecanterMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | MacWrapMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | MoonshineMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | ScotchMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | WeaveLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | WIEMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | WineBarLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | WineCharmLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | BourbonMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | CrossOverMac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $6.17/mo | 5.1 |
| 22 | CygwinWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | GE-ProtonLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | WineGUILinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | Proton Trainer LauncherLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | macOS support | Linux support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boxedwine | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | PlayOnLinux | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Crosswire | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 4 | PlayOnMac | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 5 | Porting Kit | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 6 | Q4Wine | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | WINE@Etersoft | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 8 | Bottles | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Hangover | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 10 | Wine | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | BottleLite | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 12 | Decanter | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | No |
| 13 | MacWrap | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 14 | Moonshine | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | No |
| 15 | Scotch | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | No |
| 16 | Weave | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 17 | WIE | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 18 | WineBar | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 19 | WineCharm | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 20 | Bourbon | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 21 | CrossOver | 5.1 | No | $6.17/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | Cygwin | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | No | No |
| 23 | GE-Proton | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | No | Yes |
| 24 | WineGUI | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 25 | Proton Trainer Launcher | 5.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which Windows compatibility layer is ranked first on Freedom251?
Boxedwine is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 6.7. PlayOnLinux is second and Crosswire third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, CrossOver has the lowest first paid tier we found: $6.17/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.