Side by side

BottleLite vs Bourbon

Both stand on windows compatibility layers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

BottleLite

Free plan Mac

Choose BottleLite if you use macOS and want a small, MIT-licensed app to organize Wine bottles and Windows programs. It includes prefix and dependency tools, per-program logs, and per-bottle Game Mode. Look elsewhere if you need Linux support or an app with Wine bundled.

Visit BottleLite

Bourbon

Free plan Mac

Bourbon offers a free way to create separate Windows-software environments on supported Apple Silicon Macs. Its limited early-access status and variable compatibility are important considerations.

Visit Bourbon

The facts

	BottleLite	Bourbon
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Mac	Mac
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Free or on request
Plans published	None	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	getbourbon.app
On windows compatibility layers	#8 of 26	#4 of 26

BottleLite: what it does well

Create, rename, and delete bottles.
Import .exe files with extension and MZ-header checks.
Keep each imported program isolated in its bottle.
Capture launch output and errors in per-program logs.
Use winetricks for dependencies including .NET, Visual C++, DXVK, and DirectX 9.

What to know first

Requires macOS 14 or newer.
Wine must be installed separately.
Linux is not supported.
The preview build is not Developer ID signed or notarized.

Bourbon: what it does well

Bottles keep app files and settings separate.
No separate Wine installation is required.
The runtime downloads automatically when needed.
Bug reports can be reviewed before submission.
The app is free.

What to know first

Windows app and game compatibility varies.
Some software may not run.
Version 3.0 is limited early access.
A download spot requires completing setup in the app.

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