Best Windows Compatibility Layers in 2026
Updated
In short: Bottles is ranked #1 of 24 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Porting Kit and PlayOnLinux. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Porting Kit. The lowest first paid tier on this page is CrossOver at $6.17/mo.
24 windows compatibility layers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | macOS support | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bottles | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | Porting Kit | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 3 |  PlayOnLinux | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 4 |  Q4Wine | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 5 | CrossOver | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $6.17/mo | No | — | Yes | View |
| 6 |  BottleLite | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 7 |  Boxedwine | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 8 | Crosswire | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 9 |  WineGUI | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 10 |  WineCharm | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 11 |  PlayOnMac | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 |  Scotch | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 13 |  WINE@Etersoft | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 14 |  Hangover | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 15 |  Bourbon | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 16 |  MacWrap | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 17 |  Decanter | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  WineBar | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 19 |  Moonshine | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 20 |  WIE | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 21 |  Weave | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 22 |  Cygwin | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 23 |  GE-Proton | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | No | View |
| 24 |  Proton Trainer Launcher | 4.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which windows compatibility layer is ranked first on Inferse?
Bottles is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.6. Porting Kit is second and PlayOnLinux third.
How many of these have a free plan?
5 of the 24 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 on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.