Proton AlternativesTop Compatibility Layer Tools and other similar apps like Proton

Proton is described as 'Tool for use with the Steam client which allows games which are exclusive to Windows to run on Linux kernel operating system. It uses Wine to facilitate this' and is a popular compatibility layer tool in the gaming software category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Proton for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, Wine, Flathub and Windows apps. The best Proton alternative is Wine, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Proton are PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac, ReactOS, Bottles and Parallels Desktop.

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Proton alternatives are mainly Compatibility Layer Tools but may also be Operating Systems or Virtualization Tools.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Proton.
Proton iconProton
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Proton is a tool for use with the Steam client which allows games which are exclusive to Windows to run on Linux kernel operating system. It uses Wine to...

More about Proton
Proton alternatives page was last updated May 22, 2024
  1. Wine icon
     703 likes

    An advanced, free open-source tool enabling Windows applications to run on Linux and other systems without emulation. It offers configuration options, supports diverse operating systems, and benefits from continuous updates and robust community support to enhance Windows app compatibility.

    41 Wine alternatives
    Wine screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Run Windows software
    2.  Compatibility Layer
    3.  Emulation
    4.  Ad-free
    Wine iconProton Icon

    Wine VS Proton

    Is Wine a good alternative to Proton?
     
    • Almost everyone thinks Wine is a great Proton alternative.

    • Wine is the most popular Android, Mac, Linux & Android Tablet alternative to Proton.

    • Wine is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Proton.

    • Wine is Free and Open SourceProton is also Free and Open Source
    • Wine is LightweightProton is not according to our users
  2. PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac icon
     241 likes

    PlayOnLinux is a graphical frontend for the Wine software compatibility layer which allows Linux and Mac users to install Windows-based video games, Microsoft Office (2000 to 2010), Microsoft Internet Explorer, as well as many other applications.

    42 PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac alternatives
    PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Wine
    • FreeBSD

    PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac Features

    1.  Run Windows software
    2.  Run Windows Games
    3.  Ad-free
    PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac iconProton Icon

    PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac VS Proton

    Is this a good alternative to Proton?
     
  3. ReactOS icon
     284 likes

    ReactOS™ is an Open Source effort to develop a quality operating system that is compatible with applications and drivers written for the Microsoft® Windows™ NT family of operating systems (NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Seven).

    192 ReactOS alternatives
    ReactOS screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • FreeDOS

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Windows XP Compatibility
    2.  Run Windows software
    3.  Nt kernel
    4.  Windows-like
    5.  Support for BTRFS
    6.  Community-based
    ReactOS iconProton Icon

    ReactOS VS Proton

    Is ReactOS a good alternative to Proton?
     
    • ReactOS is the most popular Windows alternative to Proton.

    • ReactOS is Free and Open SourceProton is also Free and Open Source
    • ReactOS is LightweightProton is not according to our users
  4. Bottles icon
     35 likes

    Easily manage wineprefix on Linux.

    37 Bottles alternatives
    Main screenshot, showing three windows; the main window, an application window, and the New Bottle window.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub

    Bottles Features

    1.  Run Windows software
    2.  Compatibility Layer
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Native GUI
    5.  Dark Mode
    Bottles iconProton Icon

    Bottles VS Proton

    Is Bottles a good alternative to Proton?
     
  5. Parallels Desktop icon
     140 likes

    Virtualization software for running Windows, Linux, and other OSes on Mac. Supports Windows 11 on Apple Silicon, resource adjustments, and seamless app access and file sharing between OS environments.

    58 Parallels Desktop alternatives
    Parallels Desktop screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Chrome OS

    Parallels Desktop Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    4.  Run Windows software
    5.  Support for Apple M1
    6.  Drag and Drop
    7. Microsoft 365 Copilot icon  Microsoft Office integration
    Parallels Desktop iconProton Icon

    Parallels Desktop VS Proton

    Is Parallels Desktop a good alternative to Proton?
     
    • Parallels Desktop is the most popular commercial alternative to Proton.

    • Parallels Desktop is Paid and ProprietaryProton is Free and Open Source
  6. Whisky icon
     18 likes

    Whisky provides a clean and easy to use graphical wrapper for Wine built in native SwiftUI. You can make and manage bottles, install and run Windows apps and games, and unlock the full potential of your Mac with no technical knowledge required.

    31 Whisky alternatives
    Whisky screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Wine
    • Homebrew

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Run Windows software
    Whisky iconProton Icon

    Whisky VS Proton

    Is Whisky a good alternative to Proton?
     
  7. CrossOver icon
     71 likes

    CrossOver allows you to install many popular Windows applications and games on your Intel OS X Mac or Linux computer.

    40 CrossOver alternatives
    CrossOver screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS

    CrossOver Features

    1.  Compatibility Layer
    2.  Run Windows software
    CrossOver iconProton Icon

    CrossOver VS Proton

    Is CrossOver a good alternative to Proton?
     
  8. Mythic icon
     8 likes

    An open-source Epic Games Launcher alternative and normal game launcher for macOS written in Swift. We started this project to create a GUI frontend for Legendary and to play Windows games using game porting toolkit by Apple.

    47 Mythic alternatives
    Mythic screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Game Launcher
    6. Discord icon  Discord integration
    Mythic iconProton Icon

    Mythic VS Proton

    Is Mythic a good alternative to Proton?
     
  9. Windows Subsystem for Linux icon
     17 likes

    The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a new Windows 10 feature that enables you to run native Linux command-line tools directly on Windows, alongside your traditional Windows desktop and modern store apps.

    32 Windows Subsystem for Linux alternatives
    Windows Subsystem for Linux screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  Linux on Windows
    Windows Subsystem for Linux iconProton Icon

    Windows Subsystem for Linux VS Proton

    Is this a good alternative to Proton?
     
  10. WineBottler icon
     28 likes

    WineBottler is an App to manage and wrap your Windows apps into convenient OS X apps. WineBottler helps you with running Windows programs on OS X.

    34 WineBottler alternatives
    WineBottler screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Wine

    WineBottler Features

    1.  Run in existing prefix
    Discontinued

    The application has not been updated for almost three years: https://bitbucket.org/winebottler/winebottler/src/master/, https://bitbucket.org/winebottler/winebottler/src/master/It also does not support the latest versions of macOS: https://www.reddit.com/r/winehq/comments/j43ziq/comment/g7gqpk5/

    WineBottler iconProton Icon

    WineBottler VS Proton

    Is WineBottler a good alternative to Proton?
     
  11. WineZGUI icon
     1 like

    WineZGUI (pronounced Wine-Zee-Goo-Eee) is a wine frontend for playing windows games with wine easily. It is a collection of Bash scripts for Wine Prefix Management and Linux Desktop Integration for easier wine gaming experience using Zenity.

    38 WineZGUI alternatives
    WineZGUI screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub

    WineZGUI Features

    1.  Run Windows software
    WineZGUI iconProton Icon

    WineZGUI VS Proton

    Is WineZGUI a good alternative to Proton?
     
  12.  5 likes

    A Vulkan-based translation layer for D3D9, D3D10 and D3D11, which can be used on Linux with Wine.

    14 DXVK alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Wine

    DXVK Features

    1.  Run Windows software
    2.  Emulation
    3.  Run Windows Games
    4.  In-Game Overlay
    5.  FPS counter
    Proton Icon

    DXVK VS Proton

    Is DXVK a good alternative to Proton?
     
12 of 39 Proton alternatives