Windows Subsystem for Linux Alternatives

Windows Subsystem for Linux is described as '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' and is a compatibility layer tool in the os & utilities category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Windows Subsystem for Linux for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, Windows, Flathub and Wine apps. The best Windows Subsystem for Linux alternative is Proton, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Windows Subsystem for Linux are PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac, Bottles, Cygwin and CrossOver.

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Alternatives list

  2. WineGUI icon

    WineGUI

     12 likes

    At last, a user-friendly WINE graphical interface.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Wine
    WineGUI screenshot 1
     
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    Screenshot
    Shells icon
    Shells

    Transform any device into a powerful virtual desktop with top-end performance and security, starting at $5. Supports Windows 10 and Linux, enabling coding or creative tasks with automatic backups and robust encryption.

    https://www.shells.com
    Learn More
  6. Proton GE icon

    Proton GE

     5 likes

    Compatibility layer enabling Windows games on Linux via Steam Play, featuring advanced video playback, FSR integration, Nvidia CUDA support, raw input, per-game fixes automation, upstream Wine patches, frequent updates, wine-staging patches, and open-source maintenance.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Wine
     
  8. MinC icon

    MinC

     1 like

    MinC has a tiny kernel emulation (285Kb) which runs on Windows. The rest of the software was taken verbatim from OpenBSD, version 6.1. This means that by installing MinC, you run OpenBSD on your Windows machine at native speed.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Libraries
     
  9. Protontricks icon

    Protontricks

     4 likes

    A wrapper that does winetricks things for Proton enabled games, requires Winetricks.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Python
    • Flatpak
    Protontricks screenshot 1
     
  10. Phoenicis icon

    Phoenicis

     3 likes

    Phoenicis is a graphical front-end for Wine, a tool to help Linux and Mac users run games and programs for Windows. The future of PlayOnLinux and PlayOnMac.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Phoenicis screenshot 1
     
  11. ProtonUp-Qt icon

    ProtonUp-Qt

     4 likes

    Install and manage GE-Proton, Luxtorpeda & more for Steam and Wine-GE & more for Lutris with this graphical user interface.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • AppImageHub
    • Arch Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    ProtonUp-Qt screenshot 1
     
  12. WineZGUI icon

    WineZGUI

     2 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    WineZGUI screenshot 1
     
  13. WSL UI icon

    WSL UI

     2 likes

    WSL UI is a lightweight desktop app for managing Windows Subsystem for Linux distributions through a modern graphical interface, replacing complex command-line administration.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Windows
    WSL UI screenshot 1
     
  14. MiceWine icon

    MiceWine

     3 likes

    MiceWine is a project that aims to run Windows applications and games on Android smartphones.

    47 MiceWine alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
     
  15. Shells icon

    Shells

     3 likes

    Transform any device into a powerful virtual desktop with top-end performance and security, starting at $5. Supports Windows 10 and Linux, enabling coding or creative tasks with automatic backups and robust encryption.

    7 Shells alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Shells screenshot 1
     
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