Windows games and apps on your Mac. No Windows needed.
Drop an installer into the window — PortWin creates a separate “Windows” for it, sets up graphics and sound, and adds the app to your list. No virtual machine, no Windows license, no Terminal.
macOS 14 Sonoma or laterWine engine built in6 languages
Steam
Recipes
Bottles
Steam
Skyrim
Epic Games
Work
↓
Drop a program or installer here
.exe, .msi, .bat — or click to choose a file
SteamC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
Run
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimvia Steam
Run
Notepad++C:\Program Files\Notepad++
Run
✓
Installed and added to the listEpic Games Store
A 60 GB virtual machine
Apps run right inside macOS
No second operating system eating your memory and battery. Each program opens in its own window, right next to your Mac apps.
A Windows license
No need to buy Windows
PortWin runs on Wine — open technology that understands Windows programs without Windows itself.
Hours on forums and in Terminal
It sets itself up
The Wine engine is already built in. Recipes install the components a program needs, and proven graphics and sound settings are applied for you.
How it works
Three steps to your Windows app
Nothing to configure on first launch: open the app and start installing.
Pick a recipe or drop a file
Steam, Epic Games, GOG — one click in Recipes. Any other .exe or .msi installer — just drag it into the window, even as a .zip, .7z or .rar archive or an ISO image.
PortWin prepares everything
It creates a separate “Windows” — a bottle — downloads the installer (resuming if your connection drops) and installs the required components.
Launch it like any other app
The program appears in your list, in the Programs menu and in the menu bar icon. One click and it’s open.
Features
Built to just work
Everything you’d usually dig up on forums is already inside.
One-click recipes
Ready-made install scenarios, from download to first launch. Every step is visible — and if something fails, you see exactly what.
Drop it and it installs
PortWin tells an installer from a program by itself, and unpacks a .zip, .7z or .rar archive, an ISO image or a distribution folder to find the installer inside. After installation, new programs show up in your list automatically. PortWin asks which bottle to use — or creates a new one.
Two graphics engines
DXMT for DirectX 10–11 is built in. For DirectX 12 games, connect Apple’s D3DMetal — free from Apple, in one click. The latest Wine 11 downloads from Settings as a third engine. If a game misbehaves with one, switch to another.
Fixes crashes by itself
If a program crashes, Fix Automatically tries the known remedies one by one — missing components, the other graphics engine, an older Windows — and relaunches it after each. Nothing helped? Send the developer a report with logs in one click.
Crackle-free sound
While Windows programs run, your Mac’s speakers switch to 48 kHz and back afterwards — no crackling. PortWin installs audio components (XAudio, OpenAL, DirectMusic) by itself when a game needs them.
Steam Cloud saves
The Documents, Downloads and Desktop folders inside Windows are your Mac folders. Game saves aren’t lost and keep syncing.
Launch from the menu bar
Every program in every bottle sits in the Programs menu and in the icon next to the clock. No need to open the main window.
A “Windows” for each game
Bottles don’t interfere with each other: one game’s settings can’t break another. Delete a bottle you don’t need to the Trash.
Windows XP-era software
Pick any Windows version for a bottle — from Windows 95 to Windows 11. Old software often runs better here than on modern Windows.
Tells you what’s missing
If a program needs Visual C++, DirectX or .NET, PortWin spots it after launch and offers to install it in one click — from PortWin’s own fast mirror.
Memory & cleanup
See how much memory Windows programs use. Leftover Wine services stop by themselves, and caches and temp files clean up in one click.
System Check
One page shows whether your Mac is ready: Rosetta 2, the Wine engine, disk space, memory, download servers and DirectX graphics, video and gamepad tests — with a Fix button next to every problem.
Sharp on Retina
High Resolution mode draws Windows programs at your display’s full resolution — crisp text instead of blurry upscaling.
Tiny automatic updates
PortWin updates itself and downloads only what changed — usually less than a megabyte.
An app in Launchpad
Turn a Windows program into a regular Mac app — with its own icon, in Launchpad, Spotlight and the Dock. One click to launch, no PortWin window.
Bottle backups
Save a whole bottle before a risky install — and bring it back in one click if something breaks.
Settings per program
Its own graphics, Windows version and launch options for a single program — without touching the rest of the bottle.
Voice chat and video calls
Windows programs get the Mac’s microphone and camera: in-game voice, Discord, Teams and Zoom. Game cutscenes (MP4, WMV) play.
Frame rate and MetalFX
Cap games at 60 or 30 fps — the Mac runs cooler and the battery lasts longer. Apple’s MetalFX gives more frames in demanding games with almost no loss of sharpness.
In your language
English, Русский, 简体中文, Deutsch, Español, Français. Light and dark themes, nine accent colors.
Recipes
One-click installs
PortWin creates the bottle, downloads and sets up everything needed. Recipes marked “beta” work, but still need one click inside the installer window.
Steam
Valve’s game store and library — fully automatic
Epic Games Store beta
The Epic store and free games every week
GOG
GOG Galaxy (beta) or any game’s offline installer — DRM-free games
Battle.net beta
Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch and other Blizzard games
Windows XP Classics
A bottle in XP mode with the libraries early-2000s programs and games need
Essential Game Components
Visual C++, DirectX 9 and the shader compiler — what most games ask for
Modern programs (Windows 10)
Visual C++, .NET Framework 4.8, .NET 8 and fonts for Windows 8.1–10 era software
Office 2010–2016 beta
Word, Excel and PowerPoint from your own installer or ISO image
1C:Enterprise 8.3 beta
The 1C platform from your own distribution — a thin client for your 1C server
New recipes are added regularly. And if you like to tinker, a recipe of your own is just a simple .json file.
Honest about compatibility
What runs — and what doesn’t
We don’t promise “everything, instantly”. PortWin is built on Wine, which means most programs work — but not all of them.
Usually works
Most games on DirectX 9, 10, 11 and 12
Steam, Epic Games Store and games from them
Single-player and many online games without aggressive anti-cheat
Office, engineering and accounting software for Windows
Old games and programs that haven’t been updated in years
Doesn’t work
Games with kernel-level anti-cheat — for example, Valorant and Fortnite
Device drivers and programs that install their own drivers
Programs that need genuine Windows (such as some banking clients with hardware tokens)
Modern Microsoft Store apps (UWP). Store packages (.msix) with a regular program inside — experimental unpacking
Intel Macs — Apple silicon (M1 or later) is required
When you need PortWin
The game or program simply has no Mac version
The Mac version is outdated or cut down — no DLC, mods or multiplayer
Old software for Windows XP and 7 that nothing else runs anymore
You don’t want a virtual machine and a Windows license just for one program
When you don’t
The program has a full Mac version — Chrome, Discord, Zoom, Claude. PortWin spots these and offers the Mac download instead
The service works in a browser
You need Windows itself — system tools, drivers, Hyper-V, WSL. That’s a job for a virtual machine
Compare
How PortWin is different
There are several ways to run Windows programs on a Mac. Here’s an honest comparison.
PortWin
CrossOver
Porting Kit
Parallels Desktop
Whisky (discontinued)
How it works
Wine, apps run right in macOS
Wine, apps run right in macOS
Wine, apps run right in macOS
Virtual machine with full Windows
Wine, apps run right in macOS
Windows license required
No
No
No
Yes
No
Compatibility
Most programs
Most programs
Almost 1,500 ready-made game ports; anything else you set up yourself
Almost everything that runs on Windows for ARM
Most programs
Second OS on disk
Not needed
Not needed
Not needed
Needed, tens of GB for Windows
Not needed
Development
Actively developed
Actively developed
Actively developed
Actively developed
Not maintained since 2025 — its own site now sends you to CrossOver
Price
€29.99 one-time
from $74 per year
Free (donations welcome)
from $99.99 per year + Windows
Free, but no updates
Competitor prices and details are from the vendors’ websites as of October 2026.
Pricing
Pay once, use it
14 days free first. Then pay once — no subscription.
PortWin
€29.99 one-time
All recipes, including new ones
Built-in Wine engine with DXMT; Apple’s D3DMetal connects for free
Try it first: 14 days with every feature. Like it? Buy a key — it arrives by email right after payment.
macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon (M1 or later) · about 1.1 GB on disk
FAQ
Frequently asked
Do I need to buy Windows?
No. PortWin doesn’t run all of Windows — it uses Wine, which “translates” what Windows programs ask for into macOS terms. So you need neither a Windows license nor a virtual machine.
Will my game run?
Most games and programs work, but not all. Games with kernel-level anti-cheat (such as Valorant and Fortnite) and programs that need drivers won’t run. If a game crashes, press Fix Automatically: PortWin will try the other graphics engine, an older Windows version and the missing components by itself.
What’s a “bottle”?
A separate “Windows” with its own drive C:. It’s handy to give each big game its own bottle, so one game’s settings can’t get in another’s way. The name is a joke: Wine runs inside it.
Which Mac do I need?
A Mac with Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 or later) running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. The app itself takes about 1.1 GB, plus space for your games and programs.
Where are my saves stored?
The Documents, Downloads and Desktop folders inside Windows are your regular Mac folders. So most game saves live in Documents, get backed up by Time Machine and sync through Steam Cloud.
Is it safe?
PortWin runs programs the same way Windows would — with access to your folders. Wine is neither an antivirus nor a sandbox, so only install programs from sources you trust, just as on any computer.
I used Whisky. What now?
Whisky is no longer maintained, so it won’t get fixes for new macOS versions or games. PortWin is actively developed: create a bottle, click “Link Existing…” and choose your Whisky bottle folder — your programs stay where they are.
Can I bring my bottles from Porting Kit or Wineskin?
Yes. When creating a bottle, click “Link Existing…” and choose the wrapper — PortWin links it without copying anything.
Your Windows games are waiting on your Mac
Download PortWin, pick a recipe — and start playing in a few minutes.
PortWin