Wine
Wine is a compatibility layer that enables macOS users to run Windows applications without emulation or virtualisation. Rather than simulating Windows internals like a virtual machine would, Wine translates Windows API calls into native macOS system calls on the fly, reducing performance overhead and allowing Windows programs to integrate directly with the macOS desktop. Wine is free and open-source, and is used primarily by power users, developers, and enthusiasts who need to run legacy Windows software on their Macs.
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1 suggestionWine has not yet shipped a stable, mainstream native Apple Silicon build for macOS. While Wine developers have been experimenting with ARM64 support since 2020 and some patches enabling small ARM64 test programs have been demonstrated, there is no complete, production-ready native version available through standard distribution channels as of May 2026. The official Wine source code available for macOS remains Intel-only. Users interested in running Windows applications on Apple Silicon Macs have had more practical success with CrossOver (a commercial Wine variant from CodeWeavers that ships native Apple Silicon builds) or with virtualisation tools like UTM or VMware Fusion. If you are currently using Wine under Rosetta, it will stop working when Apple removes Rosetta in macOS 28 (September 2028). Check the WineHQ forums periodically to see if a stable native macOS ARM64 build emerges before that deadline, or consider switching to CrossOver as a more mature alternative that already supports Apple Silicon natively.
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