Which Is Best for Windows Apps on Linux?

Having trouble figuring out what to use to get your Windows apps and games running in Linux? Let’s compare three oft-discussed applications: Wine, Bottles, and Valve’s Proton.

What Is Wine?

Wine is a compatibility layer that translates Windows system calls to Linux-friendly ones, allowing Windows programs to run efficiently without the overhead of a complete emulator. It’s been around since 1993 and is constantly evolving. Wine is open-source, allowing contributions from the Linux community and companies like Valve (more on that later), so support for many Windows programs has gotten better with time.

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If you install Wine on its own, you’ll launching and configuring apps by passing commands in the Linux terminal. Unlike other options here, Wine doesn’t itself have a graphical interface.

What Is Bottles?

Bottles is a tool that uses Wine in the background, organizing environments into separate “bottles.” Each bottle has its own settings and configurations, preventing conflicts and making management more effortless. Its main advantage is its graphical interface, which simplifies setting adjustments.

Bottles support various Wine versions, so you can use the version that’s best for your application. While some applications may need advanced tweaks, Bottles in general makes Wine easier to use without sacrificing customization.

What Is Steam Proton?

Proton, built by Valve, is a compatibility layer included with Steam and meant to make gaming on Linux easier. It uses Wine and a DirectX-to-Vulkan translation tool to enhance Windows games’ performance and compatibility in Steam.

With over 16,000 playable Windows games, Proton integrates directly with Steam, making game launches on Linux straightforward. It excels at gaming but is less suited for general-purpose software. If you have note apps and other non-gaming-oriented apps to run, you’re better off using a different option.

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Which One Should I Use?

So when should you use which application? Well, you should be aware that Wine offers broad software compatibility but requires manual configuration. You should also be aware that installed on its own, Wine has to be used through the Linux terminal. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the terminal, you’ll want to use Bottles annother application like PlayOnLinux to make managing your Windows software easier. If you can work with, though, Wine is ideal for general applications like productivity software, older games, or older programs.

Bottles, like we said, is great if you want to take advantage of Wine but don’t feel comfortable in the terminal. It adds a user-friendly interface, simplifying management.

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If you primarily just want to play Windows games, we recommend Proton. It’s designed for gaming, providing regular updates directly through Steam. It needs minimal configuration; just open the game properties, go to the Compatibility tab, and select a version of Proton you want to try. (Hint: start with the latest.) Even if you didn’t buy the game with Steam, it’s possible to import non-Steam games and take advantage of Proton’s simplicity that way.

While these applications might get the most limelight, there are still other ways you can get applications running on Linux. There are several ways to install the Epic Games Store on Linux, and you can actually install Notepad++ on Linux in one package.