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Wine vs GE-Proton: catalog facts
Wine	GE-Proton
Free Free and open source.	Free Free, with source published on GitHub.
macOS, Linux	Linux
Runs Windows programs without a Windows licence or virtual machine Works on Linux, macOS and BSD	Extra patches beyond Valve's official Proton Can be chosen per game in Steam
Not every Windows program works, and some need manual tweaks Configuration can be fiddly for newcomers	Must be installed manually or with a helper tool Not an official Valve release
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.