BottleLite vs Bourbon
BottleLite
github.comBourbon
getbourbon.appSide by side
| Figure | BottleLite | Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Windows Compatibility Layers | 7.6 (#9) | 7.7 (#5) |
| Privacy | The maker says BottleLite has no telemetry, account, embedded browser, or bundled Wine runtime. | The maker says submitted diagnostics redact email addresses, tokens, API keys, secrets, passwords, and Bourbon license tokens before storage. |
| Purpose | BottleLite is a lightweight, open-source macOS app for managing bottles and running Windows apps through an existing Wine installation. | Bourbon is a native macOS app for creating isolated environments, installing Windows software, and launching it through its managed runtime. |
| Support | The maker welcomes issues and focused pull requests and directs security reports to the repository’s security policy. | Users can consult documentation, submit an in-app report, or seek community help in the Bourbon Discord. |
| System requirements | BottleLite requires macOS 14 or newer and a separately installed Wine runtime to run programs. | The FAQ supports Apple Silicon Macs with an M-series chip running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. |
| Updates | Stable and beta update channels use signed Sparkle appcasts published by GitHub Actions. | Bourbon uses Sparkle for app updates and also supports updating Homebrew installations with brew upgrade bourbon. |
Plans
In their own words
BottleLite
BottleLite is a free, open-source macOS application for managing Wine bottles and running Windows programs through an existing Wine installation. It requires macOS 14 or newer and does not bundle a Wine runtime. Users can create, rename, and delete bottles, then import .exe files; BottleLite checks the extension and MZ header and isolates each program in its bottle. Bottle records and imported programs are restored from Application Support. Launches produce per-program standard-output and error logs, and Windows console programs can open in Terminal.app. Tools include Wine-prefix initialization, winecfg, installers, Finder access to the C: drive, and winetricks dependencies such as .NET, Visual C++, corefonts, DXVK, and DirectX 9. Per-bottle Game Mode enables msync/esync, higher process priority, a power assertion, large-address-aware behavior, and a Metal FPS overlay. The app has no telemetry, account, embedded browser, or bundled runtime. The preview build is not Developer ID signed or notarized, so first launch requires choosing Open from the context menu.
Bourbon
Bourbon is a native macOS app for creating isolated environments, installing Windows software, and launching it through a managed runtime. Each Bottle keeps its own Windows files, settings, installed applications, and configuration, so separate programs can use separate environments. The setup flow guides users through creating a Bottle and selecting an installer without requiring a separate Wine installation. Supported picker formats include.exe,.msi,.bat,.zip,.rar,.7z, and.iso, although archive results depend on the software inside. Bourbon manages BourbonWine and downloads the supported runtime when needed. Compatibility varies: some Windows applications or games need additional setup or another Bottle configuration, and some may not run. The FAQ supports Apple Silicon Macs with an M-series chip running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Bourbon 3.0 is a limited early-access release, and setup must be completed in the app to reserve a download spot. Documentation, in-app reports, and Discord community help are available. The Free plan costs nothing.