Bottles vs TDF

Bottles manages Windows prefixes, called bottles, to run Windows applications and games on Linux through compatibility-layer runners. It offers Gaming, Application, and Custom environments, plus Wine and Proton runners such as Soda, Caffe, Vaniglia, and CrossOver builds. Installers apply rules to set up programs, while a dependency manager uses a community-driven repository of manifests. Users can manage graphics components including DXVK, VKD3D, DXVK-NVAPI, and LatencyFleX. The community App Store provides Windows application installers with compatibility grades from Bronze through Platinum. Bottles also lists backups, versioning, duplication, and importing bottles from other managers. The project recommends Flatpak: it bundles required dependencies and is described as the most supported and tested release, as well as the only fully sandboxed package. Bottles supports Linux and macOS and is free software. Connection-dependent features do not work offline. The project also warns that exposing the system home directory to a runner breaks the Flatpak sandbox and can put personal files at risk.

TDF is a free GNU/Linux tool for installing, packaging, and running Windows games from outside Steam, including GOG installers, ISOs, and repacks. It is portable and requires no installation. Games run in isolation through bubblewrap and Linux namespaces, with file and network access blocked by default. TDF includes game-optimized and regular Wine builds, and can use system or custom Wine versions. Its graphics components cover several DirectX generations: D7VK handles DirectX 3–7, DXVK handles DirectX 8–11, and VKD3D-Proton handles DirectX 12. The manual says about 90% of games work without changes, though some need configuration. TDF requires an x86_64 CPU and a GPU with Vulkan 1.3 or newer; Linux kernel 6.14 or newer and an SSD are recommended. Instances can be archived for transfer or redistribution. The project cautions that sandboxing does not prevent every possible kernel, driver, or bubblewrap exploit, and recommends a hardened virtual machine for malware testing. The code is GNU GPL v3, though built versions may include components under other licenses.