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Bottles

No phone app

5.8No. 12 of 27
in Game Compatibility Layers
  • Recognised40% of the score20
  • Phone app26% of the score0
  • Documented20% of the score93
  • Free plan14% of the score30
Free plan
No
Runs on
Linux, Mac
Visit site Alternatives

Summary

Bottles manages Windows prefixes, called bottles, so Windows applications and games can run on Linux through compatibility-layer runners. It offers Gaming, Application, and Custom environments, along with Wine and Proton runners such as Soda, Caffe, Vaniglia, and CrossOver builds. Installers use rules to set up programs, and a dependency manager draws on a public, community-driven repository. Users can add graphics components including DXVK, VKD3D, DXVK-NVAPI, and LatencyFleX. A community-maintained App Store provides Windows application installers with compatibility grades from Bronze through Platinum. Bottles also lists versioning, backups, duplication, and importing bottles from other managers. The project recommends Flatpak: it bundles needed dependencies, is described as the most supported and tested release, and is the only fully sandboxed package. The software is free and supports Linux and macOS. Connection-dependent features are blocked offline. Exposing the system home directory to a runner breaks the Flatpak sandbox and can put personal files at risk.

Who it is for

Bottles suits Linux users who want to manage Windows applications or games through compatibility-layer runners. Its environments and tools may appeal to users who need separate configurations, backups, or versioning.

What is good

  • Gaming, Application, and Custom environments
  • Wine and Proton runner options
  • Community installers include compatibility grades
  • Versioning, backups, and duplication are listed
  • Free software for Linux and macOS

What to know first

  • Connection-dependent features are blocked offline
  • Home-directory access for a runner breaks Flatpak sandboxing

Verdict

Bottles offers several tools for managing Windows software through bottles on Linux, with Flatpak as its recommended installation. Note the offline limits and sandbox warning before granting a runner access to personal files.

Compared on game compatibility layers

Free plan
Yesusebottles.com

Facts

Purpose
Bottles is an application for managing Windows prefixes and running Windows software on Linux.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Environments
It offers Gaming, Application, and Custom environments with configurations and dependencies for different uses.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Runners
Bottles supports Wine and Proton runners, including Soda, Caffe, Vaniglia, and CrossOver builds.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Installers
Its installers use rules to install programs in a bottle automatically.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Graphics components
Users can install and manage components including DXVK, VKD3D, DXVK-NVAPI, and LatencyFleX.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
UMU integration
ProtoSoda is the default runner for Bottles’ UMU integration and supports games managed through UMU.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Sandboxing
The project describes Bottles as sandboxed and identifies Flatpak as its official recommended installation method.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Flatpak support
The documentation says Flatpak is the only fully sandboxed package and calls it the most supported and tested release.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
Component checks
At first launch, downloaded components are checked against repository checksums; a failed check causes the file to be deleted and installation to fail.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Support
The download page links to documentation, bug reporting, feature requests, and dependency reporting.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Notable limitation
Bottles requires an internet connection for connection-dependent features, which are blocked while offline.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Intended users
The project describes Bottles as a way to run Windows applications and games on Linux.usebottles.com · 28 Sept 2026
Bottle environments
Bottles calls its Windows prefix environments “bottles,” which use compatibility-layer runners to run Windows applications on Linux.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Install method
The official recommended installation is Flatpak via Flathub, supported on major Linux distributions including Steam Deck.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Sandbox
The Flatpak package is sandboxed, bundles needed dependencies, and is described as the most supported and tested release.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
First-run downloads
On first launch, Bottles downloads components including Caffe, DXVK, VKD3D, NVAPI, LatencyFleX, and Runtime, and checks each file against a repository checksum.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Community catalog
The App Store offers community-maintained installers for Windows applications, with compatibility grades from Bronze through Platinum.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Dependencies
Bottles provides a dependency manager backed by a public, community-driven repository of dependency manifests.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Backups and versioning
The documentation lists versioning, backups, duplication, and importing bottles from other managers among its features.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Security limitation
Bottles warns that exposing the system home directory to a runner breaks the Flatpak sandbox and can expose personal files to danger.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026
Funding
Bottles describes itself as a free software project and lists donation options including GitHub Sponsors, PayPal, and LiberaPay.usebottles.com · 29 Sept 2026

Company

Founded
2017usebottles.com · 23 Sept 2026

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