Boxedwine
No phone app
in Windows Compatibility Layers
- Recognised40% of the score20
- Phone app26% of the score0
- Documented20% of the score99
- Free plan14% of the score100
- Free plan
- Yes
- Runs on
- Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
Summary
Boxedwine is an emulator for running 16-bit and 32-bit Windows applications on Windows, Mac, Linux or in a web browser. It runs a 32-bit version of Wine while emulating the Linux kernel and CPU, and is released under the GNU General Public License v2. The browser build uses Emscripten, including WebAssembly and asm.js. Boxedwine supports multiple Wine versions from 1.6 to Wine 5.0, and its project is written in C++ with SDL. In a browser, storage defaults to memory, so changes to d:/ are lost when the tab closes. Users can configure Dropbox storage or browser local storage, whose limits vary with the browser and operating system. The web build can accept a dropped directory to list executable files and can be configured with URL parameters. The maker provides online demos for selected apps and games, such as AbiWord, Age of Empires and Caesar III, plus user and developer documentation. Its documentation warns that loading large files on demand can block the interface or potentially crash the emulator, and requires server range-request support.
Who it is for
Boxedwine suits people who want to run 16-bit or 32-bit Windows applications on desktop systems or in a browser. Its browser version may also suit users who can configure its storage and file-loading requirements.
What is good
- Runs 16-bit and 32-bit Windows applications.
- Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and browsers.
- GPL v2 open-source license.
- Online demos include applications and games.
- Supports multiple Wine versions from 1.6 to 5.0.
What to know first
- Browser memory storage loses d:/ changes when the tab closes.
- Large on-demand file loading can block the interface or crash.
- On-demand loading requires server range-request support.
- Dropbox storage requires configuration.
Verdict
Boxedwine offers a free, open-source route to running older Windows applications across desktop platforms and the browser. The browser build’s storage behavior and documented large-file risks are important to consider before relying on it.
Boxedwine plans and pricing
All plansCompared on Windows compatibility layers
- Free plan
- Yesboxedwine.org
- macOS support
- Yesboxedwine.org
- Linux support
- Yesboxedwine.org
- Compatibility database
- Yesboxedwine.org
- Prefix management
- Yesboxedwine.org
Facts
- Purpose
- Boxedwine is an emulator that runs Windows applications by running a 32-bit version of Wine and emulating the Linux kernel and CPU.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Open source
- Boxedwine is released under the GNU General Public License v2 (GPL).boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Windows support
- The site says Boxedwine runs 16-bit and 32-bit Windows applications.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Browser support
- Boxedwine runs in a browser using Emscripten (WASM and asm.js).boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Desktop platforms
- The site lists Windows, Mac, and Linux as supported platforms.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Wine versions
- The overview says Boxedwine supports multiple Wine versions from 1.6 to Wine 5.0.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Implementation
- Boxedwine is written in C++ with SDL.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Browser storage
- The web build uses memory storage by default, and changes to d:/ are discarded when the browser tab closes.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Browser storage options
- The web build also offers Dropbox storage, which requires configuration, and local storage, whose limits depend on the browser and operating system.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Dropbox integration
- The web build's Dropbox storage option uses an OAuth flow provided through the dropbox.js library.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Browser file handling
- The web build supports dragging and dropping a directory into the page to list executable files, and upload/download functionality is controlled by a shell-file flag.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Configurable execution
- The web build can take URL parameters to select a root filesystem, app archive, program, working directory, and filesystem overlays.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Emulator configuration
- Command-line options include mounting host directories or ZIP files into the emulated filesystem and setting screen resolution and scaling.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Available demos
- The site’s demo page lists online demos for Windows applications and games including AbiWord, Age of Empires, and Caesar III.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Web build limitation
- The documentation says on-demand file loading can block the UI thread or potentially crash the emulator when retrieving large files, and requires server range-request support.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- License
- The maker says Boxedwine is open source under the GNU General Public License v2.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Windows compatibility
- The maker lists support for 16-bit and 32-bit Windows applications.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Browser build
- The maker says Boxedwine runs in a browser using Emscripten, wasm and asm.js.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Graphics support
- The linked project repository lists support for apps and games using OpenGL, Direct3D and Vulkan.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Configuration
- The web build can be configured with URL parameters or by changing properties in boxedwine-shell.js.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- App catalog
- The maker’s Apps and Games page lists 39 results, including Windows applications and games with platform and graphics-library details.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Online demos
- The maker provides online demos for listed titles including AbiWord, Age of Empires and Caesar III.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Documentation
- The maker provides user documentation for command-line arguments and web build configuration, plus developer build documentation.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
- Security and compliance
- The maker’s overview identifies the GPL v2 license; the reviewed maker pages do not state security certifications or compliance claims.boxedwine.org · 30 Sept 2026
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Sources
- boxedwine.org· checked 30 Sept 2026
- boxedwine.org/documentation/web-build-configuration/· checked 30 Sept 2026
- boxedwine.org/command-line-arguments/· checked 30 Sept 2026
- boxedwine.org/demo/· checked 30 Sept 2026
- github.com/danoon2/Boxedwine· checked 30 Sept 2026
- boxedwine.org/search-apps/· checked 30 Sept 2026
- boxedwine.org/documentation/· checked 30 Sept 2026