Moonshine
Moonshine is a free, open-source macOS application for running Windows games and programs through Wine.
What Moonshine is
Moonshine is a free, open-source macOS application for running Windows games and programs through Wine. Its SwiftUI interface lets users create bottles, adjust settings, and launch Windows software without using a technical command-line workflow. A first-launch wizard installs Wine Staging 11.2 and applies a patch to Wine’s macOS driver for OpenGL 3.2 and later context creation. The project describes DXVK translating Direct3D to Vulkan and MoltenVK translating Vulkan to Metal. Moonshine records Wine output in timestamped logs, including crash details, DLL loading diagnostics, and exit codes. Users can install from a DMG or build from source; source builds require Xcode 16 or later and a supplied script can install dependencies, build, and launch the app. Minimum requirements are an Apple Silicon Mac and macOS Sonoma 14.0 or later. The repository uses GPL-3.0 and currently lists no releases.
Good
- Graphical bottle creation and program launching
- Wine Staging 11.2 included through setup
- DXVK and MoltenVK rendering components
- Timestamped logs include crash and DLL details
- Open source under GPL-3.0
Watch out
- Requires Apple Silicon and macOS Sonoma 14.0 or later
- Repository currently lists no releases
- README says it was not thoroughly tested
- Linux is not supported
Who it suits
It is aimed at Apple Silicon Mac users who want a graphical way to run Windows applications or games. It also suits developers willing to build from source with Xcode 16 or later.
Verdict
Moonshine offers a focused graphical Wine wrapper for supported Apple Silicon Macs. Its requirements, unreleased status, and stated testing disclosure deserve attention before adoption.
The facts
Each one read from Moonshine's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The README says users can create bottles, configure settings, and launch Windows programs through a graphical interface without technical knowledge.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Build from source
- Building from source requires Xcode 16 or later, and the project provides a script that installs dependencies, builds the app, and launches it.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Crash logs
- Moonshine captures Wine output in timestamped logs, including crash details, DLL load diagnostics, and exit codes.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- The repository’s releases page currently says there are no releases.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Graphics
- The project patches Wine’s macOS driver to support OpenGL 3.2 and later context creation.checked 9 Oct 2026
- How it works
- Users create bottles, configure settings, and launch Windows programs through a graphical interface.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The README describes installing from a DMG or building from source; first launch runs a setup wizard that installs Wine and applies the OpenGL patch.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Integration components
- The README credits Wine, Wine Staging, DXVK-macOS, MoltenVK, and Sparkle among the projects Moonshine builds on.checked 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository lists GPL-3.0 as its license.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Project origin
- Moonshine is a fork of Whisky, which the README says was archived in May 2025.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Moonshine is a native SwiftUI Wine wrapper for running Windows games and apps on a Mac.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Rendering components
- The README describes DXVK for translating Direct3D to Vulkan and MoltenVK for translating Vulkan to Metal.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- The stated minimum requirements are an Apple Silicon Mac and macOS Sonoma 14.0 or later; building from source requires Xcode 16 or later.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security and testing
- The README discloses that Moonshine was built with Claude Code and was not thoroughly tested.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Testing disclosure
- The README says the project was built with Claude Code and was not thoroughly tested.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Wine version
- Moonshine uses Wine Staging 11.2, which its setup wizard downloads and installs.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The public GitHub repository is owned by the account ybmeng.checked 9 Oct 2026
