Detailed Guide to Run Windows Applications on Mac Without Installing Windows?

Many years have passed since the computer and laptops became our best buddies. From streaming videos to storing files and documents, the devices play a crucial role in both our personal and professional fronts. The role of the operating system and other programs is vital to access your system with ease. Personal preferences have made people switch from PC to Mac. If you are one among them, you might find it quite difficult to handle the Mac. From picture quality to operational differences, PC and Mac have so many dissimilarities. 

For beginners who recently switched to Mac, they might miss Windows the most in terms of operational ease. It will be the best news for you to know that you can run Windows applications on your Mac without having to install Windows. Wondering how? This article will brief you in simple steps and guide you on how to do it. Though the applications listed below won’t be a perfect replacement for installing actual Windows, these will surely be efficient for running basic Windows applications for regular use. Some of the programs require subscription while some are completely free for downloading and usage. 

1. WineBottler

WineBottler is one of the commonly used applications to run Windows software on your Mac. Here’s how to use it to run Windows:

1. Download the WineBottler first.
2. Now you should just place the ‘Wine’ application and ‘WineBottler’ application in your application folder.
3. You should download the PC software that you wish to run on your Mac device.
4. Now go to finder and right-click the PC software. From the drop-down menu, you should choose the ‘open with’ option and then click on ‘WineBottler’.
5. The PC software or program must be included in the database of WineBottler’s application. Only then the application will function on Mac. You can get to know this by simply searching for the software in the application database of WineBottler.
6. Now you are all set to use Windows applications on your Mac.

Remember that the applications that are found on the WineBottler database will run smoothly on your Mac, but might the efficiency and quality of its functioning will vary between applications. These applications are rated in Platinum, Bronze, etc. based on their performance and quality in Mac. With Platinum being the most efficient, bronze will deliver fair to medium performance. WineBottler is not a perfect replacement for Windows but works fine for minimal use of Windows programs. You can get a hand in the software without having to install an additional operating system. The best part of using WineBottler is it is free to use. You do not have to subscribe or pay for use. 

2. CrossOver

CrossOver is another program just like WineBottler that is used for running Windows programs on Mac. But, it is used for commercial purposes and requires payment for usage. However, it offers a free trial for you to try it out for a temporary period. You can subscribe to a starting 40$ subscription fee if you are going to use it for the long term. 

You have to follow the below steps to make it work on your Mac. 

• Download CrossOver from CodeWeavers
• Now decompress the contents of the Zip file you downloaded

• Now move the CrossOver program from the download folder to your Applications folder.
• After selecting whether you want to use the trial mode or subscription model, you can start using the CrossOver program.
• After you install the program, enter the Windows application name you want to run on your Mac. Just like WineBottler, CrossOver also will work to search its database and show you the list of applications.

• You can select the application you want to run. Click ‘Continue’ to proceed further.
• After you select the desired application and once the installation process is over, you can access the CrossOver program on your Mac to run Windows applications.

Some of the best advantages of using CrossOver are,

• It runs without rebooting
• It will run applications at native speed
• Does not require a Windows operating system license for use

3. Other programs

Apart from WineBottler and CrossOver, there are other options for you to opt for to run Windows applications on your Mac without having to install Windows on your system. 

• Wineskin
• PlayOnMac

These two programs will let you run Windows applications just like WineBottler and CrossOver. You should follow the same steps that you followed for WineBottler to download and run this program on your Mac. Both Wineskin and PlayOnMac are free to use, and need not require subscriptions or payment. 

From the list of free and expensive ones, you can choose any program that you like to use it for running Windows applications on Mac. But, remember all of these programs will work perfectly for minimal usage and have limitations when compared to using a Windows OS.