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Crosswire

Run Windows software on macOS without touching Terminal.

Download Crosswire Docs Compatibility

Corresponding source for this build: github.com/casitasoftware/crosswire-source. The mirror carries the source for the current release.

What's new in v1.1

What it does

Crosswire runs Windows games and apps on macOS. Install one, point it at a Windows .exe, and it lands in your library, ready to launch with a click. Each install gets its own isolated space, so one app can't break another.

Crosswire is a fork of Whisky, which was archived in April 2025. Windows support ships inside the app. The first time you open it, it sets up Rosetta if your Mac doesn't have it. You don't need Terminal or Homebrew.

Coming from Whisky? Crosswire started as a fork of it and is free and open source under GPL-3.0. Installing an app puts it straight into your library, with no bottle to create first.

System requirements

Install Crosswire

  1. Download the latest .dmg from the download link.
  2. Open the .dmg and drag Crosswire into Applications.
  3. Open it. Windows support is already inside the app, and Crosswire sets up Rosetta if your Mac needs it.

Gatekeeper warning? Crosswire isn't Apple-notarized yet, so macOS asks you to confirm it. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to Security, and click Open Anyway next to Crosswire. You only need to do this once.

Installing a game or app

  1. Click Install Windows App, or drag a Windows .exe onto the window.
  2. If it's an installer (Setup.exe and the like), follow its steps as you would on Windows. Crosswire detects any runtimes the app needs as it goes and adds them with one click.
  3. The app appears in your library by name. Click to launch it.

Portable apps work the same way: drop the .exe on the window and it joins your library once it runs.

How it handles compatibility

At launch, Crosswire checks for a newer Windows compatibility layer and installs it in one click. While you install an app it spots the common Windows runtimes that app needs (like Visual C++ or .NET) and offers to install them. For games it recognizes, it applies that title's known-good settings automatically. Per-app settings are there if you need them.

Troubleshooting

App won't open? It's usually a missing runtime, which Crosswire offers during install. If one still won't launch, reinstall it so detection runs again, or use Launch with Diagnostics from the app's page to capture a log. For more, see the docs.

Uninstalling Crosswire

Use the built-in uninstaller: Settings → Advanced → Uninstall Crosswire…, also in the Crosswire menu. It stops anything still running, removes the data Crosswire can regenerate, asks separately before touching your installed Windows apps, then reveals Crosswire in Finder so you can drag it to the Trash to finish. Installed apps are kept unless you opt in, since they can be large and hold your save data.

Dragging Crosswire to the Trash removes the app itself and nothing else. macOS gives an app no uninstall hook, so nothing runs when you delete it. If you have already done that, the docs list what is left behind and where to find it.

Supporting Crosswire

Crosswire is free and open source under GPL-3.0. Sponsoring on GitHub goes toward an Apple Developer account, so the app can be signed and notarized.

Get the source

The source is published at github.com/casitasoftware/crosswire-source. For bugs and feedback, email [email protected].

Download Docs Compatibility

Corresponding source for this build: github.com/casitasoftware/crosswire-source. The mirror carries the source for the current release.