ProtonDB vs Wine

PProtonDB8.6Visit Wine7.9Visit

Higher score P ProtonDB #3 in Game Compatibility Checkers 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit ProtonDB

vs

Wine #5 in Game Compatibility Checkers 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit WineHQ

• ProtonDB fits best

  Linux and Steam Deck compatibility research

• Wine fits best

  Advanced users running Windows games through Wine

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Side by side

Feature	PProtonDB 8.6/10 Visit ↗	Wine 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	7.9
Ranking	#3 in Game Compatibility Checkers	#5 in Game Compatibility Checkers
Best for	Linux and Steam Deck compatibility research	Advanced users running Windows games through Wine
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Linux, macOS
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ProtonDB 1/2 · Wine 0/2
Hardware scan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Linux/Proton data	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Scan method	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Requirements detail	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Game catalog size	32163 games	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	32,163-game catalog with compatibility ratings and search Reports include Proton versions, hardware, distros, and workarounds Steam Deck, Chromebook, and anti-cheat status indicators	Runs Windows applications and games on Linux and macOS Supports WoW64, Direct3D 12 through vkd3d, and Vulkan graphics Provides configurable prefixes and an application compatibility database
Cons	Crowdsourced report detail and consistency vary by game Web-only access offers no native desktop or mobile app Focused on Proton-based Linux play rather than other platforms	Self-hosted deployment requires local installation and configuration Separate Wine prefixes add environment-management work It runs software rather than acting mainly as a standalone checker
Our verdict	ProtonDB is a free web database for evaluating how Windows and native games run on Linux through Valve’s Proton compatibility layer. It is aimed at Linux players, Steam Deck owners, and anyone researching compatibility before purchasing or… Read the review →	Wine is an open-source compatibility layer for running Windows applications and games on POSIX-compliant systems. It translates Windows API calls and provides Windows subsystem, graphics, and multimedia implementations for Linux and macOS,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ProtonDB — where it wins

  • 32,163-game catalog with compatibility ratings and search
  • Reports include Proton versions, hardware, distros, and workarounds
  • Steam Deck, Chromebook, and anti-cheat status indicators

  Where it doesn't

  • Crowdsourced report detail and consistency vary by game
  • Web-only access offers no native desktop or mobile app
  • Focused on Proton-based Linux play rather than other platforms

• Wine — where it wins

  • Runs Windows applications and games on Linux and macOS
  • Supports WoW64, Direct3D 12 through vkd3d, and Vulkan graphics
  • Provides configurable prefixes and an application compatibility database

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires local installation and configuration
  • Separate Wine prefixes add environment-management work
  • It runs software rather than acting mainly as a standalone checker

• PProtonDB8.6/10 · Free plan

  A free, report-rich reference for checking Proton compatibility before buying or installing games.

  Visit ProtonDBFull verdict →
• Wine7.9/10 · Free plan

  Wine runs Windows games and applications on Linux and macOS without installing Windows.

  Visit WineHQFull verdict →