Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ProtonUp-Qt VS WineD3D

Compare ProtonUp-Qt VS WineD3D and see what are their differences

ProtonUp-Qt logo ProtonUp-Qt

Install and manage GE-Proton, Luxtorpeda & more for Steam and Wine-GE & more for Lutris with this graphical user interface.

WineD3D logo WineD3D

Is a DirectX 1-11 to OpenGL wrapper based on WineD3D, which is an almost full implementation of DirectX used in Wine.
  • ProtonUp-Qt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-02-08
  • WineD3D Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-05

ProtonUp-Qt features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    ProtonUp-Qt provides a graphical interface that makes managing and updating compatibility tools like Proton and Wine-GE easier for users, especially those who are not comfortable with command-line operations.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The tool supports multiple platforms, including Linux and macOS, which allows users across different operating systems to access and manage their game tools seamlessly.
  • Automated Updates
    ProtonUp-Qt can automatically check for and install the latest versions of Proton and other compatibility tools, ensuring that users always have the most recent and optimized versions.
  • Customization Options
    The application allows users to install specific versions of compatibility tools according to their needs, offering greater control over gameplay experience and compatibility.

Possible disadvantages of ProtonUp-Qt

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While it simplifies basic management tasks, power users may find the application lacking in advanced features that could further customize their gaming setup.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    ProtonUp-Qt requires Proton or Wine-GE updates from external sources, which could pose issues if there are upstream problems with those projects.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    As with any tool that manages compatibility layers, there might be stability issues or bugs introduced with updates that could temporarily affect game performance or compatibility.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    Although it provides a GUI, new users without prior experience in managing game compatibility layers might still face a learning curve in understanding and utilizing all the features effectively.

WineD3D features and specs

  • Compatibility
    WineD3D allows running Direct3D applications on systems where native Direct3D is not available, such as Linux and macOS, by translating Direct3D calls into OpenGL calls.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, WineD3D allows developers and users to modify and improve the code, encouraging community contributions and frequent updates.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    It supports various platforms, providing a flexible solution for running Direct3D games and applications on different operating systems.
  • No Virtualization
    WineD3D does not require virtualization, which can result in better performance compared to virtual machines.

Possible disadvantages of WineD3D

  • Performance Overhead
    Translating Direct3D calls to OpenGL can introduce performance overhead, reducing the efficiency of the application compared to running natively on Windows.
  • Incomplete Support
    WineD3D may not fully support all Direct3D features, which can lead to glitches or missing functionality in some games and applications.
  • Complex Setup
    Setting up WineD3D can be complex, particularly for users unfamiliar with Wine or system configuration on non-Windows platforms.
  • Limited DirectX Versions
    Support for newer DirectX versions, such as DirectX 11 and 12, can be limited, affecting the ability to run the latest games and applications effectively.

ProtonUp-Qt videos

Install ProtonUp-QT and TRANSFORM your games and the Steam Deck experience.

More videos:

  • Review - ProtonUp-QT 2.7.7 for Steam Deck brings new game support!

WineD3D videos

CrossOver 22 Beta is HERE! Testing Windows gaming on Mac: Control, Rocket League, New UI, WineD3D

More videos:

  • Review - 3DMark performance comparison: ReactOS vs Windows XP SP3 (WineD3D)
  • Review - Gallium Nine (Direct3D) vs DXVK (Vulkan) vs WineD3D (OpenGL) - Unigine Tropics (2008)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ProtonUp-Qt and WineD3D)
Cloud Computing
59 59%
41% 41
Gaming
48 48%
52% 52
Group Chat & Notifications
Game Managers
49 49%
51% 51

User comments

Share your experience with using ProtonUp-Qt and WineD3D. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, WineD3D seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ProtonUp-Qt mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ProtonUp-Qt yet. Tracking of ProtonUp-Qt recommendations started around Feb 2025.

WineD3D mentions (3)

  • Winlator: Android app that lets you to run Windows apps with Wine
    Do you mean WineD3D for windows? https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • "LibreOffice is better at reading old Word files than Word"
    Https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Nintendo Network shutdown โ€“ The beginning of the end
    DgVoodoo2 unfortunately is not open source, and its author has stopped regular development (keeping it at small maintenance fixes) some time ago. I can only hope that projects like WineD3D for windows[1] can make up for it in the long term, but we're one breaking Directx update away from going back to the start. [1]https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ProtonUp-Qt and WineD3D, you can also consider the following products

Proton - Compatibility tool for Steam Play based on Wine and additional components

DDrawCompat - DirectDraw and Direct3D 1-7 compatibility, performance and visual enhancements for Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 and 11 - narzoul/DDrawCompat

D8VK - A Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 8/9/10/11 which allows running 3D applications on Linux using Wine.

Wine - Open Source Software for running Windows applications on other operating systems.

ForceD3D9On12 - This project provides DLL wrappers for the DirectX 1-9 graphics components. Its purpose is to disable the use of the Direct3D 9 user-mode display driver provided by GPU vendors. This forces the runtimes to use D3D9On12 instead.

DXVK - Vulkan-based D3D11 implementation for Linux / Wine