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In one minute
- Pick CrossOver if you want the widest compatibility and the longest track record, Windows apps as well as games, an Intel Mac supported, or phone and email support.
- Try Grapple if you mainly play Windows games from Steam on an Apple Silicon Mac and want a free plan or a low monthly price — and you're fine with a beta.
- Best of all: you can test either one for free — CrossOver with its trial, Grapple with its Free plan. Try the games you actually play before paying for either.
Side by side
CrossOver details are for CrossOver 26, the current release. Prices as shown in CodeWeavers' EU store.
| CrossOver | Grapple | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | CodeWeavers, a major Wine contributor | Grapple, an independent team |
| Status | Mature; CrossOver 26.3 released July 2026 | Beta |
| Price | 14-day free trial, then €74 (12 months of updates and support) or €484 (lifetime) | Free plan forever (one game); Pro €3.99/month or €39/year in total for your whole library, cancel any time |
| Macs | Apple Silicon and Intel (CrossOver 27 will be Apple Silicon only) | Apple Silicon only |
| macOS | Big Sur or later for CrossOver 26; Sonoma or later for CrossOver 27 | Sonoma (14) or later |
| Also runs on | Linux | Mac only |
| DirectX 10/11 | DXMT and D3DMetal | D3DMetal and DXMT (DXVK and WineD3D as fallbacks) |
| DirectX 12 | D3DMetal 3.0 built in | D3DMetal included — fetched in a one-time setup download |
| Windows apps (non-games) | Yes — a core use case | Runs any .exe, but built and tested for games |
| Launcher setup | Install from its app catalogue | Steam, GOG and Epic in one click on either plan, including Steam's black-window fix |
| Install recipes | Large catalogue of per-app installers | Not yet |
| Support | Email and phone with a paid plan | Community on Free; priority support on Pro |
Where CrossOver is better
- Compatibility and track record. CrossOver has been around since the early 2000s, and CodeWeavers' developers are among the biggest contributors to Wine itself.
- A longer DirectX 12 track record. Both apps include D3DMetal, but CrossOver has shipped it for years and tests far more games with it than we have so far.
- Beyond games. CrossOver is designed for Windows productivity software too, with install recipes for many apps.
- More Macs. CrossOver 26 still supports Intel Macs and older macOS releases.
- Human support. Paid plans include email and phone support.
- Pay once. A CrossOver licence keeps working after its 12 months of updates end. Grapple Pro is a subscription.
Where Grapple differs
- A free plan that doesn't expire. One game, for as long as you like — claimed the first time you play it, swappable once every 30 days, with launchers and Windows tools never counting as your game.
- Lower entry price. €3.99/month if you only play for a few months, or €39/year.
- Built for games. Defaults chosen for games (the graphics layer picked for you, Steam overlay off), and Steam, GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Launcher set up in one click, on either plan, with Steam's black-window fix applied automatically.
- Apple Silicon only. Built for M-series Macs and current macOS, nothing else.
- Scriptable. Everything the app does is available from the
grapplecommand-line tool.
Honest caveat
Grapple is new and in beta. The only things we state outright that it runs are the Windows Steam client, GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Launcher — and for GOG and Epic we have taken them no further than their sign-in screen. For individual games, try them on the Free plan before you pay.
What they cost
CrossOver: a 14-day trial, then CrossOver+ at €74 for 12 months of upgrades and support, or CrossOver Life at €484 with upgrades for life (EU store prices when we checked; they vary by region and CodeWeavers runs promotions). When the 12 months end, the version you have keeps working; a new major version needs a renewal.
Grapple: the Free plan is free for good and runs one game of yours. Pro plays your whole library for €3.99/month or €39/year and you can cancel at any time; if you do, you drop back to Free. Full details on the pricing page.
Which should you pick?
If a game you care about is known to work in CrossOver — especially a demanding DirectX 12 game — CrossOver is the safer bet. If you mostly want your Steam library on an Apple Silicon Mac and prefer to start free, give Grapple a go, and keep CrossOver's trial in your back pocket for anything that doesn't work. Looking for other options, including free ones? See CrossOver alternatives.
FAQ
Is Grapple a free version of CrossOver?
No. Grapple is a separate product made by a separate team, and it isn't affiliated with CodeWeavers. Both build on the open-source Wine project, which is why they solve the same problem in similar ways.
Does CrossOver have a free version?
CrossOver offers a fully functional 14-day free trial. After that it's a paid licence. See our CrossOver alternatives page for tools that are free.
Can I use Grapple and CrossOver on the same Mac?
Yes. Each app keeps its Windows environments (CrossOver calls them bottles) in its own place, and they don't interfere with each other, so you can try a game in both.
Which one runs more games?
CrossOver, today. It has a longer track record and a large set of per-app install recipes. Both include D3DMetal for DirectX 12. Grapple is in beta and publishes results per game only as it tests them. Both set up Steam, GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Launcher for you.
What happens when my plan ends?
CrossOver keeps working after its 12 months of updates end; you just don't get newer versions. Grapple Pro drops back to the Free plan and its one game when you stop paying, and your games stay on your Mac.
Sources
Checked on 23 September 2026. Mac gaming tools change quickly, so check the linked pages for the latest versions and prices.
- CodeWeavers — CrossOver changelog (26.0 to 26.3)
- CodeWeavers — CrossOver store and plans
- CodeWeavers — CrossOver product page
- CodeWeavers blog — “Don't Panic: How CrossOver Licenses Work” (Oct 2025)
- CodeWeavers blog — “What's in and what's out for CrossOver 27” (Jun 2026)
- AppleInsider — first Apple Silicon-native CrossOver build in testing (Jul 2026)
- MacRumors — Whisky developer halts work, endorses CrossOver (Apr 2025)
CrossOver is a trademark of CodeWeavers, Inc. Grapple is not affiliated with CodeWeavers. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify those products.