Support Board
Date/Time: Fri, 02 May 2025 00:08:50 +0000
[User Discussion] - How well does Sierra Chart run on Mac via Crossover?
View Count: 25865
| [2023-09-16 00:27:35] |
| Ifrit - Posts: 51 |
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How well does Sierra Charts run on Mac via Crossover? Any lag? Glitching? Improper order modification or placement? General issues? SC works flawlessly on Windows but was wondering if anyone has used this successfully on Mac and without problems. Thanks Date Time Of Last Edit: 2023-09-16 08:30:08
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| [2023-09-16 14:01:37] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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No idea, but since I just bought an M2 based Mac Mini ($500 at B&H Photo), I'd be very interested in hearing the answers to your question. My guess is that performance will likely be excellent. The new ARM-based Apple silicon has an excellent reputation for performance, compact size and minimal waste heat generation. Crossover is a derivative of Wine which works well with SC. And SC publishes an ARM native version of its software. All this adds up in theory to the Mac running Sierra Chart very well indeed. The only problem IMO is that you can only connect 3 monitors to the Mac Mini and 1 monitor to the Macbook Air. |
| [2023-09-16 14:41:58] |
| Sawtooth - Posts: 4212 |
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There are may threads about SC on a Mac. Here's one: FYI Sierra Chart Version 2225 Runs on a Mac using Codeweavers Crossover Version 20 for Mac |
| [2023-09-16 15:36:30] |
| Sierra_Chart Engineering - Posts: 19390 |
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No performance is not going to be excellent. You will absolutely have degraded performance in some areas when Sierra Chart is not directly running on its native operating system and the native operating system at this time is still Windows. Never believe you are going to get better performance. It is not going to be true.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy: https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service: Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing |
| [2023-09-16 16:31:06] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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No performance is not going to be excellent. You will absolutely have degraded performance in some areas when Sierra Chart is not directly running on its native operating system and the native operating system at this time is still Windows. Never believe you are going to get better performance. It is not going to be true.
I see it differently than you. IMO, this is an empirical question. Somebody needs to run the ARM version of Sierra Chart on the new Apple silicon and see how it does. The thread Sawtooth cites is too old to rely on. It turns out many dozens of people already have run Sierra Chart on the new Apple silicon. Average review is 5/5 stars. Go here: https://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/crossover/sierra-chart#advocates If I have time this weekend, I will get Sierra Chart up and running on my new Mac Mini and let this forum know what my own experience is. |
| [2023-09-16 17:15:25] |
| Tony - Posts: 568 |
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Thanks Ed! Really curious to know!! @Ifrit I'm still running Linux on my 2015 iMac, one instrument, one chart, five studies, works great, fast and reliable. |
| [2023-09-16 19:49:40] |
| Ifrit - Posts: 51 |
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Thanks to everyone who posted. I guess I suck at searching the SC forums. I didn't find any other threads besides the main one on just using Crossover itself. So it seems like there's issues with people moving orders and things, and with lag. The jury is still out on whether this is a valid replacement for trading on a PC, so I'm going to either: 1) Not trade at all on Mac 2) Buy a windows laptop for traveling I'm not going to mess around with this. I've used WINE before with Linux and had several problems. While it may be a solution it isn't one I'm going to risk real world capital with. Just going to stick with what I know works (Windows). Date Time Of Last Edit: 2023-09-16 19:50:33
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| [2023-09-16 21:17:35] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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So it seems like there's issues with people moving orders and things, and with lag.
I'm not going to mess around with this. I've used WINE before with Linux and had several problems. While it may be a solution it isn't one I'm going to risk real world capital with.
Sticking with a canonical Windows system as your hardware sounds like a reasonable approach to me. Also, if you're planning on using competitors to Sierra Chart's data and order routing services--IBKR, CQG or Rithmic--you may want to reconsider. If you really want to play it safe, a canonical system probably means running Sierra Chart's own Denali and Teton services. Anthony (the Owner & Creator of Sierra Chart) wrote on this thread: No performance is not going to be excellent. You will absolutely have degraded performance in some areas when Sierra Chart is not directly running on its native operating system and the native operating system at this time is still Windows. Never believe you are going to get better performance. It is not going to be true.
And yet the SC web site recommends exactly the approach which the Chief Engineer has harshly criticized. Is it any wonder that SC customers are confused with such mixed messages coming from Sierra Chart? From Sierra Chart Web Site (Software Download): Using Sierra Chart on a Mac
Sierra Chart is not currently designed to run natively on the Mac operating system. However, there is a solution to this. Follow the general steps below to use Sierra Chart on the Mac OS. Install Codeweavers Crossover for the Mac on your Mac. Create a Windows 7 64bit bottle using this Crossover program. Install and use Sierra Chart under this installation. |
| [2023-09-17 00:37:49] |
| User1293821 - Posts: 42 |
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I have both a desktop with a 3080 and M1 Macbook Pro. I run the ARM version of sierra on the Macbook Pro from time to time via parallels but it will never get the same performance as being able to use open GL on my desktop.
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| [2023-09-17 11:38:06] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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I have both a desktop with a 3080 and M1 Macbook Pro. I run the ARM version of sierra on the Macbook Pro from time to time via parallels but it will never get the same performance as being able to use open GL on my desktop.
Parallels is a full blown VM and will almost certainly perform more poorly than Crossover. Crossover runs Windows/ARM code in native mode, but traps out system calls which are then translated into their Mac equivalents. Very clever, very efficient. As a user, you also avoid the cost of a Windows license. Re: using OpenGL on SC, everytime I use this feature, I wind up with worse performance than without OpenGL. I've tested it with two different GPUs: an Nvdia P4000 and a Radeon Pro WX 3200 |
| [2025-03-13 12:45:23] |
| User559540 - Posts: 2 |
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It's running perfectly for me on a M4 with CrossOver. Stable, fast, I haven't hit any glitches. The only issue I've seen is with fonts, that don't look super crispy, but that's quite minor for me.
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2025-03-13 12:45:35
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| [2025-03-13 14:05:21] |
| brainscan132 - Posts: 8 |
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I've just got a Mac mini M4 pro base model. I'm currently using the trial versions of both parallels and crossover. I've done a quick comparison in how long it takes to download a couple of Chartbooks for pound and euro, and parallels is much quicker. looking at the intraday chart parallels seems to update more frequently with all other settings the same... so I'm leaning towards that as crossover is a bit slower. I'd rather crossover were better as its cheaper and is less hassle with having to get a windows license key. Maybe there are some settings I don't know how to change that would make crossover better. I only use this computer for trading so having other windows features is pretty irrelevant to me.
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| [2025-03-14 20:00:09] |
| ForgivingComputers.com - Posts: 1052 |
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I've just got a Mac mini M4 pro base model.
I have the base Mac M4 Mini, and I installed the Windows 11 ARM version on VMWare Fusion, which is free. I would be interested in suggestions for how to benchmark Sierra Chart in different environments, and answer the question, which Mac VM is best for performance: Crossover, Parallels, or Fusion. Date Time Of Last Edit: 2025-03-14 20:00:58
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| [2025-03-14 20:09:26] |
| brainscan132 - Posts: 8 |
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I found that my charts looked abysmal using vmware fusion, so much so that i thought paying for a parallels subscription was worth it for what's essentially $2 a week. Crossover was the slowest to download chart data but not really significant. I find it much easier using a windows interface to move and adjust files within sierra chart so I'm sticking with parallels
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| [2025-03-14 20:23:29] |
| SomeRandomUser - Posts: 160 |
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I'm the OP (name was changed, and I noticed it didn't change my username sitewide). This thread is a year and a half old and I no longer use MacOS. Too much money at stake. Bought an MSI gaming laptop. Windows only. Not worth the potential failure of too many moving parts/systems. No regrets. |
| [2025-03-14 20:28:25] |
| Tony - Posts: 568 |
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Totally agree with the random user, I have 2 Intel based Macs, all running Linux, too much time wasted sencelessly dealing with MacOS
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