🧰 Cross-Compile macOS Apps on Windows — C, Objective-C, Qt, Cocoa (No Mac Needed)

Build native macOS applications — including Cocoa and Qt-based GUI apps — entirely on Windows, using Clang, CMake, and Ninja.

xar archive coming to windows soon

✅ No Mac required to build. Just transfer and run the output on a real Mac.

🖱️ New: Use the built-in Toolchain GUI to select your macOS SDK, configure deployment targets, and generate CMake projects.

📂 Find the Toolchain GUI in the tool/ folder of this repo.

✨ Features

Build real macOS .app and CLI binaries from Windows
Full support for C, Objective-C, and Qt (QtWidgets)
Cocoa GUI support (AppDelegate, XIB-style)
Works with CMake + Ninja or Visual Studio
Automatically detects macOS SDK from SDK/ folder
Includes working examples: CLI, Cocoa, and Qt GUI
No VM or Hackintosh required

📦 Overview

This project provides a cross-compilation toolchain that allows you to build native macOS executables — including GUI apps — from a Windows system. It supports:

Clang + macOS SDK
Objective-C, C, and C++ (Qt)
Cocoa GUI (with AppDelegate)
Qt Widgets-based GUI

📁 Project Structure

MacCross/
├── CMakeLists.txt
├── SDK/
│   └── MacOSX14.5.sdk/             # <--- Place SDK here
├── C-Example/
│   └── hello.c
├── ObjC-Example/
│   ├── main.m
│   ├── AppDelegate.h
│   └── AppDelegate.m
├── Qt-Example/
│   ├── main.cpp
├── macosx-toolchain.cmake
├── build-Qt.bat                    # Optional manual script
├── build/

🔧 Requirements

🛠️ How to Build

You can build using either CMake + Ninja (CLI) or Visual Studio (GUI). Both methods work with this project.

🔧 Option 1: CMake + Ninja (Recommended for automation or scripting)

mkdir build
cd build
cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../macosx-toolchain.cmake ..
cmake --build .

🖥️ Option 2: Visual Studio (Recommended for GUI users)

Open Visual Studio
Select "Open a local folder"
Choose the project root (where CMakeLists.txt is located)
When prompted, select a CMake configuration (e.g., x64-Release)
Visual Studio will detect the CMake project and automatically configure it
Ensure macosx-toolchain.cmake is being used:
- Go to CMake Settings or CMakePresets.json
- Set the toolchain file path under CMake toolchain file
Build via Build > Build All

✅ Make sure the toolchain file is set, or builds will fail.

📌 Environment Variables (Static Qt Builds Only)

If you're using Qt (especially static builds), set the following environment variables before building:

set QT_DIR=F:\Qt\6.7.3\macos
set QT_FRAMEWORKS=%QT_DIR%\lib

✅ MACOSX_SDK_PATH and MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET are automatically handled by the toolchain (SDK is detected from the SDK/ folder, deployment target is set to 11.0 by default).

✅ Verifying the Output

Transfer the built binaries to a Mac and run:

./hello         # From C-Example
./ObjCExample   # From Cocoa app
./QtExample     # From Qt app

Expected output:

Hello, world!

⚠️ Note: Binaries are unsigned. You may need to bypass Gatekeeper to run them.

📚 Examples Included

✅ CLI C Hello World
✅ Cocoa GUI App (Objective-C + AppDelegate)
✅ Qt Widgets GUI App

Want Swift support? Coming soon.

🛠️ Tools

Image to ICNS: Convert PNG or JPEG images to macOS .icns files on Windows.

📜 License & Legal Note

This project is licensed under the MIT License (with a non-commercial use clause).
See the LICENSE file for more details.

💬 Feedback

If you found this project helpful, please open an issue with suggestions or improvements.
Contributions are welcome — feel free to submit a pull request!

WinToMacApps

Install / Use

README