10 Best Windows Emulators for Mac OS to Download

Apple Macintosh computers are adorable and elegant. Even people who don’t like other Apple products like the iPhone or iPad would take a moment to spread hatred about the MacBook or other Mac models – that’s how lovable these computers are. Mac runs an entirely different OS, the Apple proprietary Mac OS that is vastly different from Windows OS. Newcomers to Mac OS from Windows might miss the Windows features they used to have, and even some Mac users could need something that’s only available in Windows and not in Mac. For all these requirements, there are Windows emulators for Mac OS that can effectively run Windows inside Mac.

Top 10 Windows Emulators for Mac

We have sorted out the best 10 Windows emulators you can currently use on a Mac.

1. Boot Camp

Apparently one of the most popular Windows emulators for Mac. However, a registered Windows copy is required to emulate Windows inside Mac, otherwise, you may not be able to acquire the full functionality. You can read more about Boot Camp here.

2. VirtualBox

Since Virtual Box is open source, the developers can take a look under the hood and improve the overall functionality if required. For this reason, there’s a lot less bug than any other emulators for Mac OS. Integration between hardware and VirtualBox appears to be perfect, everything works fine.

3. Parallels

Installation for Parallel is easy, doesn’t take much long either. The software comes with a price tag of $69, but the range of features makes up for the price. After Windows installation inside Parallels, the user doesn’t need to reboot the Mac.

4. Wineskin Winery

By creating ports, Wineskin Winery creates an integration between Windows and Mac so that the emulator works flawlessly. Also, Wineskin Winery is free of charge.

5. Citrix XenApp

With a centralized cloud server, the Windows emulator on Mac OS has been made a lot better. The Citrix XenApp is free for download and the number of offered features is sufficient for any end users.

6. WinOnX

Windows on Mac OS X; that’s what this emulator’s name say in short. This Wine base emulator requires 10.6 and above versions of Mac OS X, older Macintosh users are out of luck. Get this app from this link.

7. Wine Bottler

Using this emulator, you simply emulate the OS like a plug and play thing. There’s no need for a new partition, neither a full installation of Windows is required. Simply launch Windows whenever needed. Download Wine Bottler today.

8. Virtual PC for Mac

Those who require network functionality through Windows-centric PCs could use Virtual PC for Mac. Complete Windows networking functionality could be achieved on Macintosh. This app costs $129.

9. CrossOver Mac

This emulator doesn’t require a separate virtual environment made, neither a fresh Windows installation is needed. Just purchase a version for $39 – $59 and start using Windows on Mac OS right away.

10. VMWare Fusion

VMWare is insanely famous for emulators in different platforms. VMWare Fusion runs Windows on Mac OS and feels like a native operating system. There’s a whole bunch of benefits which come at only $34.95, we’d say the pricing is very reasonable.

Conclusion: Installing an emulator can save a whole lot of time and get a job done efficiently and quickly. However, some older Macintosh may not be able to run 64-bit variants of Windows. Did you liked our list of the best Windows Emulators for Mac? Tell us in the comments below!

5 best PC emulation software for Mac [2021 Guide]

• Most users wish to replace their Windows OS with a MacOS one.
• But sometimes Mac users wish to experience Windows software on their devices, as well. Here are the best tools to do just that.
• Sick of limitations? Toggle freely between operating systems and devices and get the best of all platforms with the help of our Emulator Solutions.
• Check out more creative solutions to enhance your digital experience in our Tools & Utilities Hub.

• Marvel
• Starwars
• National Geographic
• Pixar

PC emulation software enables you to run Windows platforms and programs on Mac. This means that you can open a Windows OS within a Mac OS with a PC emulator installed on an Apple Macintosh!

Thus, you can get the best of both the Microsoft and Apple worlds with a virtual machine.

As such, PC emulation software can greatly expand the amount of software you can open on Mac by running programs that are otherwise exclusive to Windows.

There are two types of PC emulation of software. The first is virtualization software that emulates operating systems with virtual machines.

The second type of PC emulation software enables you to run Windows apps on Mac without any virtual machine.

As there’s no virtual machine, you don’t need any Windows product key to run the programs with non-virtualization software. These are a few of the best PC emulation software for Mac with which you can run Windows software.

What is the best emulator for Mac?

VMware Fusion (Recommended)

VMware Fusion is probably one of the best-known applications that allow you to run Windows apps on your Mac. And you can run it on most Mac launched from 2011 onward.

The Pro version includes extra virtual network customization and simulation, and it even incorporates a new Fusion API.

VMware Fusion supports more than 200 guest operating systems and its Unity View Mode enables you to launch Windows software from the Dock, Launchpad, and Spotlight.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Switch between a window and full-screen mode for the guest platform
• Copy and paste and drag-and-drop files and folders between Windows and Mac
• Good choice for Windows games as it incorporates a 3D accelerated graphics engine for DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3.
• You can utilize Windows-only devices with your Macintosh when Windows is up on the Mac.

VMware Fusion

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop is one of the most flexible and best-known emulators for Mac OS.

The standard Parallels Desktop version is currently retailing at about $79.99. However, there are also Parallel Pro and Business Editions that include advanced networking and software developer tools.

You can utilize this software on Mac OS X El Captain, Yosemite, macOS Sierra, and High Sierra 10.3.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Allows you to run various guest operating systems, which include Windows, Chrome OS, Mac OS X Leopard, DOS, Ubuntu, and Debian.
• You can launch Windows software from the Mac’s Dock much the same as Mac programs.
• You can copy and paste and drag-and-drop folders and files from the Mac desktop into the host platform.
• You can even open Windows programs without the guest platform desktop.
• Includes handy file archiving solutions and drive cleanup utilities.
• Video conversion and video download tools, GIF maker, screencast, audio recording feature

Parallels Desktop

Bluestacks

Bluestacks is an excellent software that allows you to run Android apps on both PC and Mac with the main focus on gaming.

Boasting unique features designed to enhance your gaming experience, this program has the capacity to simultaneously r eplicate actions in multiple instances.

But the advantages do not stop there. You can do more than emulate any Android game on PC and/or Mac, you can also use it to record and replay your actions at your convenience, with just one keypress.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Emulate any Andriod game on both PC and Mac
• Resources optimization to boost your performances during gameplay
• Disk Cleanup utilities to maximize storage capacities
• Video Recording to capture your gaming highlights
• In-built screenshot tool and more

NoxPlayer

This is another gaming-centered Android emulator that you can use to replicate your gaming experience on PC and Mac alike.

Packed with numerous features, this Android emulator is perfectly crafted to enhance boost your gameplay with keyboard support, script recording, and multiple instances.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Emulation capacities to perfectly render any Android games on Windows and Mac infrastructures
• keyboard, gamepad and mouse controls
• Play more games simultaneously and sync between accounts
• Record your gameplay and transform complex operations in fully-functional scripts

CrossOver

CrossOver is true to its name and does a great job at running Windows-built apps on your Mac with native functionalities like copy & paste, keyboard shortcuts, and more.

With over 13,000 Windows apps to choose from, you can easily get the PC feel on your Mac and even more easily switch between the two without rebooting or using a virtual machine.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Run Windows software on MacOS effortlessly
• No rebooting and no virtual machine installation necessary
• One-click installation
• Does not impact your RAM and CPU usage
• Seamless integration with your desktop environment

These are some of the best tools that will allow you to run Windows applications on your Apple computer.

Bear in mind that you’re not limited to the Windows platform, and thanks to the virtualization emulators you can run Linux and other platforms on Mac.

As such, emulators can greatly expand your software library for any platform.

Top 5 Best Windows Emulators for Mac That Are Worth Your Time (2021)

Table of Contents

When you use macOS for your daily needs, the thriving ecosystem delivers effective results. Although you have plenty of software support to enjoy, some programs are still only compatible with Windows.

If you wanted to turn your Mac into a gaming computer, you’d like to run Windows software on your Apple to ensure the most compatibility.

The only way to do that right now is to install one of the best Windows emulators for Mac.

What Does a PC Emulator Offer for macOS?

PC emulators can be powerful tools for your Apple computer. It is a program that enables the ability to run software from an entirely different device on your local system.

That means you can use a PC emulator to simulate a Windows environment on your macOS device.

How to Find the Best Windows Emulator for Mac

There are certainly numerous benefits to consider when operating a Windows emulator on a Mac. When you start looking for the best one to meet your needs, it is essential to find the one product that limits the potential risks of this program.

The biggest problem to manage is the speed of your system. Emulators must reproduce behaviors from an entirely different platform on your Mac. Since they don’t have a dedicated power source or hardware to accomplish this outcome, macOS slows considerably.

When you emulate older systems, this disadvantage typically disappears. You could emulate a first-gen Nintendo Entertainment System on virtually any Mac without a problem.

If you want to emulate Windows 10 to turn your Mac into a gaming computer, it’s a different conversation. Without the right memory, CPU, and graphics, it’s more challenging to achieve the desired result.

Three additional risks should get reviewed before you decide to download a Windows emulator for your Mac.

Disadvantages of Windows Emulators And How to Avoid Them

When you can find a Windows emulator that avoids these potential issues while meeting your specific needs, you’ve found an excellent program.

What Are the Best Windows Emulators for Mac?

It doesn’t take long to find dozens of potential emulators listed for downloading. When you start investigating those links, you’ll quickly discover that some look rather suspicious.

Although we’ve thoroughly researched the five best Windows emulators for Mac, we strongly recommend that you take a trust-no-one approach to this download. With the potential for redirects and other issues that exist, you never know what might happen between when we wrote this guide, and you found the program you wanted.

1. VirtualBox

VirtualBox is the Windows emulator to use when you need simple and straightforward virtualization. It delivers an excellent resource for teaching, gaming, or productivity solutions without disrupting your typical workflow.

Pros of Using VirtualBox

The program delivers a thoughtful interface that displays all of your virtual sessions, providing specific details for you to review when selected. With the service being an open-source product, it is available at no-cost and can get modified to meet your particular requirements without licensure expenses. It works to optimize your Mac’s resources to avoid slowing your system when using the Windows emulator for your software and apps.

Cons of Using VirtualBox

It can deliver an unpredictable speed performance for some macOS users, especially if the emulator gets installed on an older device. Since it is an open-source product, users must rely on a supportive community for help instead of having documentation available for troubleshooting. It would be helpful if the program came with a universal configuration tool so that you’re not stuck in a world of redundancy with every new virtual session.

We cannot ignore the potential cost savings that come with VirtualBox. Since it is an open-source solution, businesses could implement this resource across all teams to keep overhead expenses low. This program delivers a practical result that you can download and use immediately from a personal use view.

It also performs exceptionally well when used in a production environment. If you have multiple macOS versions operating across different devices, you can still use VirtualBox to meet your needs.

I use this as my daily currently. It’s definitely starting to show some age but it’s been exceptionally reliable.

To avoid restarting between OS’s I just use Virtualbox. Allows me to multitask between my other OSs easily

— Storm the Facemask lovin Gryphon (@StormGryphon) January 30, 2021

Although it sometimes struggles to provide an accurate processor reading, this issue can pop up occasionally. We also discovered that running one session doesn’t usually tax the system, but you’ll notice severe speed differences with multiple VMs operating.

2. Parallels Desktop

Pros of Using Parallels

You have the option to configure the swipe gestures in macOS to switch between the host and virtualized desktop. It provides functionality from the Taskbar to let you launch your apps without going through multiple steps. The program’s coherence mode makes it easy for virtually everyone to take advantage of the benefits that a Windows emulator offers. You’ll receive intuitive Windows access while accessing legacy systems within a supportive and integrated environment.

Cons of Using Parallels

It isn’t available for all macOS versions. If you want to install Snow Leopard for your Mac, the option to use Parallels disappears. It has a server option that is quite expensive. Some of the games you can play with this emulator only operate at 20 frames per second. The current DirectX architecture isn’t fully supported. You must keep upgrading your software if you want to use the latest macOS version. The emulator uses a significant amount of memory, causing slowing on anything with less than 16 GB.

We appreciate the overall customer experience when working with Parallels Desktop. It provides comprehensive documentation, support websites, and approachable language. You don’t need to have a tech background to understand what you’re learning about with this emulator.

The primary benefit you’ll get with this program is its file transferring mechanism. It uses an intuitive approach that copies what you get on macOS already. If you know how to move a file from Finder to your desktop, you’re ready to transfer items from the virtual environment to the host.

I never used bootcamp and always work with parallels desktop. Work fine. There is also a M1 version. Bootcamp will be history. It wouldn’t work because of the new CPUs.

Pricing could be an obstacle for some users. Although you can download a free trial to explore its usefulness, the annual pro edition license is $99.99 per year. The same price applies to the business edition.

If you only need Parallels for home or classroom needs, you can save $20.

You can also buy the software outright as a one-time purchase, but this option doesn’t provide a free upgrade to a newer version.