8 Best Virtual Machines For Mac 2026 (Run Windows on Intel & Apple Silicon)

Running Windows or another operating system on a Mac is much easier than it used to be. Modern virtualization tools let you run Windows, Linux, or even another macOS instance directly inside macOS without rebooting.

Whether you want to run Windows-only software, play PC games, test apps in another operating system, or access legacy programs, virtual machines make it possible without buying a separate PC.

In this guide we’ve tested the best virtual machines for Mac in 2026, including tools that work on both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs (M1–M5).

We found that some VMs are faster and more polished, while others are free or better suited for developers and gamers.

We’ve also included some powerful alternatives that let you run Windows apps on a Mac without installing Windows at all.

If you want to explore all methods – including remote desktop and other approaches outside of virtualization – see our best ways to run Windows on a Mac guide.

Quick Picks: Best Ways to Run Windows on a Mac

If you want the short answer, these are the best options:

• Best overall virtual machine: Parallels Desktop
• Best free virtual machine: VMware Fusion
• Best open-source VM: UTM
• Best for Windows gaming: CrossOver
• Best free gaming option: Whisky
• Best for Intel Macs: VirtualBox
• Best for developers: Wine
• Best cloud Windows PC: Windows 365

If you want a full Windows desktop environment, the best solutions remain Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.

Which Virtual Machine Is Fastest on a Mac?

If performance is your top priority, here’s how the most popular virtual machines stack up on modern Macs:

• Parallels Desktop – The fastest overall VM on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs for most productivity and gaming tasks. Optimized for Windows 11 ARM, it offers near-native performance for productivity apps and many Windows games. Metal-accelerated DirectX 11 support ensures smooth graphics for most gaming and CAD applications.
• VMware Fusion – Slightly slower than Parallels, but still performs well, especially on Apple Silicon Macs. Free for personal and educational use, making it a great balance of speed and cost.
• UTM – Uses emulation for x86 Windows on Apple Silicon, which can make it noticeably slower than Parallels or VMware. Best for hobbyists and testing older OS versions rather than heavy workloads.
• VirtualBox – Fastest on Intel Macs for casual use, but Apple Silicon support is limited and performance can be unstable.
• CrossOver & Whisky – Not true virtual machines, but their lightweight Windows API translation often runs specific apps and games faster than some VMs, especially on Apple Silicon Macs. Best suited for gaming or individual app use rather than full Windows desktops.

Summary: For the fastest all-around experience, Parallels Desktop is the clear leader. VMware Fusion is a strong free alternative, and CrossOver or Whisky can outperform VMs for select games.

Best Virtual Machine for Apple Silicon Macs

Apple’s transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5) has changed how virtualization works on a Mac.

Apple Silicon Macs use ARM architecture, meaning traditional Intel versions of Windows cannot run directly.

Instead, virtualization tools must use Windows 11 ARM, Microsoft’s ARM-based version of Windows.

The good news is that Windows ARM includes x86 emulation, which allows most traditional Windows apps to run even though they were designed for Intel PCs.

However, not all virtualization tools support Apple Silicon equally well.

Best options for Apple Silicon Macs

1. Parallels Desktop – fastest and most polished
2. VMware Fusion – best free virtualization
3. UTM – open-source emulator

Tools like VirtualBox currently have limited or experimental support for Apple Silicon Macs.

Here then are the more detailed results of our testing of the best virtual environments for Mac in 2026.

Best Virtual Machines & Alternatives for Mac

Tool	Best For	Apple Silicon Support	Windows Version	Ease of Use	Price
Parallels Desktop	Best overall VM	Yes	Windows 11 ARM	Very Easy	$99/year
VMware Fusion	Best free VM	Yes	Windows 11 ARM	Easy	Free
CrossOver	Best for gaming	Yes	Not required	Easy	$74
UTM	Best open source VM	Yes	Windows ARM / emulation	Moderate	Free
Whisky	Free gaming layer	Apple Silicon	Not required	Easy	Free
VirtualBox	Intel Mac virtualization	Limited	Windows x86	Hard	Free
Wine	Developers / advanced users	Yes	Not required	Hard	Free
Windows 365	Cloud Windows PC	Yes	Full Windows	Very Easy	$32+/month

1. Parallels Desktop (Best Overall Virtual Machine)

Parallels Desktop is widely considered the best virtual machine for Mac thanks to its performance, ease of use, and excellent integration with macOS.

It also became the first virtualization platform to support Windows on Apple Silicon Macs, and Microsoft now officially endorses it for running Windows 11 ARM on Macs.

Installation is extremely simple. Parallels can automatically download and install Windows with just a few clicks.

Once installed, you can run Windows apps alongside Mac apps using Coherence Mode, which makes Windows programs appear like native macOS apps.

Parallels also offers the best macOS integration of any virtualization tool, including:

• drag-and-drop files between systems
• shared clipboard
• automatic device detection
• optimized graphics performance

Recent versions also support Metal-accelerated DirectX 11 graphics, making it one of the best options for Windows gaming on a Mac.

For more on what Parallels can do, you can also check out our full Parallels review or watch us install it below.

Pricing: Free Trial / Prices normally starting from $99.99 (£89.99) or $219.99 (£154.99) one time purchase. Currently up to 35% off.

Pros:

• Easiest Windows installation on Mac
• Best macOS integration
• Excellent performance on Apple Silicon
• Ideal for productivity apps and gaming

Cons:

• Paid subscription
• Windows license required
• DirectX 12 not supported (DirectX 11 is though)

2. VMware Fusion (Best Free Virtual Machine)

VMware Fusion is the main alternative to Parallels and is now completely free for personal and commercial use.

Like Parallels, it can automatically download and install Windows 11 ARM on Apple Silicon Macs.

Although its macOS integration isn’t quite as seamless as Parallels, VMware Fusion still offers powerful virtualization features including:

• Metal-accelerated graphics
• Windows and Linux support
• enterprise-grade virtualization tools
• strong developer features

VMware Fusion is particularly popular among developers and IT professionals thanks to its advanced configuration options.

You can read more in our full VMware Fusion review for more and check out our in-depth comparison of Parallels vs VMware Fusion.

You can also watch us using Microsoft Office and Visio on a Mac below using VMware Fusion for Mac.

Pricing: Free for personal, educational and commercial use

Pros:

• Completely free
• Supports Apple Silicon Macs
• Good Windows performance
• Enterprise-level virtualization tools

Cons:

• Slightly less polished than Parallels
• Limited official support
• No DirectX 12 support

3. CrossOver (Best for Windows Gaming)

CrossOver takes a completely different approach to running Windows apps on a Mac.

Instead of installing Windows, it translates Windows API calls so apps can run directly in macOS but it’s not a full VM.

This makes CrossOver extremely lightweight and often faster than virtual machines for gaming.

Thanks to Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit, CrossOver can run many modern Windows games including titles that require DirectX 11 and even experimental DirectX 12 support.

However, it does not provide a full Windows desktop environment.

Check out our full review of Crossover for more.

You can also watch us playing Where Winds Meet on a Mac using Crossover below.

Pricing: Starts at $74 per year but you can get an exclusive 15% off here with a free trial. $494/£414 for a lifetime license.

Pros:

• No Windows installation required
• Excellent performance for games
• Easy setup

Cons:

• Not all apps work
• No full Windows environment

4. UTM (Best Open Source VM)

UTM is a free open-source virtualization tool based on QEMU.

It allows you to run multiple operating systems including:

• Windows
• Linux
• macOS
• older legacy systems

UTM is particularly interesting because it can emulate x86 Windows on Apple Silicon Macs, although performance is slower than native virtualization.

It’s a powerful option for hobbyists and developers, but requires more manual setup than commercial solutions.

You can check out our full UTM review here.

Pricing: Free

Pros:

• Free and open source
• Works on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
• Supports many operating systems

Cons:

• Setup can be complicated
• Limited performance compared to commercial VMs

5. Whisky (Best Free Gaming Option)

Whisky is a lightweight tool designed primarily for running Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs.

It combines Wine (see below) with Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit to translate Windows APIs into macOS equivalents but it’s not a full virtual machine.

Because it avoids virtualization entirely, many games run at near-native speeds.

Whisky is still evolving though and is mainly suited to gaming rather than productivity apps.

Unfortunately, since April 2025, Whisky is no longer being developed or maintained by the developer so don’t expect any support if things go wrong.

Check out our guide on how to use Whisky on a Mac for more.

Pricing: Free

Pros:

• Free and open source
• Excellent performance on Apple Silicon
• Simple interface

Cons:

• Not a full Windows environment
• Compatibility varies
• No longer being developed

6. VirtualBox (Best for Intel Macs)

VirtualBox is a long-standing open-source virtualization platform supported by Oracle.

It supports many operating systems including Windows, Linux, and Solaris.

VirtualBox works well on Intel Macs, but Apple Silicon support remains experimental and we don’t recommend it for M-series Macs.

For modern Macs it’s generally not the best option unless you specifically need open-source virtualization.

Pricing: Free

Pros:

• Completely free
• Supports many operating systems

Cons:

• Poor Apple Silicon support
• Manual configuration required

7. Wine (Best for Developers)

Wine is the open-source compatibility layer that powers many tools like CrossOver and Whisky.

It allows Windows apps to run without installing Windows by translating system calls into macOS equivalents.

Wine is powerful but difficult to configure, making it best suited to developers or advanced users.

Pricing: Free

Pros:

• Free and open-source
• Lightweight and fast – no Windows installation needed
• Highly configurable for advanced users

Cons:

• Not user-friendly – requires manual setup for many apps
• No full Windows desktop environment
• Compatibility varies – some apps may not work at all
• No official customer support

8. Windows 365 (Best Cloud Windows PC)

Windows 365 is Microsoft’s cloud-based Windows PC service accessed on a Mac via “Windows App”.

Instead of running Windows locally, you stream a full Windows desktop from Microsoft’s cloud.

This approach works on any Mac, including low-spec machines, because the computing happens remotely.

It’s particularly popular with businesses that need reliable access to Windows apps from multiple devices.

However, at the moment it’s limited to those on Windows 365 business plans so isn’t available to all.

Check out our full review of Windows App for more.

Pricing: Typical Business plans start at $32.00 per user for 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage

Pros:

• Full, official Windows environment streamed directly from Microsoft
• Works on any Mac, including Apple Silicon Macs
• No need to install or configure Windows locally

Cons:

• Business plans only
• Not ideal for gaming or GPU-intensive apps

Parallels vs VMware Fusion

The two most popular virtualization tools remain Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.

Parallels generally offers:

• better performance
• tighter macOS integration
• easier setup

VMware Fusion’s main advantage is that it’s free, making it an attractive alternative for many users.

For most people, Parallels is still the best overall experience, while VMware Fusion is the best free option.

For a more detailed comparison, check out our full look at Parallels vs VMware Fusion.

What Is a Virtual Machine?

A virtual machine allows you to run another operating system inside macOS.

Instead of rebooting your Mac into Windows, virtualization software creates a virtual computer environment where Windows runs alongside macOS.

This allows you to:

• run Windows-only software
• test apps in other operating systems
• run legacy software
• isolate programs for security

Advantages of Using Virtual Machines

Virtual machines offer several benefits:

• Flexibility

You can run multiple operating systems on the same Mac.

• Security

Virtual machines isolate the guest operating system, meaning malware inside the VM won’t affect macOS.

• Compatibility

VMs allow older or incompatible software to run on modern hardware.

Disadvantages of Virtual Machines

There are also some limitations:

• Performance overhead compared to native systems
• Limited support for DirectX 12 games
• Anti-cheat systems often block VMs
• Requires significant RAM and storage
• Can only run Windows ARM on Apple Silicon Macs

FAQs

Can you run Windows on Apple Silicon Macs?

Yes. Tools like Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, and UTM allow Apple Silicon Macs to run Windows 11 ARM.

Are there free virtual machines for Mac?

Yes. VMware Fusion, UTM, and VirtualBox are free options.

Which virtual machine is best for gaming?

Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion offer the best virtualization performance, although CrossOver and Whisky often perform better for games.

For more on this check out our guide on the best way to play Windows games on a Mac.

How much RAM do you need for a VM?

Most virtualization tools recommend:

• 8GB minimum
• 16GB for comfortable performance
• 32GB for heavy workloads such as CAD software

What’s The Best Alternative To Parallels For Mac?

If you don’t want to pay for Parallels then VMware Fusion is easily the best alternative to it. Although it’s not as slick and polished as Parallels, it features similar one click installation of Windows and features.

Why can Apple Silicon Macs only run Windows ARM?

Apple Silicon Macs use M-series chips which are built on the ARM architecture. The standard version of Windows only runs on machines with Intel chips such as older Macs.

Windows ARM is very similar to the standard versions of Windows but some programs, apps and games won’t work natively in it.

Windows ARM can however “translate” most software to work with it thanks to something called x86 emulation although this doesn’t always work for all apps and sometimes results in slower performance.

Is it possible to run macOS in a virtual machine?

Yes, tools like Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion Pro, and UTM support running macOS as a guest operating system, provided you comply with Apple’s licensing agreements.

How does virtualization impact Mac performance?

Running a virtual environment consumes resources (CPU, RAM, and disk space), which can make your Mac run slow. Allocating too many resources to the VM can slow down your Mac. It’s essential to find a balance based on your Mac’s specifications and usage needs.

Can I transfer files between macOS and Windows with a VM?

Yes, most virtualization tools support shared folders or drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to transfer files between macOS and the virtual machine easily.

Can I use external hardware with these on a Mac?

Yes, you can use external hardware such as USB devices, SSD drives, Thunderbolt drives, printers, and even GPUs (with compatible software) with your virtual machines. Most virtualization software support peripheral device integration but we found that Parallels makes this easier than any other VM.