Windows and Mac are two popular OS with fanboys and users screaming that their OS is better. This rivalry started at the end of the 19th century when Microsoft released Windows version 1.0 in 1985. This Frey has continued for years and still ravages today’s tech. But in between this heated rivalry is the grey area where emulators work. Thus, you must know about the finest Windows Emulator for Mac out there. An emulator is a hardware or software which allows the host computer to behave like a guest computer system. It usually allows the host computer to run software or peripherals designed for the guest computer. Emulators, in layperson’s terms, will enable you to run software on a different computer system on a system where it usually shouldn’t work or even be recognized as a file.
Discover the top 10 Windows emulators for Mac with our picks:
1. Parallels Desktop
2. VMware Fusion
3. Virtual PC for Mac
4. Virtualbox
5. Crossover Mac
6. Wineskin Winery
7. Boot Camp
8. Wine Bottler
9. Citrix XenApp
10. WinOnX 2 Pro
Emulators have become so advanced today that they allow you to run full-fledged OS on different Os. They become the grey area because they allow various Windows applications to run on a Mac and vice versa. But even in emulators, there is a ranking as some are better and easier to use than others. And some are paid, while some are free. You may also like to check out the best Nintendo DS Emulator for your PC.
Table of Contents
Top Windows Emulator for Mac | Our 10 Picks
To help you with which emulator to use, we have brought you the 10 Best Windows emulators for Mac.
Parallels Desktop
Marked as the best and easiest emulator to use, but for $53.97, is Parallels desktop. This emulator allows you to run the Windows OS on any Mac and to emulate Linux and Unix applications.
This emulator allows you to use Windows apps like they are Mac applications. It also allows you to optimize the emulated OS for the primary use of each OS.
See also: How to Clean MacBook | Top 9 Methods (Both Air and Pro)
The only negative aspect of this emulator from user experience is that advertisements might pop in and are subscription-based. Otherwise, it’s one of the best Windows emulators for Mac out there.
Visit: Parallels
VMware Fusion
Ranking second on our list comes VMware Fusion. It comes with a hefty price of $79.99 but is worth the tag as it allows a wide variety of emulations, enabling the user to run any Windows program smoothly.
It also provides hardware-accelerated graphics, allowing it to run programs like DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3, enabling you to run graphically complex applications like games and their like.
Plus, its unity view mode will enable Windows applications to run like it’s meant to run on Mac. It also supports the newly introduced touch bar and allows you to share virtual machines.
Virtual PC for Mac
The Virtual PC for Mac is third in place and free of cost, which allows you to use Windows-only internet applications, access Windows networks, and share files with Windows-based colleagues.
It allows you to enjoy the features of both worlds. The only occasional problem is e drop-in processing speed; otherwise, it’s a pretty good bare-bones emulator.
Virtualbox
Fourth in place is VirtualBox. This emulator is very popular among developers and programmers as it’s free and open-source.
It’s compelling as it’s a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product built for enterprises.
It’s very dense in features and a very professional program that is free to use with a source code open to anyone to customize. This is one of the best pc emulators, and it gets frequent updates and has ever increased the list of features.
Crossover Mac
Last but certainly not least, a crossover built just for Mac is among the top 5 positions of emulators.
It comes at a low price of $15.95. It brings the Crosstie to the table, reducing the difficulty of installing Windows applications.
This particular emulator also allows PC games to run at their native speeds. This emulator doesn’t require an overhead virtual machine or a reboot to run Windows programs flawlessly.
Wineskin Winery
Coming to the last five emulators, Wineskin Winery is top on the list as it’s free and can work on older versions of Mac. It can be considered one of the best & free Windows emulators for Mac.
It’s mainly used for gaming on Macs but can also take non-gaming software.
The ports in this emulator are in the form of standard Mac application bundle wrappers. Wrappers work like literal wrappers around the Windows applications; you can share them using this emulator too.
Visit: Wineskin Winery
Boot Camp
Coming with all Macs as a utility application, Boot Camp allows you to install a fully functional working Windows OS.
This is done by partitioning the memory for the Windows OS to operate.
You would also need the ISO file of the Windows OS or the disk to get the OS up and running. One can also easily integrate it with Parallels, the top pick for emulators.
Wine Bottler
Wine Bottler is ranked eighth on the list—a simple but ingenious way of emulating Windows apps to the Mac OS.
It can run Windows programs on Mac and even for advanced users. Wine Bottler allows users to select options such as installing unique dependencies and turning any .exe file into a self-contained application.
Citrix XenApp
Coming at a costly $375, Citrix XenApp allows you to access any application on any device.
It depends upon the internet to access a database of all the apps.
But without the net, it uses Citrix application virtualization to emulate Windows. The expensive price tag and its dependency on the net put it in 9th place on this list of emulators for Macs.
WinOnX 2 Pro
The WinOnX 2 pro is the lowest one on this list. This is due to the many problems plaguing it for a long time.
Even though it’s a cheap application, it is worth only $7.99. It does allow the users to install applications of Windows variety onto Mac OS X 10.6 and later.
FAQs
Does Mac have a Windows emulator?
Utilizing Boot Camp is the optimal solution for running Windows seamlessly for Intel Macs. Additionally, I recommend considering programs like VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop. These emulators are highly effective and perform exceptionally well, ensuring a smooth Windows experience on your Mac.
Can you emulate Windows 10 on Mac?
With the assistance of Boot Camp Assistant, you can enable Windows 10 on your Apple Mac. After installation, a simple restart of your Mac allows for easy switching between macOS and Windows, providing a seamless experience.
What is a Windows emulation for a Mac?
Running Windows software on macOS becomes accessible through Windows emulators, allowing you to utilize a full range of applications, even those not initially available on macOS. You can easily use Microsoft Windows on Mac with free Windows emulators explicitly designed for Mac.
Is it ok if I install Windows on my Mac?
Operating Windows in a virtual machine or through Boot Camp exposes the platform to viruses, much like a physical Windows PC. Although, in this situation, it is recommended to install antivirus software on the guest operating system, mainly Windows.
Conclusion
So, this was a complete review of some of the best hand-picked Windows emulators for Mac. These were the Windows emulators, but if you wish to emulate your Android phone online, you can also check out these online Android emulators! Now, you can also run Windows on Mac.
