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Best Virtual Machine Software for Mac

Best Virtual Machine Software for Mac

By Daniel C.Daniel C. Verified by Adam B.Adam B. Last updated: January 23, 2025 (0)
Table of contents

Looking to run Windows or other operating systems on a Mac but don’t know which software is the best fit for your needs? Then you have come to the right place. Best Reviews can help you decide on the most suitable software. Read our reviews written by Mac experts who compare the best available solutions, then grab the software of your choice at a huge discount by using our exclusive coupons.

Best virtual machine software for mac of 2025

Apple Silicon
Parallels Desktop logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
Easily install Windows 10
Energy and hardware efficient
Deep integration with macOS
Support for Touch Bar
Corporate
VMware Fusion logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
Boot Camp support
Strong graphical performance
Simplified OS installs
Migration of an existing PC to Mac
Free
VirtualBox logo
Editor's rating:
(4)
Full-fledged Windows experience
Strong performance
Full Retina display support
Great Windows environment on a Mac
Parallels Desktop
Apple Silicon: Parallels Desktop
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Easily install Windows 10
  • Energy and hardware efficient
  • Deep integration with macOS
  • Support for Touch Bar
  • Wide variety of options to contact customer service
  • Duplicate task bar icons in the menu bar
  • Less user-friendly storage optimization
Starting price: $6.66/mo Visit Parallels Desktop
Screenshots
Offers
Just $6.66 per month for Parallels Desktop
50% discount on upgrade to Parallels Desktop
60% discount on Parallels Desktop for students
Free 14-day trial of Parallels Desktop
Risk-free 30-day trial through money-back guarantee
VMware Fusion
Corporate: VMware Fusion
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Boot Camp support
  • Strong graphical performance
  • Simplified OS installs
  • Migration of an existing PC to Mac
  • Windows apps appear in Dock, Launchpad
  • Can't install Windows without a disk
  • Lacks energy efficiency settings
  • Requires at least 40GB of allocated space
Starting price: $79.99/unit
Screenshots
Offers
50% discount on a VMware Fusion license
$30 discount on Upgrade to VMware Fusion 10
Free 30-day trial of VMware Fusion
VirtualBox
Free: VirtualBox
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Full-fledged Windows experience
  • Strong performance
  • Full Retina display support
  • Great Windows environment on a Mac
  • Boot Camp is part of macOS
  • Issues with APFS during install
  • Couldn't find macOS startup disk
  • Requires at least 40GB of allocated space
Starting price: $1/user Visit VirtualBox
Screenshots
Offers
Free version of VirtualBox

Mac virtual machine software 101

Virtual machines, or hypervisors as they’re also known, allow users to emulate additional operating systems called a “guest operating system” in separate app window on their existing computer. A guest OS runs on top of the existing operating system, which is called the “host”. What makes virtual machines appealing is that they can bridge the technological barriers imposed by the limited platform support of a specific piece of software. The beauty of this is that you don’t even need to restart your Mac to run, for example, a specific version of Windows, Chrome OS, Linux, Solaris, or any other operating system. They can all be run in their own app windows and – depending on your Mac’s hardware – multiple VMs can be run at once.

While some operating systems require an active license key (such as Windows), others are available free of charge. VMs save users the monetary cost of investing in additional computers and the time loss of switching computers; everything you need is right there on your Mac when you need it. Whether you want to play a game only available on Windows or need to solve a task that requires special software, a hypervisor is your best option.

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