If you want to run Windows on your Mac there are two ways to do it. One is to partition your main drive using the built-in Bootcamp Assistant and then install Windows on the partition that doesn’t house macOS. You can then boot into whichever operating system you choose.

1. Parallels Desktop uses a special type of virtualization: a hardware-assisted full hardware virtualization that relies on Intel VT-x technology and allows for simulation of the whole computer with its hardware and software. This simulated environment is called a virtual machine (VM) and enables a Virtual PC on your Mac.
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3. VMware Fusion: Powerfully Simple Virtual Machines for Mac VMware Fusion Pro and VMware Fusion Player Desktop Hypervisors give Mac users the power to run Windows on Mac along with hundreds of other operating systems, containers or Kubernetes clusters, side by side with Mac applications.

While that method means running Windows natively and so is optimal in terms of performance, it means you have to reboot every time you want to move between operating systems and you can’t, for example, copy and paste between macOS and Windows. If you want to run Windows and macOS side by side, you’ll need to create a Windows virtual machine for Mac.

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What is a virtual machine?

A virtual machine (VM) is a computer that’s created in software and looks and feels just like a real PC. But it runs inside a Mac application. The whole virtual machine, with the operating system and all its applications, is stored inside one big file on your Mac. That means you can have multiple virtual machines on the same Mac. Once you launch it and ‘boot’ the virtual PC, Windows VM on Mac behaves like any other Windows machine, except that it’s running inside a window on your Mac.

If you have two screens connected to your Mac, you can have macOS on one and Windows on the other. Or you can use Mission Control to swipe between them. A virtual machine can share accessories like printers and external storage with your Mac, and you can copy and paste between the two operating systems. You can even set up the virtual machine to use Mac keyboard shortcuts instead of their Windows equivalents.

Can I run a virtual machine on my Mac?

As long as your Mac has an Intel processor (and it will have unless it’s more than 12 years old), in theory it can run a virtual machine. However, running a virtual machine alongside macOS needs lots of memory (at least 8GB in total, and more if you want to run more than one virtual machine) and at least two processor cores. You’ll also need at least 16-20GB of hard drive space, and that’s before you start installing applications and saving files. Most modern Macs should run any of the virtual machine applications described here without a problem.

The other thing you’ll need is a copy of Windows. Virtual machine applications don’t come with Windows installers, so you’ll need to supply your own, along with a licence key.

Best virtual machine software for Mac

There are three contenders here: Parallels Desktop, VMWare Fusion, and VirtualBox. We’ll discuss Virtual Box in the next section.

Parallels Desktop 13

The latest version of Parallels Desktop has support for features in the latest Macs, like the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. It also allows you to make the Windows desktop ‘invisible’ when you’re running apps, so it looks like you’re just running Windows apps in macOS. Or, if you prefer, you can shrink Windows desktop down to a thumbnail preview, so it doesn’t get in the way but you can keep an eye on what it’s doing.

Of course, virtual machines aren’t just about running Windows on your Mac. Parallels Desktop allows you to install Linux, or a different version of macOS, say a beta of the next version if you don’t want to install it on your Mac. If you’ve previously installed Windows on a Boot Camp partition, you can use that partition as a virtual machine, allowing you to boot into it from within Parallels without re-booting your Mac.

Touch Bar support includes functions in Microsoft Office apps, as well as Windows Task Bar.

When it comes to performance, Parallels Desktop is about as good as it gets for virtual machines. That means you can run most applications just fine, but demanding 3D graphics-intensive games, and other apps that place lots of demands on the CPU and GPU are still a bit of a struggle. If you want to run those in Windows, you’re still better off using Boot Camp.

VMWare Fusion

The other main contender when it comes to running a virtual machine on your Mac is VMWare Fusion. It comes in two versions, Fusion 10, which costs about the same as Parallels Desktop, and Fusion 10 Pro, which is more expensive but adds feature aimed at enterprise customers, such as support for managing virtual servers.

In terms of features, there’s little to choose between Parallels Desktop and Fusion. Like its rival, Fusion allows you to choose between running Windows inside a window on your Mac (or full-screen if you prefer) and in what it calls Unity mode, where the operating system disappears and Windows apps look like they’re running natively on the Mac. That means you can run Windows and Mac apps alongside each other and switch between them seamlessly. You can also copy and paste between Mac and Windows, share peripherals, and map Mac keyboard shortcuts in Windows.

Support for OpenGL and DX10, as well as Apple’s Metal technology means that playing resource-hungry games is theoretically possible. But, as with Parallels, performance in the latest games lags behind Boot Camp and may prove frustrating.

The latest version of Fusion adds support for the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.

Choosing between Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion may be as much a matter of a preference for one or the other’s user interface. They have very similar features, and cost almost the same. Fortunately, both offer free trials — Parallels for 14 days and Fusion for 30 days — so you can download each one and try them out before making a decision on which to buy.

Best free virtual machine software for Mac

If you want to run a virtual machine on your Mac but can’t stretch to the $70 for Parallels or Fusion, there is a third option — VirtualBox. Owned by Oracle and made available as open-source software for personal or educational use, VirtualBox won’t cost you a penny if you fall into either of those two categories.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that VirtualBox, because it’s open source and free lacks all of the polish of Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion. While it does the basics competently, it’s much less user friendly and much less easy to use than the other two. And while there is help available online from other users, there’s no official support if you run into problems. And remember, while VirtualBox itself is free, you’ll still need to supply your own copy of Windows. Alternatively, you could use VirtualBox to run Linux on your Mac, instead of Windows.

Alternatives to a virtual machine

As we mentioned earlier, the alternative to running a virtual machine on your Mac is to partition your main drive using the built-in Boot Camp Assistant (it’s in the Utilities folder). You can then install Windows or Linux, or another version on macOS, on the other partition.

Boot Camp Assistant is very easy to use and once you’ve set it up, booting into, say, Windows, is just like using it natively on a PC. That means, of course, that you won’t be able to copy and paste between Mac and Windows, and you won’t be able to use external storage that’s formatted in APFS or Mac OS Extended, but Windows will run faster than it does on a virtual machine.

If you plan to use Boot Camp Assistant to partition your main drive, remember to back it up first. Partitioning a drive is not quite major surgery, but it definitely carries the risk of losing data.

How to make space for a virtual machine on your Mac

Depending on how many applications you plan to install on your virtual machine and what you plan to use it for, you may need tens of gigabytes of free space on your Mac. If space is tight, don’t worry, there’s plenty you can do to make room. As a first step, we recommend installing CleanMyMac X. It scans your Mac and looks for files that can be safely deleted. These include “junk” system files like cache files and other temporary files that are still hanging around, as well as language support files, and data in Photos and iTunes you may not need. Once it’s scanned your Mac and found all those files, you can delete them all with a click, or review the results of the scan and decide for yourself what you want to trash.

CleanMyMac can also uninstall files completely, getting rid of all the files that are left if you just drag and app to the Trash, and highlight large and old files that you haven’t opened for a while. Best of all, you can download it free here and give it a try. You’ll be surprised about how much space you can free up.

Virtual machines are the most convenient way of running a second operating system on your Mac. The ones we have highlighted here are the best VMs for Mac, so download one and give it a go.

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 2020

Virtual Machine Software Reviews

Every piece of software you’ll find listed was downloaded and tested by our experts in just the same way you might yourself. It’s easy to fall prey to the marketing buzz that software companies use to lure users in, so we test each feature of the application and compare them to the promises being made. Following a short introduction of the company behind a solution, we summarize our findings in an honest review that details the most important and unique features as well as the positives and negatives of that specific software. Through these reviews you’ll learn whether or not a particular virtual machine software is useful for gaming, how it will affect your Mac’s performance, and the like.

Virtual Machine Software Comparison

A thorough review is one of the most informative ways of selecting a virtual machine app. But to get a complete picture of a solution, you need to know how the selected software compares to the competition. Our comparison articles take each virtual machine software and measure their features up against one another in handy side-by-side feature charts, in addition to explaining in detail the uniqueness of each app and whether or not their features appeal to a regular user’s needs for their daily workflow. Comparison articles are the butter to the bread that are our reviews on Best Reviews, so they’re integral to understanding the value of a solution.

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Free Trials

If a review or a comparison article has convinced you about the benefits of a specific virtual machine solution, then the best way to make a final decision is to test it for yourself. Our free trials section helps you achieve this without having to pay a cent. All virtual machine app developers provide free trials for up to 30 days, and some even offer their solutions for free. We have researched and tested each piece of software and have compiled the best free trial offers.

Coupons

It’s common sense that users turn to virtual machines to save money on IT costs because they have already invested in a powerhouse product: their Mac. Best Reviews experts help to get the best value for your money and highlight whether a software company offers a money-back guarantee or not. We help you get the best offer, whether you are seeking a lifetime license or a subscription. This is why we regularly update the coupons page, where you’ll find the most up-to-date offers.

Free Virtual Machine For Mac

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.

Blog

Alongside the reviews and comparison articles, Best Reviews also has a blog where we regularly post information about how virtual machines work, why you might need a virtual machine, and whether they will have any performance impact on the system you own. Want to learn insider tricks to get the most out of a hypervisor and your system? Our blog will answer your questions.

FAQ

Have you encountered any issues or do you have a question related to virtual machines? Our FAQs section is designed with this in mind, providing answers to the most common questions and even to those you might not have considered yet. At Best Reviews we strive to offer up the most detailed guidance on what running a virtual machine software means and the consequences – whether good or bad.

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Virtual Machine On Macbook Pro

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