But being open-source, VirtualBox is not as polished or easy to use as Parallels and VMware.Įverything you need to know about Virtual Machines for Mac Also, if you are using a non-M1 Mac running macOS 10.15 and later, VMware Fusion Player has a free version for personal use.

The biggest downside of Parallels is its price, around $80. Parallels also has coherency mode, which allows you to run Windows apps on Mac from Finder or Spotlight as if it is a native app belonging to your Mac. The first two are paid options, and Parallels is the top choice in terms of M1 Mac support, the fantastic integration with macOS and fast speed. The three popular virtual machines for Mac software are Parallels, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox. Usually, a virtual machine needs 4 to 6 GB of memory to main its performance, so you should keep your RAM at the size of around 16 GB for maximum performance. Virtual machines work like a virtual Windows PC inside your Mac so that it will take up many of your Mac's resources. Remote Desktop - paid, limited featuresĬurrently, a virtual machine is the best way to run PC software with a new window on your Mac’s desktop, which doesn’t require you to reboot your Mac when switching between macOS and Windows like Boot Camp Assistant. CrossOver - paid, advanced version of Wine Wine - free, limited Windows apps, hard to set up, Windows license not required Boot Camp Assistant - free, best for game players Virtual Machines - some are free, work with Mac and Windows simultaneously List of the five best ways to run Windows programs on Mac in 2022 But how to run Windows apps on Mac for free? Here, we will offer you an overview of popular ways to run Windows apps on Mac, including free ones.

Luckily, there are several ways to run Windows programs on Macs, including the M1 Macs. Buying a new computer for programs limited to Windows seems not worth it. Although many programs have versions for Mac and PC, some are still Windows-only.

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