Run windows app on mac

It’s surprisingly easy to run Windows apps on a Mac, and you don’t always need to run Windows to do so. Use these solutions to play PC games, run productivity software, or access Windows tools that lack a native Mac version.

Run Windows in a Virtual Machine

One of the easiest ways of running Windows apps is to use a virtual machine. This involves running Windows on top of macOS by virtualizing the hardware required to do so. Software installed in a virtual machine behaves as if it’s installed natively on a Windows PC which means that compatibility is excellent, particularly in Windows 11.

If you have a modern Mac model with an Apple Silicon chip (M1, M2, and similar,) you will be limited to the Windows 11 on ARM release, which performs surprisingly well. This ARM version of Windows has compatibility with 64-bit apps written for the «standard» x86 version of Windows, which means that Windows 11 on ARM can run almost any app you throw at it without experiencing much of a performance penalty.

If you have an Intel Mac, then you’ll be able to run the more widely used x86 version of Windows in a virtual machine instead. You can also use virtualization to run other operating systems on top of macOS, including Linux distributions or other macOS installations.

If you want the smoothest virtualization experience, you’ll need to open your wallet. Parallels Desktop will download, install, and set up Windows 11 for you in a matter of minutes. It also supports 3D acceleration for games on Apple Silicon, which other solutions lack. Check out our review of Parallels Desktop for more details. Other virtualization options include VMware Fusion (with a free version of VMware Fusion Player), VirtualBox, and UTM.

Virtualization is useful since you can just launch an app and have access to Windows in moments. Apps like Parallels have modes that allow you to effectively hide the Windows UI and use apps as if they were running natively on your Mac. Many virtualization apps don’t require that you sacrifice disk space for your virtual machine, unlike a dedicated Windows installation.

Use Wine to Run Windows Apps With Wineskin

Wine is a compatibility layer that allows Windows software to run on top of macOS. It works by translating Windows API calls in real time so performance in apps that use Wine is generally very good. That said, not all apps will work, and some will exhibit odd behavior. Apps are more likely to crash or behave in unexpected ways compared to virtualization or running Windows natively.

That said, Wine might just be the solution you’ve been looking for. You don’t need to install Windows natively, which means you don’t need to dedicate disk space to Windows or run additional virtualization software. Wine apps appear on your desktop and in your dock just like native Mac apps do.

The Wine project is still under active development, but Mac packages are no longer maintained. Fortunately, you can use a community-maintained tool called Wineskin to create wrappers for your Windows apps. It is recommended that you install and maintain Wineskin using Homebrew, a package manager for macOS.

You can easily install Homebrew on your Mac using a few Terminal commands. With that out of the way, install Wineskin by running the following in Terminal:

 brew install --cask --no-quarantine gcenx/wine/unofficial-wineskin 

This will install the Wineskin Winery app on your Mac, which you can then use to create wrappers and start installing Windows software. Wineskin works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Mac using Apple’s Rosetta 2 transpiler.

Use CrossOver Mac to Run Windows Apps

Also built on Wine, CrossOver Mac is paid software that can help simplify the process of getting a Windows application working on your Mac. Available with a free trial, CrossOver Mac costs $74 and walks you through the process of installing Windows software with installation profiles available for many popular apps. Where apps lack profiles, CrossOver can help you make your own.

CrossOver is particularly popular among gamers who want to run Windows games on Apple hardware. CrossOver works on both Intel and Apple Silicon models, though Mac owners with Apple’s ARM-based chips will (currently) need to rely on Rosetta 2, which can introduce a small performance penalty.

You can use the free trial of CrossOver to test out any apps before you buy, and it’s cheaper than buying a Windows license (or a premium virtualization tool like Parallels Desktop). You can use a single CrossOver license to run Windows apps on macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS too.

Use Boot Camp to Install Windows on an Intel Mac

If you have an Intel Mac, you can install Windows natively on your Mac using Boot Camp, Apple’s dual-boot Windows partitioning tool. If you have a modern Apple Silicon Mac with an M1, M2, or later chip, then you won’t be able to use Boot Camp, which means you can’t install Windows natively. (Windows 11 on ARM can’t be installed directly on a Mac; you can only install it in a virtual machine.)

Intel Mac owners will find the Boot Camp Assistant under Applications > Utilities. Run it and follow the instructions to partition your drive for a Windows installation. Boot Camp officially supports Windows 10 only, since Windows 11 requires Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) support.

You may be able to install Windows 11 by creating a custom .ISO if you’re desperate to do so. These machines are still getting Windows updates (for now) though Microsoft has started displaying watermarks on machines that don’t make the grade.

Running Windows natively has some benefits and drawbacks, assuming your Mac is compatible in the first place. You’ll need to reboot every time you want to use Windows, which can be a hassle. You’ll also need to sacrifice a good chunk of your available drive space to Windows if you want to install a decent amount of software.

On the plus side, performance is as good as it gets since you’ll be using the full potential of your hardware in a native Windows environment. If gaming is your main use for Windows, this is arguably your best choice.

Do you have a Windows PC already but are simply looking for a way to interact with it on your Mac? Maybe your Windows machine is in a bedroom, but you primarily use your Mac in the study. Remote desktop software lets you make use of the hardware you already have—remotely over a network.

This can work both over the internet or over a local network, but keep in mind that using a machine over the internet can incur a severe latency penalty. You might be able to help fix a friend’s computer over the internet or check for files in your documents folder, but you wouldn’t want to play games or use most software in this way.

Local network connections will be far more stable, particularly if you have a wired network inside your house. Wireless will work too, but Wi-Fi is subject to all sorts of interference and bottlenecks. Faster is always better, whether you’re networking over a cable or the airwaves.

The apps required to accomplish this are largely the same, regardless of the connection type. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop lets you connect to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine using dedicated apps for macOS or iPad and iPhone (as well as other Windows computers.)

If you use Google’s Chrome browser then Chrome Remote Desktop is worth a shot. It’s a completely free remote desktop app that uses your Google Account for remote access using a browser extension. DWService is another free solution that provides access to your computer via a web page. Other free remote access tools include AnyDesk and TigerVNC.

Consider Looking For Native Mac Alternatives

If none of the solutions above appeal to you, it might be worth putting in some time to hunt for a suitable Mac alternative that runs natively. You can use websites like Alternative To, ask on message boards like Apple Support Community or r/MacApps or simply scour the web in your favorite search engine.

You might even find the app you’re looking for in our list of Mac apps you should be using everyday.

There are various tools for running Windows programs on Mac, some of which do not require the Microsoft operating system to be installed.

Today, in order to run Windows programs on Mac, there is no need to install the Microsoft operating system on Apple products, and it is easy to install Windows programs on Mac through emulators and peripheral tools developed for this purpose. In the following article, we will discuss how to do this along with introducing the best current options.

How to run Windows programs on Mac With Wineskin

The Wineskin application is one of the best options for providing the necessary environment for installing Windows programs on Mac, which is completely free for Apple computer owners. Also, unlike similar examples such as Wine, this project is constantly receiving updates and can be used on MacOS version 13 and products based on Apple’s proprietary chips.

The easiest way to install Wineskin on Mac OS is to use Homebrew. If you haven’t installed this tool on your PC or laptop in the past, you can download and install it by entering the following command in Terminal.

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

• After the Homebrew installation process is complete, enter the following command in the terminal and press the “Enter” key.

echo 'eval $(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)' >> /Users/$USER/.zprofile

• Next, type the command below in the terminal and press the “Enter” key again to install the Wineskin application on the system.

brew install --cask --no-quarantine gcenx/wine/unofficial-wineskin

Wineskin application configuration

After installing the Wineskin application according to the steps mentioned above, you will still not be able to run Windows programs on Mac, and you must first apply the appropriate settings. You will be able to launch the new app by running “Wineskin Winery.app” in the Applications folder or using Spotlight on macOS.

• Inside the Wineskin application, click on the “+” sign at the bottom of the Installed Engines title to display the “Add Engine” window.
• From the drop-down menu, select the latest available version and then press the “Download and Install” button.
• In the opened window, you can define a desired name for the new engine and then click “OK“.
• The time required to download and install the new engine depends on your internet speed.

• After the download and installation of the new engine are complete, a notification will be displayed. Now it’s time to click on the “Create New Blank Wrapper” option.
• In the new window, enter a name in the specified box. Note that you will need this name in the next steps; So it is better to choose a short title.
• After typing the desired name, click on the “OK” button. Next, you will be asked to install two packages for the correct operation of the application.

• Mono package for running “Net” programs. Windows is used on Mac and the “Gecko” package is also used to display HTML-based content.
• After the process of receiving and installing the mentioned packages is completed, a Wrapper will be created.
• By default, you can see the “Wrapper” created at the address because; But clicking on it will not result.
• Applications > Wineskin > [your wrapper]
• For this purpose, right-click on it and then select “Show Package Contents“. Next, from among the displayed items, click on the “Wineskin” option.

• Then select “Install Software” and “Choose Setup Executable” options in the next windows.
• Finally, a window will open where you can define the “EXE” file address of the desired application.
• You can now exit “Wineskin” and use the displayed launchpad to run Windows applications on your Mac.
• Also, if the desired application does not need to be installed, you can choose “Copy a Folder Inside” instead of “Choose Setup Executable” in the previous steps and then specify the app folder.

How to run Windows programs on Mac With Wineskin with Parallels Desktop

“Parallels Desktop” application is another option for installing Windows programs on Mac. Of course, this tool installs Windows 11 alongside MacOS; But thanks to the “Coherence” feature, after the initial configuration, the user will no longer need to interact with the Microsoft operating system. How to work with the said app is mentioned below.

• First, download the “Parallels Desktop” application installation file using this link and install it on your Mac computer.
• At the first login to the app, select the “New” option and then click on “Get Windows 11 from Microsoft“.
• Finally, press the “Install Windows” key and wait until the process of receiving and installing the operating system is completed. Note that in this case, you will need a legal Windows license.

If you want to install Windows from another file, select “Install Windows or another OS from DVD or image file” in the previous step and then continue the installation process. Note that the selected file must be in ISO format.

• After the process is completed, you can create a new Windows 11 virtual machine and then install your desired applications on it.
• Now right-click on the Windows icon in the dock and select “Enter Coherence” from the “View” menu.

Now the Windows desktop will be hidden, But you can still continue to use apps based on it. You can have all the apps installed through “Parallels Desktop” in the Applications folder or through the Spotlight tool. When this feature is enabled, Windows apps will run like native Mac software. It is worth noting that the Windows 11 virtual machine is still running in the background, But it does not affect the user experience.

Frequently asked questions about How to run Windows programs on Mac

• What is the best program to install Windows 11 on Mac?

The Parallels Desktop tool provides the possibility of installing Windows alongside MacOS for users in recent versions of Apple’s operating system and products based on this company’s proprietary chip.

• What is the best way to run Windows programs on Mac?

Using external tools like WineSkin or Parallels Desktop can be the easiest way to run Windows apps.

• Is it possible to run Windows programs on Mac without installing the operating system?

Yes; Using the Wineskin application, you can use Windows programs on Mac without installing the Microsoft operating system.

In this article, we talked about “How to run Windows programs on Mac” and we are waiting for your experiences to use these methods. Please share your thoughts with us.

macOS can be really great for productivity-related tasks. However, there are still a few applications that require you to have a Windows computer to run them, such as Paint.NET and Notepad++.

What if you could run these apps on your Mac without having to buy a new Windows PC?

Also read: How to play Windows games on a Mac

In this guide, we will show you how to run Windows apps on macOS.

How to run Windows apps on Mac (5 ways)

Parallels

Parallels is easy to use and can help you run Windows apps on Mac. You will be able to run Windows apps without even rebooting your system.

The program offers over 30 tools that can help you simplify your tasks across both Windows and macOS.

It also lets you access your apps and files located on both operating systems.

You can run apps like Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, etc.

It is compatible with different macOS versions, and you can easily copy-paste files from Windows and macOS seamlessly.

Parallels also lets you use the touch bar in Windows and works well with Apple’s proprietary Boot Camp utility.

VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion is a very versatile software that allows you to install different operating systems, such as Windows 11, Linux, ChromeOS, etc., on your Mac.

You can run any operating system on macOS without even needing to reboot. The program supports features like dark mode and Sidecar, so you can even use your iPad in conjunction with Windows.

Apple’s Metal technology support can be used in this program to support GPU-intensive tasks and games.

The Unity mode can be used to hide your Windows desktop so you can use Windows and Mac applications side by side.

Boot Camp

Boot camp is an Apple proprietary feature that enables users to install Windows on their macOS device and easily switch between both of them. However, only one operating system can be used at a time, and you will need to restart your computer to switch between them.

It is similar to the dual-booting feature supported by Windows computers.

In order to use the Boot Camp feature, just download a copy of Windows 11 and let the program handle the rest.

It will assist in installing the operating system. Since Boot Camp is similar to dual-booting, you can enjoy much better performance since Windows will be able to utilize the hardware of your Mac to its full potential. This can be great if you are looking forward to running demanding applications on Windows on your Mac computer.

However, the inability to run macOS applications and Windows applications side by side can be a deal-breaker for some, as you can only use one operating system at a time.

Wine

Wine is a compatibility layer that derives its origins from Linux and allows you to run Windows programs on other operating systems such as macOS, BSD, and Linux.

The idea behind this program is to rewrite the code of applications so they can run smoothly on other operating systems.

With the help of Wine, you will be able to easily run Windows apps on macOS. However, Wine isn’t perfect, and you won’t be able to run all of the Windows applications, so expect to encounter some bugs when you plan to do so.

You can take a look at the Wine Application Database to find which applications are currently supported.

It is a great way to run Windows applications on macOS since you don’t actually need to install Windows, so you don’t need a Windows license to use the Wine.

CrossOver

CrossOver allows you to run thousands of Windows apps and games on macOS. Moreover, it doesn’t require any virtual machine or Windows license key, and it offers features such as keyboard shortcuts, copy-paste, mission controls, etc.

You can easily set up the program with an easy 1-click installation and use all of your Windows applications with ease.

If a program doesn’t work on CrossOver, then you can contact the developers, and they will make it work for you.

It is a paid application that contributes back to the open-source Wine project that it is based on.

With a starting price of $15.95, CrossOver is well worth the price since it utilizes the true potential of your hardware to run Windows on Mac, and you don’t even need to reboot to run Windows applications.

You can also try it before purchasing by downloading the free trial version of the software. Do check their list of compatible apps first before you decide to purchase.

These are some of the ways that you can use to run Windows programs on macOS.

You can take the help of the software mentioned to smoothly run any Windows applications and even switch between both operating systems seamlessly.

Also read: How to run Windows 11 on M1 Mac

In case you have a spare Windows laptop or computer lying around, then you can use remote desktop software to control and access the Windows machine using your Mac computer. This will save you the hassle of doing things like dual booting or installing software that requires a Windows license.

We hope you find this guide useful, and in case of any doubts, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.