The free version on the developer’s site doesn’t include a built-in update mechanism, so you’ll need to manually check for and download updates to UTM if you want to keep it up to date. There is no difference between the two versions, other than the fact that UTM gets updates via the Mac App Store app, and that purchasing the app helps fund the project’s development. You can download UTM for free on its website, or you can purchase it for $10 from the Mac App Store. It’s quite simple to install and set up Windows with UTM. There is no command-line configuration, and UTM looks a bit like Parallels Desktop.

UTM is an app that contains all the software of QEMU, but in a user-friendly GUI. In this article, I’ll explain how you can run Windows on an M1 Mac (or any Mac with an M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, or M2 chip) with UTM, for free-including a free version of Windows 11 Pro. UTM is not as feature-rich as Parallels Desktop, but UTM is free (more accurately, payment is optional). You can bypass much of the initial setup complexity by using the UTM app, which allows you to run QEMU on your Mac with very little setup.

There’s another solution, which is QEMU: a free, open-source emulator that (at least in its standard package) is somewhat difficult to install and set up. Parallels Desktop’s pricing can range anywhere from about $50 (for upgrades from a previous version) to $100 for the Pro Edition, unless you happen to buy it when it’s on sale. Of the two popular apps that have been used for years to run Windows and other operating systems on a Mac, namely VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop, only the latter has been updated to run on an M1 or M2-based Mac. For now, Apple still sells one model of Mac mini with an Intel processor, as well as the more expensive Mac Pro which is out of most consumers’ price range.īut for those who want to move forward with Apple silicon, there’s another option: virtualization. M1 and M2) processors, few Macs are still available that let you dual-boot Windows or run Windows apps natively with an Intel processor.

Since Apple has been updating its Macs to run on its own Apple silicon (i.e. Unfortunately, Apple only supports Boot Camp on Macs with an Intel processor. Apple’s Boot Camp allowed you to start up your Intel-based Mac in either macOS or Windows, and this dual-boot capability was great for people who needed to use both operating systems. Software & Apps How to Run Windows 11 for Free on an M1 or M2 Macįor many years, Apple made it easy to run Windows on your Mac.

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