That means you can’t run both macOS and Windows at the same time, as Fusion and Parallels do. The subscription versions support higher-memory virtual machines (for better performance), with the Business version also supporting centralized management.īoot Camp, a free capability built into macOS that creates a separate boot partition on your Mac’s hard drive, so you can boot into Windows from that partition when desired. It costs $100 per year for the Pro developer subscription or the Business subscription, or $80 for the Standard edition perpetual license for home users. The current Parallels Desktop 16 can run Windows 2000 or later, OS X 10.6 Leopard or later versions of macOS, and several versions of Linux.

Like with Fusion, you can run Windows in its own window or run its applications within the macOS environment. Parallels Desktop, the original macOS desktop virtualization package to run guest OSes including Windows. Both versions are perpetual-license editions with 18 months of e-mail support. But the Pro version is overkill for most business use, so don’t spend more than you need to the Standard version should be your standard. The Standard version of Fusion costs $80, and there is the $160 Pro version that has specialized networking and virtual-disk-linking capabilities for cloud developers and VMware vSphere integration.

(VMware also offers the $250 WorkStation Pro software that lets you run Windows and Linux guest operating systems on Windows and Linux PCs.) The current Fusion version 11.5 can run Windows XP and later, as well as macOS 10.11 El Capitan and later and several Linux and Solaris versions. You can run Windows in a window as a largely distinct environment, or in a merged mode where Windows itself is largely hidden and Windows applications are seemingly running in macOS. VMware Fusion, desktop virtualization software that creates a virtual x86 PC environment to run Windows (as what is called a guest OS) and its applications in macOS. If you plan to install macOS 11.0 Big Sur, due in fall 2020, wait until your chosen Windows-on-Mac tool supports it - an upgrade may be required.

Unless otherwise noted, your Mac should be running at least macOS 10.13 High Sierra to use these tools, and your Mac should generally be a 2011 or later model (excluding early Mac Pros). Your five options to run Windows on a Macįor business use, you have three good options for running Windows 10, and often other operating systems, on your Mac.

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