5 ways to run Windows apps on MacOS - and 2 are free

Jack Wallen/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways If you're a MacOS user, you can still run Windows apps. These tools make it possible to run hundreds of thousands of apps. Some of the above apps are free, but some aren't. If you're a MacOS user, and you have a particular Windows-only app you need to run, you're in luck. There are several options for running Windows apps on MacOS, each of which is easy to do and some of which are actually free. To make this happen, applications either rely on an open-source compatibility layer, called Wine, or they've created a proprietary solution to make it possible to run those Windows apps on MacOS. I've used these apps often and have found each of them to be outstanding solutions for this problem. I've created a list of my favorite tools for running those Windows apps on MacOS that I believe any user could work with. 1. VirtualBox VirtualBox is a GUI virtual machine manager that works on Linux, MacOS, and Windows and allows for the running of nearly any operating system you need. With VirtualBox, you can run Windows as a guest OS, so those apps you need run natively (on the Windows guest). Also: 5 easy ways to turn MacOS Finder into a way better file manager You might be thinking, "But won't I need a Windows license?" You can download an ISO image for Windows from the official download site. Once you have the ISO, you can create your virtual machine, install Windows, and then install whatever application you need. Yes, this method does require a few extra steps to accomplish, but in the end, you'll have a full-blown Windows installation and can use it as needed. You will want to enable bidirectional clipboard, shared folders, and drag and drop (all of which can be done from the Devices menu). VirtualBox is free to install and use. 2. Kegworks Kegworks is the successor to Wineskin, which is a MacOS implementation of Wine. Kegworks supports MacOS 10.15.4 and later and has been tweaked for performance enhancements (compared to the original Wineskin). Yes, there are better ways to run Windows applications directly on MacOS, but Kegworks is free and makes it possible to even play Windows-only games on MacOS. Kegworks supports DXVK (DirectX to Vulkan) and D3DMetal (DirectX to Metal) and enjoys MacOS integration. Keep in mind that Kegworks can be a challenge to set up, and performance does vary. But if you want to run Windows apps on the cheap, this is a great way to go. 3. CrossOver Mac CrossOver, by Code Weavers, is an easy method of running Windows apps on MacOS. This doesn't require a Windows emulator or a virtual machine manager, so it's similar to KegWorks, but easier. CrossOver Mac also isn't free. A license costs you $74, but you can go with the free trial to make sure it works for you. Also: How I easily added AI to my favorite Microsoft Office alternative CrossOver has some good documentation and helpful videos. CrossOver is as easy to install as any MacOS app and has a very well-designed GUI to make installing Windows apps a no-brainer. If you don't mind spending the scratch and want a simplified tool for running Windows apps on MacOS, this is what you want. 4. Parallels Parallels is a hypervisor that provides virtualization on MacOS and allows running Linux and Windows with seamless integration. What's really nice about Parallels is that it allows running those virtualized environments without having to reboot into the other OS. You get full access to the Windows OS, so applications run natively. Because they run natively, you can bet they'll run reliably and perform well. Parallels gets you access to over 200,000 applications and is officially authorized by Microsoft. It is currently on sale for $65/year, but there is a free trial you can use to make sure it is the right solution for you. 5. Windows 365 Cloud PC Windows 365 Cloud PC is a hardware virtualization platform that allows you to run virtual Windows PCs and use them as if they were running natively on your machine. The only requirement Windows 365 Cloud PC has is internet connectivity. What's nice about this solution is that it allows you to access your virtualized Windows platform from anywhere (so long as there's an internet connection). Plans for Windows 365 Cloud PC start at $31/month for a dual-core PC with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Want to follow my work? Add ZDNET as a trusted source on Google.