We've analyzed 77 macOS simulators / emulators and rated the top 5 Mac OS simulators and emulators crafted by developers from around the globe. Our page highlights the best macOS simulators and emulators, taking into account user-friendliness, installation simplicity, and their ability to simulate the Mac OS experience.
01. SimuOS Online macOS Simulator Collection
SimuOS gives you access to your private online macOS simulator collection. This means you can explore the latest macOS versions with just one account.
Experience the unique interfaces of the newest macOS releases, making your journey distinctive. Using SimuOS is easy; they provide a dashboard to help you select your preferred macOS simulator. You only need to log in to your account dashboard and choose the simulator you want to explore. Currently, you can enjoy online simulators for macOS Monterey and macOS Big Sur.
Once you've registered for their services, SimuOS creates a personalized macOS simulator collection just for you. Whenever you want to access it, all you need to do is enter your email address. SimuOS puts the world of macOS simulation right at your fingertips.
Not only the macOS but SimuOS also offers Vision Pro simulators to experience once you register for their services.
✅Full screen Mac OS simulator experience.
✅No download needed, You can run Mac OS simulators using any operating system including Windows, Linux, and macOS itself.
✅Can experience macOS Monterey, and macOS Big Sur UIs.
✅You only have to be online, any updates to the macOS simulator will instantly appear in your private collection.
✅You can use any web browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to run your private macOS simulator collection.
☑️It Creates a Private virtual Mac OS simulator collection for each user when a user register with a SimuOS.
☑️No advance installation process , just one click to access to the Mac OS simulators.
❌ There are only few simulators available with SimuOS.
❌SimuOS simulators are not accessible from Android or iOS mobile devices
❌These are some of the system functionalities limited in SimuOS online macOS simulator.
02. Pear OS MAC Emulator
Pear OS MAC Emulator, developed to emulate macOS, offers an alternative experience for users. This emulator provides custom user interfaces reminiscent of macOS, particularly in its dockbar and interface designs. While it doesn't replicate all macOS functionalities, it does support multimedia codecs and offers features you'd expect from a Linux-based system.
✅ Pear OS MAC Emulator replicates Mac OS aesthetics, making it appealing for those who enjoy the macOS look.
✅ It supports various multimedia codecs, enhancing its capabilities for media-related tasks.
✅ The Mac OS X-style dockbar brings familiarity to those accustomed to macOS.
☑️ The emulator is based on Ubuntu, which might require some adjustment if you're familiar with Ubuntu-based systems.
☑️ Although it offers Mac-like aesthetics, it does not provide the full spectrum of macOS functionality.
❌ Limited macOS functionalities: Pear OS MAC Emulator is primarily designed for aesthetics and multimedia support, not comprehensive macOS emulation.
❌ Not a direct replica: While it imitates macOS aesthetics, it does not fully replicate macOS features.
❌ Potential stability issues: As a niche emulator, Pear OS MAC Emulator may not receive the same level of attention and updates as more mainstream alternatives.
03. macOS Web App
macOS Web App, designed to offer a different computing experience, is an interesting alternative for users looking to explore Mac-like functionalities. This web app is crafted with the intent to bring a taste of macOS to your web browser, although it doesn't aim to replicate the entire macOS feature set.
✅ macOS Web App provides a unique experience that resembles macOS, catering to users who appreciate the Mac aesthetic.
✅ It's a web-based application, ensuring compatibility across various operating systems and devices.
✅ No installations or downloads are necessary, making it accessible and convenient for users.
✅ Offers flexibility and accessibility, enabling users to work with a macOS-like interface from a web browser.
☑️ The web-based approach means you may experience limitations compared to using a native macOS system.
☑️ While it imitates some macOS features, it may not provide the full range of functionalities.
❌ Limited in emulating the entire macOS environment, as it primarily focuses on offering a macOS-like user interface.
❌ May not deliver the exact macOS experience, as some advanced functionalities and features may be missing.
❌ It's a web-based application, potentially requiring a stable internet connection to function optimally.
04. OS X Yosemite Simulator
The OS X Yosemite Simulator offers a unique opportunity to take a trip back in time and explore the user interfaces of the past. Specifically designed to replicate the look and feel of OS X Yosemite, this simulator allows you to navigate through the vintage interfaces and get a sense of what the operating system was like in its heyday.
However, it's important to note that this simulator uses pixelated images for its graphics. While it successfully recreates the visual aesthetics of OS X Yosemite, the pixelation might make it challenging to fully immerse yourself in the experience.
✅The OS X Yosemite Simulator lets you travel back in time and experience how OS X Yosemite looked and felt. It's like taking a trip down memory lane to explore the old OS X Yosemite interface.
☑️It uses pixelated graphics to recreate the classic OS X Yosemite appearance, giving it that vintage look. However, this might make it a bit challenging to fully immerse yourself in the experience.
❌ The simulator uses pixelated images, which could make it harder to enjoy the full graphical beauty of the original OS X Yosemite experience.
05. Mac Plus Emulator (Mac OS System 7)
The Mac Plus Emulator (Mac OS System 7) takes you on a fascinating journey into the computing past, offering a glimpse of a bygone era. This emulator is purpose-built to recreate the look and operation of the Mac Plus running Mac OS System 7. It's like stepping into a time machine for your computer.
It's essential to be aware that this emulator relies on pixelated graphics. While it authentically captures the visual style of the Mac Plus and Mac OS System 7, the pixelation may slightly affect the overall immersion.
✅ The Mac Plus Emulator offers a remarkable opportunity to experience the computing world of the past, providing insights into the technology of a bygone era.
✅ This emulator is typically straightforward to set up and use, making it accessible to a wide range of users, including those with minimal technical knowledge.
✅ It authentically recreates the retro visual design of the Mac Plus and Mac OS System 7, allowing users to appreciate the nostalgia of classic computing.
☑️ While the pixelated graphics might not offer a fully immersive experience, they can serve as a learning tool for those interested in the history of computer graphics.
☑️ The emulator primarily focuses on replicating the interface and look of the Mac OS System 7, so it may not offer all the features and capabilities of the original hardware.
❌ The pixelation, while historically accurate, may limit the ability to enjoy the graphical details and crispness of modern displays.
❌ The emulator is designed for historical accuracy, which means it may not be compatible with newer hardware or operating systems, potentially restricting its accessibility.
Capabilities and Limitations
These macOS online simulators are based on macOS user interfaces and designed to simulate the features of the Mac operating systems. However, as this is a simulator, it will not work as a computer or a virtual machine and there are only certain features available.
You can experience the user interfaces and feature updates to macOS interfaces but the features like software installation, and system configurations will be limited.
These are some of the features that are limited in the macOS simulators.
Xcode
Terminal
QuickTime
AirPlay
Wifi
Bluetooth
Airdrop
macOS Simulator vs Virtual Machine
As simulators and virtual machines are built for different kinds of purposes, there are different functionalities available in both scenarios. Simulators lack the hardware support when compared to the virtual machines and therefore capabilities are far limited.
However, due to the same reason, Simulators are capable of running with minimum hardware conditions. Which means it supports almost all the desktop operating systems and browsers where anyone can run the simulator and experience macOS.You need to clearly know your expectations to run macOS, so you can choose between whether you need to use a Simulator or a virtual machine.
