In my latest video, I take a look at UTM, a free and open-source virtualization app for macOS that allows users to boot up Windows, Linux distributions, retro operating systems and even other instances of MacOS. UTM provides an efficient solution without the licensing constraints and bloat of commercial alternatives like Parallels or VMware Fusion. You can find it for free on their website.
UTM is built on QEMU, an open-source emulation framework, and supports both virtualization and emulation. When running ARM-compatible operating systems in virtualization, such as Windows 11 ARM or an ARM-based Linux distribution, the performance is close to native. Emulating x86 based and other operating systems is slower but still functional.
I tested UTM on my M2 MacBook Air, that I purchased about two and a half years ago. This machine remains powerful enough for my needs on both macOS and in virtual environments. If you’re considering one of these machines, there have been some great deals lately, with prices dropping as low as $700 in some cases (compensated affiliate link).
Setting up Windows 11 ARM in UTM was straightforward. The software doesn’t provide the operating system itself, but with tools like Crystal Fetch, downloading the necessary installation files from Microsoft was simple. Once installed, Windows 11 ARM supports running both 32-bit and 64-bit x86/x64 apps through Microsoft’s built-in translation layer. This allows for smooth execution of many legacy applications, such as Microsoft FoxPro, which I demoed in the video. However, gaming performance is a different story—Windows in UTM doesn’t have GPU passthrough support, so graphically demanding applications won’t run well.
On the Linux side, UTM provides pre-configured images for quick setup. With GPU acceleration enabled for Linux, some applications run more efficiently than on Windows. File sharing between macOS and the virtualized system is also simple through the use of a shared folder, though not as seamless as drag-and-drop functionality in commercial alternatives.
UTM also allows users to emulate older operating systems designed for different processors, including Windows 95 and classic PowerPC macOS versions. Running a fully configured Windows 95 installation on a modern Mac was a fun exercise in nostalgia, complete with old files and applications from a backup of my college laptop from 1998.
The customization options in UTM are extensive. Users can tweak system configurations down to CPU architecture, RAM allocation, network adapters, and sound drivers. While this level of control can be overwhelming, many UTM users are sharing pre-built system images that offer a great starting point.
There’s also a version that runs on iPhones and iPads, although Apple app store restrictions impact the performance of the mobile version significantly. It runs better on jailbroken devices where the UTM app can run with the same compilers it uses on the Mac. More information on iOS and iPad OS can be found on the UTM website.
For anyone looking for a lightweight, cost-free virtualization tool on a Mac, UTM is worth trying. Whether you need occasional access to Windows, a Linux development environment, or even a retro computing setup, UTM provides a flexible and powerful option without the cost or complexity of commercial alternatives.