A free and open-source front-end for the long-established Qemu virtualization software, the Mac-only UTM helps you install practically any OS you can think of on your Apple silicon- or Intel-based Mac. The good news is that the emulation experience is decently snappy with an Arm-based guest and host. However, Intel-based guest systems have performance issues on Apple silicon, and we couldn’t find reliable support when we ran into issues. Those downsides might be worth dealing with if UTM is your only option for running an uncommon system, but Parallels Desktop is better in more typical scenarios thanks to its superior performance, reliability, and user experience, so it remains our Editors’ Choice.
How Much Does UTM Cost?
You can get UTM free of charge from the app’s website. However, you will need to download any future updates manually if you go this route. Alternatively, you can buy UTM from the Mac App Store for $9.99 and get the benefit of automatic updates—your purchase also supports the hard-working developers.
(Credit: UTM/PCMag)
The app and its underlying Qemu software both get updates often, so the App Store version is worth the money. Unlike some other macOS apps that are available both free and on the App Store, both versions of UTM have identical features.
Alternatives to UTM
Depending on what system you need to emulate, UTM might be your only choice. Nothing else lets you run early versions of OS X, Mac OS 9.2, or Intel-based operating systems on Apple silicon hardware.
If you just want to use a common guest system, such as macOS, Windows 11, or a GNU/Linux distro, however, Parallels Desktop and the free VMware Fusion Pro are more polished. A standalone license for the Standard Edition of Parallels Desktop goes for $129.99. Subscription pricing ranges from $99.99 to $149.99 per year for continuous updates and more features. The open-source Oracle VirtualBox is much less versatile than UTM.
For running classic versions of the Mac operating system, you’ll get faster performance and tighter integration with the host from the free and open-source Basilisk II for 68k-Mac systems like System 7, as well as from the free and open-source SheepShaver for PowerPC systems through Mac OS 9.0.4. For running Windows 3.1 through Windows 98, the free and open-source DOSBox-X is ideal.
What Platforms Does UTM Support?
UTM runs on both Apple silicon- and Intel-based Macs. It supports nearly every Arm and Intel-based guest system on either. So, for example, you can emulate Intel-based Windows, Linux, or older macOS versions, along with PowerPC-based Mac OS versions like Mac OS 9, all on an Apple silicon Mac. Sun Solaris 9 running under SPARC is also an option. These scenarios are impractical or impossible with other virtualization software. Interestingly, UTM also has a version for iOS, though it requires jailbreaking on recent versions.
You can use the Create a New Virtual Machine menu to automatically install 16 different operating systems for which UTM provides Templates—files containing the necessary settings for installation. These templates cover everything from Windows XP through Windows 11 to various GNU/Linux distros such as Ubuntu and Debian. However, they don’t always work perfectly, as I describe later in this review.
(Credit: UTM/PCMag)
If you’re willing to experiment and search for advice online, you can install almost anything else built for Arm and Intel systems, including the classic Mac OS that ran on 68000 and PowerPC machines. Mac enthusiasts can also find instructions for running anything from System 7.1 to the Intel-compatible versions of macOS 11 and 12.
Note that setting up a system that uses your Mac’s native architecture is faster (Virtualize) than doing so for one that uses a different architecture (Emulate)—for example, an Intel system on your Apple silicon Mac.
UTM doesn’t work with any version of DirectX, so it’s not a good option for gaming. For comparison, both Parallel’s Desktop and VMware Fusion Pro support DirectX 11 graphics.
Getting Started With UTM
UTM makes everything look easy, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. I’ve worked with older versions of UTM before, but I installed a fresh copy from the App Store for this review and tested it on an M2 Mac.
After UTM launched, I chose the Browse UTM Gallery option, which opened a selection of UTM templates in my web browser. For a nostalgic Windows experience, I chose the 32-bit Windows XP template and then followed the installation advice.
(Credit: UTM/PCMag)
To install Windows XP, you need an ISO image or an XP installation CD. I had one handy, but UTM tells you which file to look for online if you don’t. I copied the installation ISO image to my macOS system, downloaded the XP Template from the UTM gallery, and double-clicked on the file. Doing so filled in the required settings for installing Windows XP, but UTM didn’t warn me that I had to select my installation ISO file from the CD/DVD drop-down menu. Once I figured that out, Windows XP installed smoothly but slowly; the whole process took almost an hour.
Installing a virtual macOS Sequoia or Windows 11 system is much more seamless. A few mouse clicks in the Create a New Virtual Machine menu were enough to get UTM to download a macOS installer from Apple and install it as a guest system. The process uses the same menus as if you were installing macOS on actual hardware. My experience with installing Windows 11 was equally smooth. As with any emulator, you need a Windows activation code if you want to continue running the guest system, but you can install it without activating it.
How Does UTM Work?
Like other virtualization apps, UTM lets you run a guest OS either in a windowed or full-screen mode. You can switch between the two via the Mission Control key (F3) on your Mac’s keyboard. If your guest OS works with UTM’s support tools, the screen resolution of the emulated system will match that of the host so that icons and text remain sharp in both window modes. You can set the support tools, called the SPICE tools, to install automatically alongside recent OS guest systems or install them manually on many older systems.
With some recent OS guests, like macOS Sequoia and Windows 11, you can resize the guest’s window by dragging the window border. With older guest OSes, like Windows XP, you must resize the window via the screen resolution controls.
(Credit: UTM/PCMag)
Once you install the SPICE tools, UTM lets you use the macOS clipboard to exchange data between the host and guest. You can also share a folder (such as your Downloads folder) so that it’s accessible from both systems. An optional safety feature makes the shared folder read-only from the guest. That way, you can send files to the guest without the risk of sending damaging files back to the host. Unlike Parallels Desktop, you can’t move files between the host and guest simply by dragging and dropping them. If you want to transfer a file, you need to copy it to a shared folder.
The shared folder feature works fine for current OSes, but be prepared for headaches with older systems. I couldn’t get the shared folder feature to work in a Windows XP guest, for instance, until I found a user’s post on the UTM GitHub development page explaining that I needed to create a network location in the XP guest with the address http://localhost:9843/—this solved my issue instantly.
(Credit: UTM/PCMag)
I also experienced an issue in which a Windows 11 guest couldn’t connect to the internet. None of the solutions I found online fixed the problem, so thinking I had nothing to lose, I deleted the Windows 11 system and reinstalled the OS. The new guest instance connected to the internet immediately. The second time around, I selected the Pro edition rather than the Home edition, so that appears to be the root of the problem.
Advanced Options
It’s possible to create a UTM server on another machine connected to your network and run guest systems from it. I didn’t test this capability, but it’s worth trying if you’re willing to accept the inevitably slow performance of a network-connected virtual machine.
If you’re a command line virtuoso, you can run Qemu from the command line to do everything that UTM can. However, you’ll have to spend immense amounts of time learning which command line parameters you need. The great advantage of UTM is that it uses visual menus to build a Qemu command and saves you from ever having to look at code.
Performance
UTM isn’t the quickest virtualization solution I’ve tried. Even with modern guest systems like macOS Sequoia or Windows 11, everything runs more slowly than with Parallels Desktop. And when I was waiting for a Windows XP system to open, I kept thinking of molasses on a very cold day. Using advice I found online, I was able to install Mac OS 9.2.1 in UTM, which ran reasonably quickly. However, it was slow to shut down and sometimes didn’t shut down at all (I had to force-quit it on occasion).
On my M2 Mac, Parallels Desktop takes 12 seconds to start up a Windows 11 guest and boot to the desktop. However, I never actually need to wait that long because Parallels can suspend a Windows 11 guest and start it up again in two seconds or less. Fusion Pro requires 19 and 8 seconds, respectively, for those two tasks in my testing.
For comparison, UTM takes 22 seconds to boot to the Windows desktop—and it can’t suspend the system for a fast startup later. The ability to save a system state is essential for emulation software, and UTM provides it for most operating-system guests, but not Windows 11.
Verdict: Unique Abilities, But Some Rough Edges
UTM stands out for its ability to emulate both Arm- and Intel-based systems on a modern Mac, regardless of its architecture. We like the reasonable price of the paid version with automatic updates, and performance is workable if the guest and host architecture match. However, UTM generally feels slow in real-world use and lacks some of the convenience features we expect, such as drag-and-drop file transfers between the virtual and main systems. Hobbyists are likely able to look past these concerns in light of UTM’s versatility, but most people who want to run modern Windows apps or other recent systems should pay for the more stable and user-friendly Parallels Desktop, our Editors’ Choice winner for virtualization software.
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line
UTM costs nothing to download and lets you run almost any operating system on a modern Mac, regardless of architecture, though it performs sluggishly in some cases.
Like What You’re Reading?
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links.
By clicking the button, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our
Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy.
You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
About Edward Mendelson
