UTM
Free (direct download); $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store — identical app, funds development + auto-updates) · Open source
Price checked at source August 28, 2026.
A free, open-source virtual machine app built specifically for Apple platforms — runs Windows, Linux, and even extra macOS guests, using Apple’s own virtualization framework or QEMU.
Our take
The free and open-source alternative to Parallels or VMware, built ground-up for macOS rather than ported from elsewhere. On Apple Silicon it uses Apple’s Hypervisor framework for near-native ARM64 guest performance; heavier emulation (x86/x64 on Apple Silicon, or older architectures like PowerPC) works too, just slower. The $9.99 Mac App Store version is the identical app — it just adds automatic updates and funds development.
- Price
- Free (direct download); $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store — identical app, funds development + auto-updates)
- License
- Open source
- Requires
- macOS 11 or newer
- Get it via
- Homebrew · Direct · Mac App Store
- Developer
- UTM (open-source project)
Do you use UTM?
Who made this
UTM’s own GitHub Sponsors page credits the handle "osy" as Lead developer — the same handle the project’s own site names as its author in page metadata.
What it does
Native Apple Silicon virtualization
Uses Apple’s Hypervisor framework to run ARM64 guests at near-native speed on Apple Silicon.
macOS guests
Can run additional instances of macOS itself on Apple Silicon Macs running Monterey or later — useful for testing across OS versions.
QEMU emulation
Wraps QEMU for x86/x64 and other architectures (ARM32, MIPS, PowerPC, RISC-V) without QEMU’s usual command-line setup.
The deal
- Free and open source
- Optional $9.99 one-time Mac App Store version — identical app, adds automatic updates
Worth knowing: No GPU passthrough for Windows guests, so 3D-accelerated games generally won’t run at full speed — there’s experimental OpenGL acceleration for Linux guests via Virgl, per the developer.
UTM — questions people ask
Is UTM free?
Yes — free and open source. An optional $9.99 Mac App Store version is the identical app; buying it just funds development and adds automatic updates.
Can UTM run Windows on Apple Silicon?
Yes, via virtualization (ARM64 Windows) or slower emulation (x86/x64 Windows) — the developer’s own site notes GPU-dependent games generally won’t run well under emulation.
Who makes UTM?
An open-source project (lead developer goes by "osy"); its Mac App Store listing is published by Turing Software, LLC.
Is UTM free?
Yes — UTM is free.
Does UTM work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — UTM lives in the screen, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download UTM?
UTM is available via Homebrew, Direct, Mac App Store.
Is UTM open source?
Yes — UTM is open source.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified August 28, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
How UTM compares
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Parallels Desktop
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Oracle VirtualBox
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Multipass
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VMTek
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