Getting started with MacVM
MacVM runs macOS, ARM64 Linux, and Windows 11 ARM virtual machines in native Mac windows. It is completely free to download and use.
You need an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 26 or later. Intel Macs and x86 installers are not supported. You also need enough memory and disk space for the guest operating system; the creation wizard checks available storage.
Download MacVMChoose a guest operating system
| Guest | Installer | Sharing tools |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | A compatible Apple IPSW, downloaded through MacVM or supplied by you | MacVM Guest Tools for text clipboard and graceful shutdown |
| Linux | Automatic Ubuntu 26.04 / 24.04 LTS, or an ARM64 UEFI ISO | spice-vdagent for text clipboard; automatic Ubuntu desktop profiles include it |
| Windows | Windows 11 ARM64 ISO or a Microsoft download link, plus your own licence | Bundled Windows Tools for resizing, shared folders, and text clipboard |
Create your first machine
- Download and open MacVM on a supported Mac, then start creating a new machine from the library.
- Choose the guest system and its installer. For Ubuntu, select automatic setup or provide another supported ARM64 distribution’s ISO.
- Choose CPU, memory, disk capacity, and networking. Disk capacity is set at creation and cannot currently be resized.
- Complete the guest’s installation. Automatic Ubuntu setup can prepare a desktop or server and selected developer tools. macOS and Windows account setup happens inside the guest.
- Install the relevant guest tools and enable only the sharing features you want.
macOS Guest Tools
In MacVM, open Settings → Guest Tools or the running machine’s Guest Tools guide. Inside the guest, open My Shared Files → MacVM Guest Tools, run the installer with the guest administrator password, and restart the guest. Repeat installation for each macOS guest.
The tools provide text clipboard sharing and graceful shutdown. Folder and clipboard access remain opt-in. You can also download the Guest Tools installer.
Windows ARM setup
Provide your own Windows 11 ARM64 installation media and activation licence. The wizard requires at least 4 GB of guest memory and reserves 40 GiB for installation and updates, plus space for the installer.
In the running guest, use Virtual Machine → Install Windows Tools. Open the MacVM Tools CD in Windows, run Install.cmd as administrator, and use Windows’ Restart command when installation finishes. Follow the bundled guide before enabling automatic display resolution.
Compatibility and limits
Hardware-assisted CPU virtualization does not mean every guest has accelerated 3D graphics. Graphics and automatic display resizing depend on the guest system and drivers. Check your intended workload in the guest before relying on it.
Text clipboard sharing is limited to the active guest. Shared folders start read-only. macOS and Linux machines can be duplicated; Windows duplication is not currently supported. Pause keeps a machine in memory rather than saving its state to disk.
Snapshots, host-to-guest drag-and-drop, port forwarding, Parallels import, and CLI/MCP automation are not included. Closing a VM window can leave the guest running; a force stop can lose unsaved work.
Source and further help
This guide summarizes the MacVM project documentation, reviewed on . The project contains the detailed installation steps, architecture notes, and troubleshooting information. For release changes, see the release notes.