UTM

UTM is a free, open-source virtual machine host and system emulator for Mac, iPhone and iPad, built on QEMU and Apple’s virtualization frameworks. Admins and developers use it to run Windows, Linux and older operating systems on Apple hardware, including Apple silicon Macs. One thing needs saying plainly: there is no UTM for Windows. The developers build it only for Apple platforms, and there is no official or community Windows port, whatever some download sites claim.

If you need virtual machines on a Windows PC, look at VirtualBox, VMware Workstation Pro or QEMU for Windows instead. If you have a Mac and want a “UTM VM” for a Windows 11 test box, a Linux server lab or a retro OS, read on.

UTM at a glance

What it does

• Virtualizes ARM64 guests at near-native speed on Apple silicon and x86/x64 guests on Intel Macs using Hypervisor.framework.
• Emulates other architectures through QEMU (x86_64 on Apple silicon, PowerPC, SPARC, MIPS, RISC-V, ARM32 and more), slower but useful for legacy systems.
• Runs macOS guests on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 12 or later through Apple’s Virtualization.framework.
• Provides SPICE display with clipboard sharing, dynamic resolution and shared folders when guest tools are installed.
• Passes through USB devices and offers shared, bridged or host-only networking with port forwarding.
• Includes a wizard with ready configurations for common guests, plus a gallery of prebuilt VMs.
• Automates VMs with the utmctl command-line tool, AppleScript and, since 4.7, Shortcuts (App Intents).

How sysadmins use it

Windows 11 test machine on an Apple silicon Mac

1. Get a Windows 11 ARM64 installation ISO from Microsoft.
2. In UTM, choose Create a New Virtual Machine > Virtualize > Windows.
3. Keep the option for Windows 10 or higher enabled so the VM gets the TPM and Secure Boot settings Windows 11 expects, and select the option to install drivers and SPICE tools.
4. Give it at least 4 GB RAM and 64 GB disk, boot from the ISO and install as usual.
5. After setup, install the guest tools from the mounted drive to get networking, display scaling and clipboard sharing.

A disposable Linux server lab

1. Create a VM with Virtualize > Linux and an ARM64 server ISO (Ubuntu Server, Debian, Rocky Linux).
2. On macOS hosts, you can choose Apple Virtualization as the backend for lower overhead, or QEMU for more device options.
3. Shared networking gives the VM internet access; to SSH in from the Mac, switch the network mode to Emulated VLAN and add a port forward (for example host 2222 to guest 22).
4. Clone the VM before risky changes so you can roll back.

Script VMs for repeatable testing

1. Link the bundled CLI into your path:

   sudo ln -s /Applications/UTM.app/Contents/MacOS/utmctl /usr/local/bin/utmctl

2. List and control machines:

   utmctl list
   utmctl start "Ubuntu Lab"
   utmctl stop "Ubuntu Lab"

3. Call these from a shell script or CI job on a Mac build agent.

Install and first run

macOS. UTM is distributed as a free DMG from GitHub and the official site, and as a Mac App Store edition. The App Store copy is paid; it is identical in features and exists for automatic updates and to fund development. Drag the app to Applications and start it. macOS guests need an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 12 or later.

iOS and iPadOS. The full UTM build needs JIT, which on iOS requires a jailbreak or a version-specific workaround; UTM SE, a slower interpreter-based build, can be sideloaded without that. Expect much lower performance than on a Mac.

Windows and Linux. Not supported. There is no Windows installer, and anything presented as “UTM for Windows” is not from the UTM developers.

Gotchas. On Apple silicon, x86 Windows or Linux guests run through emulation and are slow; use ARM64 guests wherever possible. If a Windows guest shows “display output is not active”, check the display device and install the SPICE guest tools. VM files live in UTM’s sandbox container, so include them in your backup plan.

Limitations

• Apple platforms only; no Windows or Linux host version.
• x86 emulation on Apple silicon is much slower than native virtualization.
• 3D acceleration for Windows guests is limited compared with commercial Mac hypervisors.
• No central management for many hosts; it is a desktop tool.
• The 5.0 line is still beta; production users should stay on 4.7.x.

UTM vs alternatives

On the Mac, Parallels Desktop is the commercial choice for the smoothest Windows on ARM experience, with better graphics and integration. VMware Fusion is another established Mac hypervisor. Multipass from Canonical is the quickest way to spin up Ubuntu VMs from the command line on macOS, Linux and Windows, but it does not run Windows guests. On a Windows PC, where UTM does not exist, use VirtualBox, VMware Workstation Pro or QEMU for Windows.

FAQ

Is there a UTM for Windows?

No. UTM is built only for macOS, iOS, iPadOS and visionOS. There is no official or community Windows port; on Windows use VirtualBox, VMware Workstation Pro or QEMU for Windows.

Is UTM free?

Yes. UTM is free and open source under Apache-2.0. The Mac App Store edition is a paid, identical copy that supports the developers.

Can UTM run Windows 11?

Yes, on a Mac. Apple silicon Macs run Windows 11 ARM64 virtualized; x64 Windows runs only through slower emulation.

UTM vs Parallels?

Parallels is commercial and faster for Windows with better graphics; UTM is free, open source and supports far more guest architectures.

UTM vs VirtualBox?

VirtualBox is cross-platform and runs on Windows and Linux hosts as well as macOS; UTM is Mac-only and built around Apple’s own virtualization frameworks and QEMU.

Where does UTM store virtual machines?

By default in its sandbox: ~/Library/Containers/com.utmapp.UTM/Data/Documents/, one .utm bundle per VM.

Is UTM available for iPad?

Yes, UTM and UTM SE run on iPhone and iPad, with performance limits caused by iOS restrictions on JIT.

Last checked against official sources: 1 October 2026 (developer website: mac.getutm.app). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.