Best Emulator Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Android Emulator is ranked #1 of 37 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Azahar and PPSSPP. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Azahar. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Genymotion Desktop at $4.08/mo.
Emulator software can help you work with systems or targets beyond the host device. Start by comparing supported targets and host operating systems, then look at debugging tools, automation access, and network simulation for development needs. Hardware acceleration and snapshots and restore provide further comparison points. The ranking begins with Android Emulator, QEMU, and Bochs; Genymotion Desktop and BlueStacks App Player are also among the early options. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing let you weigh cost alongside the capabilities and platforms shown.
37 emulator software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Android Emulator Top pick · 7.4 Free plan · Free
#2 Azahar Runner-up · 7.4 Free plan · Free
#3 PPSSPP Also great · 7.3 Free plan · Free
- Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About VICEVisit site - Free planFree trial LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$4.08/mofirst paid tier About Genymotion DesktopVisit site - Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About MAMEVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported targets
- x86 CPUs from 386 through x86-64; Intel and AMD PC hardware; Linux, DOS, Windows, BSD and other x86 guest operating systems
- Host operating systems
- Windows, GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, MacOS X; additional documented ports include Solaris, IRIX, AIX, AmigaOS and MorphOS
- Hardware acceleration
- No
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 7.99 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$7.99/mofirst paid tier About BlueStacks App PlayerVisit site - Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported targets
- System/370, ESA/390, z/Architecture
- Host operating systems
- Linux, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, Mac OS X
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About QEMUVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Supported targets
- Arm, RISC-V, OpenPOWER, and numerous embedded development boards and peripherals
- Host operating systems
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported targets
- Alpha, ARM, MIPS, POWER, RISC-V, SPARC, x86
- Host operating systems
- Linux
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About gem5Visit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About xemuVisit site - Free plan Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported targets
- iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS
- Host operating systems
- macOS
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsLinux
- Supported targets
- ARM, Intel, Power, RISC-V, MIPS, SPARC, MicroBlaze, 8051, 68000, and modeled embedded devices
- Host operating systems
- 64-bit Linux distributions and 64-bit Windows 10/11 or equivalent server versions
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid
- Supported targets
- ARM, ARM64 (ARMv8), m68k, MIPS, PowerPC, RISC-V, S390x, SPARC, TriCore, and x86
- Host operating systems
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, BSD, and Solaris
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported targets
- iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS
- Host operating systems
- macOS
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
- Snapshots and restore
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which emulator software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Android Emulator is ranked #1 of 37 with a score of 7.4. Azahar is second and PPSSPP third.
How many of these have a free plan?
20 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Genymotion Desktop has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.08/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.