Do you want to run iOS apps on Windows PC? This can be done using iOS emulators for Windows or Mac. If you don’t own an iPhone, but want to try an interesting app that is only available for iOS, you can use iOS emulators to run the app on your Windows PC.
There are lots of iOS emulators, but not all are good. Some are too slow that they become frustrating. So, you won’t get a good experience. So, I decided to compile a list of the best iOS emulators.
If you also want to try Android apps on your Windows PC, you can go with Android Emulators for PC.
Before I discuss the best iOS emulators, let me give you an overview of the emulator. Emulators are the programs that create a virtual OS on your system to run a specific program. The iOS emulators create an iOS virtual environment on your Windows PC to run iOS apps.
Here it is worth noting that simulators only create a virtual environment of software, but there is not the same hardware. So, a few apps or features that are dependent on specific hardware may not work as it is. For example, the iOS app may use Touch ID but a laptop with no fingerprint sensor cannot provide that. So, this feature may not work.
It is also worth mentioning that emulators need enough RAM to properly work. So, you should have a good system with at least 4GB RAM and a good processor. The more RAM your system has, the better and smoother the emulator will perform.
Most of the time, good apps land on the iOS platform before hitting Android or Windows. If you want to try any such kind of app that is only available for iOS, you can try iOS emulators. Or a developer working on an iOS app needs to own an iPhone. If you do not want to buy one, try iOS emulator on your PC to run test iOS app on your system.
Best iOS Emulators For Windows and Mac
1. Smartface
Smartface is my first choice as an iOS simulator for PC to run iOS apps on your Windows system. It is basically for developers who want an emulator to develop apps for iOS. This emulator helps in properly testing the device for iOS without having an actual one. The emulator is not free and starts at $99, with a free version available to test it. It works fine.
I am keeping that at the top because it is the most feature-rich iOS emulator for PC available.
Platform: Windows, Mac, and Linux
Pricing: Free
2. iPadian
As the name suggests, it is an iPad emulator that does a good job. It has been also a choice of professionals for a long. The UI is self-explanatory and works fine. If your system is powerful enough, it works fine. It feels like you are actually working on an iPad. It comes with a Customizable interface and includes a Facebook notification widget as well. You should also note that it does not allow access to the official App Store, so you can only run apps that are designed especially for the iPadian simulator.
It is available in free and paid versions. So, you can go with anyone depending on your usage.
Platform: Windows and Mac
Pricing: $25.00
3. Appetize.io
Appetize.io is a browser-based tool, so you do not need to download anything. It is helpful for iOS app demonstration and development. You just need to upload the app and then run it on the browser. It shows an in-browser preview, you can run iOS apps and perform different actions.
If you are an app developer, you can try this tool and test your app without installing anything.
The free version of the tool allows only 100 minutes a minute. If you need more, you can go with other plans depending on your usage.
Platform: Windows (works in any browser)
Pricing: $40 per month for the basic plan
4. AIR iPhone
AIR iPhone emulator is based on the Adobe AIR framework. It is easy to install and use the emulator. You just need to download and install it along with the Adobe AIR framework. After the installation, you can start running your iOS app without any issues. Few iOS features do not work on this. You can also not access all the applications that are available in the App Store. So, you cannot try all the applications available for the iPhone.
Platform: Windows and Mac
Pricing: Free
5. iPhone Simulator
iPhone Simulator is another good tool for iOS app developers to try iOS apps. Although you cannot access the App Store, you can run by uploading the app files. It replicates an iPhone and you can play games and use apps properly. It is easy to use and is convenient for both advanced, and intermediate users.
6. Ripple
Ripple Emulator is available as a browser extension. So, you can install it in your Chrome browser and set up everything easily. The extension is still in beta, so you may face some bugs. Overall, it works fine and you can test or run iOS apps and games.
7. Xamarin
Xamarin is also a popular name if you check for good iOS emulators for pc. Developers use it to execute native iOS apps. You can use execute as well as test all your iOS applications using the IDE for Visual Studio. It allows you to do all the functions seamlessly on Windows, and Mac. It can only run apps that are developed to run on iOS 8.0 or later. It is also a bit complicated to run, so suited for professional use rather than conventional use.
Platform: Windows
Pricing: $99/Month
8. Electric Mobile Studio
Electric Mobile Studio has been designed to consider the iOS app developers’ requirements. So, you can use it for iOS app development and testing on your computer. It can almost all of the iOS apps available in Apple’s App Store. So, not just your own apps, you can also run other apps including games to try on your PC.
It is heavy, so you also need to have at least 6GB of space on your system to run this emulator. It is also expensive. The trial version of this emulator is available for just 7 days and then you need to buy it for $39.99. If you are a professional developer looking for a good emulator with lots of features, you can try this one.
9. iMAME
iMAME is basically for those who want to run iOS games on your computer and are not into the iOS testing thing. It is light and doesn’t consume many resources. The games or apps run fine even on an average computer. It has a simple and easy-to-use UI. So, you can use it without any issues.
Final words
I have added all possible good iOS emulators for Windows or Mac. So, you have iOS emulators for Windows and iOS emulators for Mac. You can check what emulator is available on your platform and what satisfies your needs. Most of these emulators are focused on App development and testing while some are focused on playing iPhone or iPad games on your system. Depending on your need, you can select any of these good iOS emulators.
