UTM 4.1 is the latest version of the free and open source software that allows you to install Windows 11 on any Apple personal computer, the previous one with an Intel processor or new with ARM including the latest SoC M2.

There are good reasons to use Windows on a Mac and vice versa, as we saw a few days ago, but why not use both? Running Windows on a Mac is nothing new, and with Intel processors the best option was the native and officially supported installation from Apple provided by Bootcamp, but it is no longer available for ARM Macs.

UTM 4.1

The solution goes through virtualization. UTM doesn’t offer anything special that you wouldn’t find in others like Parallels Desktop, but there is a major difference, UTM 4.1 is open source software and completely free if you update it manually. If you want automatic updates or just want to support the project, you can pay $10 in the Mac App Store.

It must be said that UTM is a fork of another virtualization platform QEMU, designed specifically for macOS and iOS. Yes, mobile is also supported and you can run virtual machines on an iPhone. Among its advantages, highlight that UTM 4.1 provides an easy-to-use interface and has some features that you will not find in its competitors.

And the point is that you can choose between virtualization or emulation, which allows other CPU architectures to run, albeit with less performance. This has its advantages because means that new Macs with ARM M1 and M2 chips can not only run ARM-based versions of Windows and Linux natively, but can also run Intel virtual machines (x86/x64) and vice versa on Intel-based Macs. It’s also possible to run other architectures, including MIPS, PPC, and RISC-V, opening up access to all kinds of classic operating systems, including pre-OS X versions.

Another interesting point about UTM 4.1 (especially about VirtualBox) is its ‘gallery’, where you can find fully functional virtual machines ready for download for several popular operating systems. You can also find step-by-step instructions for other operating systems, including Windows 10 and 11.

UTM 4.1 is available as free download for macOS 11.3 or higher and compatible with Intel and ARM machines. It is also available iOS version for iPhone and iPad with iOS 14.0 or later.