{"id":95802,"date":"2026-06-08T01:42:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/?p=95802"},"modified":"2026-06-21T22:20:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T05:20:03","slug":"how-to-run-windows-11-for-free-on-an-m1-m2-m3-or-m4-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/how-to-run-windows-11-for-free-on-an-m1-m2-m3-or-m4-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to run Windows 11 on an Apple silicon Mac for free"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve used a Mac for a while, you might remember Boot Camp \u2014 the tool Apple used to let you install Windows directly on your Mac.<\/p>\n

While you can still use Boot Camp on a Mac with an Intel processor, it doesn\u2019t work on Macs using Apple silicon chips like the M1, M2, M3, M4, or M5.<\/p>\n

To run Windows 11 on these modern Macs, you\u2019ll need virtualization software, which lets Windows run inside macOS like a regular app.<\/p>\n

Since these Macs use a different internal architecture from Intel processors, you’ll need the version of Windows designed for Arm processors, known as Windows 11 Arm.<\/p>\n

Parallels Desktop is usually the simplest virtualization app for running Windows on a Mac, but it requires a paid subscription. If you\u2019d prefer not to pay, UTM is a practical alternative, though the setup takes a little more work.<\/p>\n

This guide explains how to set up Windows 11 on an Apple silicon Mac using UTM and what to expect once it\u2019s installed.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> UTM itself is free when downloaded from the developer\u2019s website, and Microsoft provides the Windows 11 Arm file as a free download. However, you may still need a valid Windows license to activate every feature long term. It\u2019s best to stick with official downloads from Microsoft; using modified versions or “cracked” installers often leads to security problems or a system that crashes regularly.<\/p>\n

Can you run Windows 11 on an Apple silicon Mac?<\/h2>\n

Yes, you can run Windows 11 on an Apple silicon Mac using virtualization software, which lets Windows run inside your macOS desktop like a regular app. This means you can switch between Windows and macOS without needing to shut down or restart.<\/p>\n

Because Apple silicon Macs use a different architecture from Intel PCs, you\u2019ll need the Arm version of Windows 11 rather than the standard x64 version used on most Windows computers.<\/p>\n

Boot Camp only works on Intel-based Macs, so it’s not available on Macs with M-series chips. On Apple silicon Macs, virtualization is now the standard way to run Windows.<\/p>\n

There are two main ways to do this:<\/p>\n