Check out our list of the best Android emulators available for Windows PC and Mac in 2020. Android emulators are seemingly becoming more popular as Android’s popularity keeps growing. From developers testing apps to gamers playing on a large screen, users yearn for experiencing Android OS on a Windows PC, complimented with a mouse and keyboard. Some iOS emulators for PC and Mac are also available but Android ones offer a better performance.Maybe you are switching from iPhone to Android, or you merely want to test out a custom ROM, the possibilities with an Android emulator are endless. While BlueStacks has always topped the list of phone emulators for PC and Mac, few others are catching up insanely fast.

There are three main uses for emulators. The main and the most common use for Android Emulator is gaming. Gamers can use emulators on their computers to make some games easier to play. They don’t have to rely on the battery life of their devices and the existence of macros and other tricks help the process. In most cases, these little tricks aren’t illegal (in most games) so nobody really has a problem with it. So lets take a look at the best Android Emulators of 2020 for PC and Mac.

With most of such devices being powered by Operating Systems such as Windows and macOS, Android emulators come to the rescue when it is necessary on such non-Android platforms. If you are confused about which is the best Mac and PC Android emulator, the following article would serve as a guide.

List of Best Android Emulators in 2020:

Jun 19, 2018 Best Android emulators for Windows PC and MAC. First on the list is an Android 5.1 Lolipop based Android emulator for Windows PC. It is among the most customizable Android emulators for PC in the segment. The installation is quick and simple with no bloatware third-party apps to install like we come across in some emulators. Android File Transfer. Browse and transfer files between your Mac computer and your Android device. For Mac OS X only. No extra software is needed for Windows. Supports macOS 10.7 and higher.

Here is the list of our picks for the best Android emulators available for Windows PC, Mac and Linux platforms. PC support for emulators is more common than Mac and Linux. However, we have covered the best ones you can download right away. We have also included a few standalone Android builds that you can install on your computer.

Looking for android emulator for windows 10, 8, 7 and other versions? An Android emulator is required to preview how an application will run on Android phone. Check out the list of Top 15 best.

1. Nox Player
2. BlueStacks
3. LDPlayer
4. MEmu
5. Ko Player
6. Genymotion
7. Droid4X
8. Android Studio Emulator
9. Remix OS
10. ARChon
11. Bliss OS
12. Phoenix OS

To know more about these best Android emulators, continue reading ahead:

1. Nox Player

Nox Player especially targets Android gamers. Although the emulator works perfectly fine for other Android apps and enjoying the whole Android experience, it is best suited for playing massive games like PUBG or Justice League. The best part of Nox Emulator is that it’s absolutely free with no sponsored ads at all.

The Nox Player allows you to map keys of keyboard, mouse, and gamepad. You can even assign keyboard keys for gestures, for instance, mapping shortcut for swiping right.Also, you can specify the CPU and RAM usage in the settings option to get the best gaming results. If rooting Android is your focus, Nox Player makes it easy to root the virtual device under one minute.

The only problem with Nox is that it puts a lot of load on the system. Thus, you can’t use tons of other apps. Another thing is it is based on Android 5 Lollipop which might be a concern for you. For a complete setup and install guide, read: How to Install Nox Player 6

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

2. BlueStacks

BlueStacks is probably the most known Android emulator among Android users. The emulator is preferred for gaming and is ridiculously easy to set up. Other than Play Store, you have the option of downloading BlueStacks optimized apps from its own app store. Although, BlueStacks supports keyboard mapping but does not go well with gestures.

A major drawback of BlueStacks emulator is that it gets sluggish in productivity apps. Other than that, the sponsored ads make the emulator lose behind other best free Android emulators for Windows. Talking specifically about BlueStacks 4, it brings an excellent gaming performance, thanks to low CPU and memory usage. It also claims to be 6x faster than Samsung Galaxy S9+. For a complete setup and install guide, read: How to Install Bluestacks 4

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

3. LDPlayer

LDPlayer is a free Android emulator for Windows PC users to play Android games easily on computer. This emulator is built with gaming in behind with all the features targeted for optimization of Android games. LDPlayer is based on Android 5.1.1 and Android 7.1.2 Nougat and provides the best compatibility with games like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile and Free Fire.

The team claims this emulator performs much better than playing Android games on a real phone. You can install games directly from APK + OBB data and you can also download Android games from the Google Play Store.

Compatibility: Windows PC only

4. MEmu

MEmu is relatively a new app player in comparison to the others. Launched in 2015, the MeMu Play, again, is focused on gaming. Regarding the speed, this Android emulator gives similar results as Nox and BlueStacks.One of the most important features of MeMu Android emulator is its support for both AMD and Nvidia chips. It also supports different Android versions like Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. While MeMu advocates for high-performance gaming, the graphics performance is relatively poor. I saw textures and smoothness missing in comparison to other app players.

MEmu is currently based on Android Lollipop and works top of the class with productivity apps. And if you are looking forward to playing games like Ingress or Pokémon Go, this should be your choice.

Compatibility: Windows PC only

5. Ko Player

Just like other Android gaming emulators out there, Ko Player focuses on delivering lag-free gaming experience with a lightweight software.As Ko Player is free of cost yet you might see few ads here and there. The app player is easy to install and navigate through the apps. It also supports keyboard mapping and gamepad emulation.The downside of this Android emulator is that it sometimes freezes out of the blue. Also, the player is a little buggy and makes it difficult for the user to uninstall the Android emulator.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

6. Genymotion

Genymotion is not your casual Android emulator; it is only targeted at developers. The Android simulator lets you test apps on a variety of virtual devices with different versions of Android. The emulator is compatible with Android SDK and Android Studio. It even works macOS and Linux.Since Genymotion is inclined towards developers, it is equipped with lots of developer-friendly features. And it might not be the right choice for people looking for Android gaming experience.

Compatibility: Windows, Mac and Linux

7. Droid4X

Droid4x is an Android virtual machine/simulator that runs as a guest operating system on your PC or your Mac. It is a full, working Android operating system with networking (wi-fi), Google Play Store, and functional apps. You can play games, install apps, configure settings, test your apps, navigate the system, and anything else you can do with an Android device. Droid4x works on Windows and on Mac OS X. Android version 4.2.2 is the current version running on Droid4x.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

8. Android Studio Emulator

Android Studio is a development IDE (Integrated development environment) from Google itself and especially caters to developers. It basically comes with a bunch of tools and plugins to help developers build and test their apps.Android Studio has a built-in emulator but packs fewer features in comparison to Genymotion. The emulator is unquestionably not for general usage and playing heavy games. Android Studio is tough to set up but simultaneously favorite of many developers.

For a complete setup and installation instructions, we would recommend you read through the following tutorials:

• First, download and install the latest Android Studio.
• Second, install and setup Android 10 emulator.

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

9. Remix OS

Well, Remix OS is nothing like other Android emulators out there. It is an entire Android OS which you can boot into. Unlike the other emulators that can easily on top of the Window, Remix OS needs to be installed on a separate partition.Remix OS is a Jide Technology product, a company formed by Google’s former employees. You can put Remix OS on a USB device and boot from there to any computer on the planet. The Android emulator is good for productivity apps but does not support heavy gaming.Although Jide technology has killed its support, you can still download the last Android Marshmallow version. Meanwhile, a similar project known as Phoenix OS is being well-liked among the Remix OS fans. And recently, the project was updated to Android 7 Nougat.

Compatibility: Windows PC only

10. ARChon

ARChon is not some big shot Android emulator, nor it has a huge fan following, it’s more of a fix to run Android apps on Chrome OS.It started out when Google brought support for two or three Android apps on Chrome Web Browser. Following which, a GitHub developer took it a little notch further and released ARChon to run all Android apps on Chrome.The ARChon Android emulator is not suited for hardcore gaming, but it is excellent for using productivity app due to its easy access

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

11. Bliss OS

Bliss OS is a little different from the above emulators. Where ‘Android Emulators’ emulate Android on your Windows PC, Bliss OS, on the other hand, is Android itself and needs to be installed as a separate OS. As for its installation, you could use a Virtual Box or you can create a bootable USB drive and install the Bliss OS ROM on the external storage.Now, installing Bliss OS or any other Android x86 based projects is always better if you are looking for the exact Android experience on your PC. Not to mention the fact is Bliss OS is open source and don’t encompass ads or any Android emulator clutter.

Compatibility: Windows PC only

12. Phoenix OS

Phoenix OS is a big-screen Android operating system that can run on bigger display screens like a computer monitor. This OS is designed with Android at the backend, but is customized to run like a full desktop platform. And most importantly, it has been optimized to run Android games on PC. Phoenix OS also support keymapping for all popular games like PUBG Mobile, Fortnite and other FPS / MOBA games. You can download and install Phoenix in a virtual environment on any laptop or MacBook easily. This emulator is available in two variants. One is based on Android 7.1 Nougat and one is based on Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Compatibility: Windows PC, Mac, Linux

This was a detailed look at different Android emulators available for computers — Mac, Windows and Linux systems. Do you think we missed any? Let us know in the comments!

Android Emulator for PC like Windows & Mac, is software that allows a PC to create an Android environment to run Android Applications. And the Best Android Emulators for PC are listed here in this article.

About Android OS

The Android OS is a pretty great Operating System that encompasses all the features that are needed by a smartphone and also provide users with amazing access to their mobile device’s features.

With Android Operating System, users can install 3rd party applications on their smartphone and also install a new UI system if they desire it. Users can fully customize the display and functions of their smartphones.

This level of customization is even greater than the one found in the iOS devices as iOS users cannot install 3rd party apps that are not on the Apple pay store and they are unable to change the UI. All these factors are why people decide to create an Android Simulator for PC and not an iOS Simulator.

What is an Android Emulator?

A software that can be used to make a PC act like another operating system is known as an Android Emulator. An Android Emulator will help create an environment on your PC that will be able to support various kinds of Android Applications and run them smoothly.

What is the Use of Android Emulators for PC?

Android Emulators can be used on the PC for several purposes ranging from Usability testing for apps to gameplay.

In order to test their apps before it goes live, developers can decide to use an Android Emulator on their PC and test the app on their PC.

Sometimes gamers also use an Android Emulator because they want to use a gaming mouse and keyboard to play their game on a PC.

Benefits of Android Emulators for PC

Android Emulators enable PC users to develop and run an Android environment on a Mac OS or Windows Operating System. However, your system features and specifications will determine how well the mobile apps will run on your PC.

If you have a PC with a good specification, you will be able to play some pretty great games on your PC. The Android Emulator will enable you to get the full Android experience on your Mac OS or Windows PC.

There are a lot of Android Emulators available on the internet, but a good number of them are unable to carry out their functions properly. This is why it can be particularly challenging to find the best android emulators on PC.

Here are some of the best android emulators on PC.

Best Android Emulators for PC

1. LDPlayer
2. Bluestacks
3. Nox Player
4. MEmu
5. Gameloop
6. Genymotion
7. ARChon
8. Android Studio
9. Bliss OS
10. Xamarin
11. KO Player
12. Droid 4X
13. Andy

LDPlayer

The LDPlayer Android Emulator is one of the best Android Emulators on PC around and it was specifically developed for running mobile games on Windows devices.

This piece of software enables users to play various kinds of mobile games on their PC with their Keyboard and Mouse. It is also compatible with various multiplayer Android mobile games and it provides great graphics for games if your system specifications can handle it. This particular software also enables users to run more than one mobile game at the same time.

The default Android OS for this software is Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and it also provides access to Google Play Store. You can play FPS games like PUBG, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Black Desert online with this software.

Bluestacks

Considered to be one of the best Android Emulators on PC of all time, Bluestacks is the most popular Android Emulator available on the market. They can be used on both Windows and Mac Operating Systems. Bluestacks is one of the first Android Emulators that was developed and worked well while still getting various updates.

This amazing piece of software is able to perfectly balance graphics and processing power without having to compromise one for the other. This is one of the things that makes it one of the best Android Emulators on PC around currently.

This is also why it is often preferred by a lot of gamers that want to run their high-end and high-graphics mobile games on their PC. However, for you to be able to get these good graphics, you have to make sure that your PC has a good specification that can handle the graphic level.

Bluestack is not just one of the best Android Emulators on Computer, it is also one of the most trusted by PC users all around the world for both Windows and iOS devices. This is why a lot of people are excited about the latest “Nougat Version” which is said to be about six times faster than typical smartphones.

Nox Player

One of the best Android Emulators around currently is the Nox Player. Nox Player is compatible with both Windows and Mac devices. Although this piece is based mainly on the Android version Lollipop 5.1.1, users can still decide to run more than one Android version (up to the Nougat version at least) on the software using its Multi-Drive option.

Nox Player is one of the best Android Emulators on PC for gaming on Windows and Mac devices. It is capable of running high FPS games like PUBG Mobile and CODM without any issues.

It also features support for a keypad, script recording, and gamepad. And, if you notice that the graphics you need to play the game are a little higher than your system can handle, you can decide to optimize the quality and tweak the controls in the settings.

MEmu

When compared to Bluestack, MEmu is a relatively new piece of software. However, although it is still relatively new, it is still a pretty great Android Emulator for PC, which is why it is considered one of the best Android Emulator for PC, both Windows and Mac devices.

One of the things that make MEmu stand out from other Android Emulator for PC is the fact that it is compatible with both AMD, NVIDIA and Intel Chipsets. It also supports more than one version of Android including Kit Kat, Lollipop, and the Android Jelly Bean.

It also comes with a pre-installed Google Play Store. And if your system has the specification, you can use it to play high-end games with great graphics.

Gameloop

If you are the type of person that like mobile games, then there is a chance that you are familiar with the famous gaming developer company commonly known as Tencent.

Tencent is responsible for the development of some of the most popular mobile games around and some of the most common ones are Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) and PUBG Mobile. However, Tencent is also responsible for the development of the amazing Android Emulator for PC known as Gameloop (previously known as Gaming Buddy).

Gameloop is one of the best Android Emulators for PC available, even though it was specifically developed for playing mobile games on PC. The company even went as far as announcing that Gameloop is the official Android emulator for mobile games. However, this piece of software can also be used for other high-end (mostly FPS) games apart from the ones created by Tencent.

Genymotion

If you are a developer and you are looking for the best Android Emulator for Computers to test out your latest app projects, then you should definitely try out this piece of software.

This particular Android emulator enables users to customize their own ecosystem for a range of devices with different Android versions to test out their latest applications before it is made live. This software is very easy to use and you can easily switch between various Android devices.

ARChon

ARChon is not exactly like other Android Emulators for Windows and Mac PC due to the fact that it is installed in a completely different way.

In order to use this particular Android Emulator on your PC, you will have to install it just like you will install a Google Chrome Extension. Apart from that unique difference it has with other Android Emulators, it can also be used to operate Android Applications and Games on the PC.

However, it requires users to use a particular tool to change the APK file in order to make it more compatible with the Android Emulator. Currently, ARChon often comes with Android 4.4 as its default Android version.

Android Studio

Android Studio is one of the best Android Emulator on PC and it is also one of the most common Android Emulator for App testing.

This software is used by a lot of Android App developers to test their new mobile apps and games before they go Live. It also comes with a wide range of amazing features that are designed to help developers test and improve their mobile apps.

Developers can monitor the performance of their apps in different Android environments with this software. They can test the apps with different RAM, Battery, GPU, Signal Strength, and storage.

Bliss OS

This particular PC Emulator for Android is also a bit different than most of the other Android Emulators due to the act that it operates through a Virtual Machine. This software can however also be used on the PC with the aid of a USB Stick.

This particular Android Emulator is often used by developers that are looking for a great Android OS to test out their mobile apps. Unlike most of the other Android Emulators, it can run on Android Pie and not just Marshmellow Version of Android. However, there is a chance that this piece of software will not be compatible with your PC.

Xamarin

Another great Android Emulator for Developers to test out their apps on Windows devices is Xamarin. This particular software is preferred by a lot of professional app developers.

Xamarin is just like the Android Studio software except for the fact that it is capable of creating a bigger ecosystem for development by plugging into tools like Microsoft Visual Studio.

It also comes with a lot of features to help the developers test and debug the new app. This software can also be used to test new iOS apps before they go live.

KO Player

The KO Player emulator runs on Android 4.4.4, which is a bit dated, but that won’t stop your applications from working.

We like it very much, for several reasons. First, it is easy to configure and we can do it in detail: keyboard settings, resolution adjustment, increased game performance, and even access to your practical webcam for certain applications, on which you must put your face.

KO Player also has a button to record your screen, which will delight YouTubers and creators of tutorial or live game session content. Like its competitors, KO Player plays applications that you download directly from the Play Store, but also APK files.

The only downside, it is rarely updated and it sometimes freezes from time to time, which is annoying! But apart from this concern, it is one of the best Android PC emulators of the moment.

Droid 4X

Complete and appreciated by FPS players or racing games, this emulator allows you to run larger software on your PC. It also has a graphics performance booster and is fully configurable. Those who swear by the mouse + keyboard combo will be happy to apply their method on favorite Android games.

The interface, which is quite cold, will not, however, be exotic for those who frequently use their smartphones and tablets. We would have liked a little more color, but the set is quite easy to use. In addition, we like the possibility of launching an APK by simply dragging it onto the Droid 4X program. Fast and efficient, we don’t ask for more!

Andy

Here is an emulator completely free and very easy to access.

We tested it when it first came out. Although it had some problems at the time, it still managed to prove that it could replace apps like Bluestacks. Today it is really functional. In our opinion, it remains a little worse than the emulator proposed above, but it is still nice.

Finally, note that the Andy Emulator software is available on Windows PC, but also compatible with Mac.

Bottom Line – Best Android Emulators for PC

I’ve listed all the best Android Emulator for PC that can be installed and run on both the Windows and Mac OS to test or run Android applications. You can download, install and run desired Android Emulator on your PC according to your requirements.

Android Emulators FAQs

The Bluestacks is considered the best Android Emulator of all time.

No, there is no PC emulator for an Android device.

Yes, most of the Android emulators mentioned in this post are free to use.

You can consider the above mentioned Android emulators safe, as they have good reputation. But you’ve to check the online reviews before using anyone of them.

Mac Osx Android Emulator

The Bluestacks is the best Android emulator of all time for all kind of PCs. But you can also use use any of the Android Emulators mentioned in post.