8 Best Android Emulators for PC [Wins & Mac]

Emulating Android on a computer has never been easier with the help of Android emulator apps for PC and Mac. It’s not surprising that many people are looking for the best Android emulators for PC and Mac computers to play Android games on the computer. To help you find the best Android emulator for Mac and PC, we here have made a list of the best Android emulators for PC and Mac.

Part 1: What are Android Emulators? How Do Android Emulators Work?

Still, some people might now know what are Android emulators for PC and Mac. An Android emulator is a tool that creates virtual Android devices (with software and hardware) on your computer. It is a software program that allows you to run Android apps on a computer or a different device. The Android Emulator simulates Android devices on your computer so that you can test your application on a variety of devices and Android API levels without needing to have each physical device.

In order to better understand what Android emulators are capable of, you should know how Android emulators work. Android emulators work by simulating the environment of an Android device on your computer. This is done by creating a virtual machine that runs an Android operating system on top of your existing operating system. Once the virtual machine is set up, you can install Android apps and use them just as you would on a real Android device. This can be useful for developers who want to test their apps on different devices, or for users who want to use Android apps on their computer.

Part 2: Is It Safe to Use Android Emulator for PC?

This has been one of the biggest concerns among Android emulator users: Is it safe to use Android emulating software on laptops and PCs? Mostly, the answer is yes, it is safe to use Android emulators for PC and Mac users, but the situation might depend.

There are various kinds of Android emulators out there. It is absolutely safe to use an Android emulator provided by Android SDK or a custom-built emulator from AOSP source. Emulators provide security measures so that usually malware infecting the guest can not escape the emulated environment.

But when you are going for third-party emulators, you might want to look into how they work, if you are so concerned. In most of the cases, they don't seem to harm your system, unless the emulator is bundled with virus (or itself is a virus). Android emulators are perfectly safe to run in the main PC. It is recommended to download the emulators from the original website. These emulators work in a sandbox so that any dangerous APKs you install in the emulators can’t access your main PC.

Part 3: 8 Best Android Emulators for PC

Here we come to the center topic: what are the best Android emulators for PC and Mac computers? In the below content, we have searched and listed the 8 best Android emulators for you.

1. BlueStacks

BlueStacks is known by many users to be the most comprehensive Android app player in the market, and with good reason. Aside from running on both Windows and Mac, this emulator comes jam-packed with a ton of features to improve the gamer’s experience. Bluestacks emulator is as simple as running an EXE file on your device and running the program. You can play games and use messengers and other Android apps with Bluestacks conveniently. The lightweight application does not threaten your system’s speed or security.

Features:

1. Support playing multiple games simultaneously.
2. Supports Android 11.
3. Record and replay any action in real time.
4. Offers Native Gamepad Support, Performance Modes, Trim Memory, Script, High FPS.
5. Runs on Android 9, 10, 11,12, 13 and the latest Android versions.
6. It provides customer support via Email, Chat, Reddit, and Discord.
7. Availability: Microsoft Windows 10 (version 1903 and above), Windows 11, and Mac.
8. Price: A lifetime free trial.

2. NoxPlayer

Nox Player is another Android Emulator which is recognized by gaming lovers around the world. You can run this Emulator on various devices that allow running multiple functions. This tool is great for gamers aiming for an optimal Android gaming experience on their PCs. NoxPlayer offers battery status, multi-touch, and ARM support, ensuring an efficient, user-friendly, and responsive Android emulation experience.

Features:

1. One of the best Android emulators for PC with open keyboard mapping running with a single click, all gaming controls on the mouse, and keyboard.
2. A default macro recorder to record the complex operations.
3. The best user experience and superior performance.
4. Offers Customize Your Game, Play Different Games At The Same Time, Multi-Drive and Script Recording.
5. Customer support via Phone and Email
6. Availability: Microsoft Windows 10 (version 1903 and above), Windows 11, and Mac.
7. Price: a Lifetime Free Basic Plan, and a pro version at $14.49 a month with advanced features.

3. Genymotion

As a multi-support Android emulator, Genymotion helps you speed up testing, share live demos, and monitor performance across all devices. Genymotion is one of the best Android emulators for Linux, allowing users to test products in a safe virtual setting. This tool, also available for Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and Linux Ubuntu 18.04LTS or 20.04LTS, is capable of emulating over 3000 Android configurations, such as version and screen size. It offers Compatibility, Simulate User Context And Actions, and Performance, ensuring a wide range of tests. Keep in mind installation requires NVIDIA or AMD GPUs and a minimum of 4GB RAM, running on Android 4.4 or above.

Features:

1. High-definition pixel compatibility, which provides better clarity on your PC.
2. Use a desktop webcam as the video source to record screencasts.
3. This Android emulator for Mac has strong sensors, like GPS and multi-touch.
4. Customer support via Chat and Contact Form
5. Availability: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
6. Price: Free, paid yearly package starts at $13.

4. MEmu

MEmu is an impressive Android emulator that desires a position on your best Android emulator list. It calls itself "the most powerful Android emulator”. It's ideal for inexperienced and adept emulator users alike. You get the whole operating system as if you were running a tablet right there on the screen. There's direct access to the Play Store, so after logging in to your Google account, it'll feel much like you're on an Android tablet: just choose which apps to install, and you'll have them open in no time.

Features:

1. Range of keyboard mapping options to enhance your gaming experience.
2. Provide an option for virtualization.
3. It offers various dedicated keyboard settings for the fast gaming experience.
4. Offers New UI design for a better user experience, Core-engine upgrades & great optimization, Ultimate optimization and Efficiency management.
5. It provides customer support via Email and Contact Form.
6. Availability: Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
7. Price: A Lifetime Free Basic Plan, and an advanced plan at $2.99 a month.

5. KoPlayer

KoPlayer is a top-notch Android emulator for Windows 7 and above, great for playing popular games like Call of Duty and Subway Surfers. It allows you to use the gamepad, keyboard, and other peripheral devices, ensuring an immersive gaming experience. With minimum system requirements of a dual-core AMD or Intel CPU and 2GB RAM, it runs on Android 4 or above. Ensure you have at least these system specifications to enjoy all its features seamlessly. KoPlayer was an outstanding Android emulator for gamers. However, it isn’t developed as actively as BlueStacks, Noxplayer, and others.

Features:

1. Use all the features and functions of Android without owning any device.
2. Simple, easy to use, and interactive user interface.
3. Record your favorite videos and enjoy them at your convenient time.
4. Enhance gaming performance.
5. Record and share your gameplay with your friends or anyone you want.
6. Inbuilt Google Play Store provides you access to any app you want.
7. Customer support via Email.
8. Availability: Windows and Mac.
9. Price: Free.

6. LDPlayer

If you are looking for an Android emulator for Windows 11 that is optimized for gaming then let me offer you the latest emulator in town, LDPlayer. It is relatively new, but LDPlayer has quickly risen in popularity due to its great performance. The latest version of LDPlayer – LDPlayer 9 is based on Android 9 Pie for running popular Android games like Genshin Impact, Blue Archive, Epic Seven and more. The lightweight popular Android games like Genshin Impact, Blue Archive, Epic Seven and more.

Features:

1. It helps you to manage your gaming automatically.
2. Offers custom control with keyboard and mouse
3. It allows you to open several games simultaneously.
4. Available for Windows XP XP3 / Win7 / Win8 / Win8.1 / Win10.
5. Running on Android 3.0, 4.0, 9.0 or above.
6. It provides customer support via Email.
7. Availability: Microsoft Windows XP XP3/ Win7/Win8 /Win8.1 /Win10.
8. Price: Free.

7. GameLoop

GameLoop is another Android emulator that is primarily for use as a gaming platform. Among its most popular titles include Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, with Tencent previously declaring it to be the official emulator for their COD games.

Features:

1. Best for playing Android games like PUBG.
2. Lots of high-end Android games available.
3. Optimized for various graphics standards.
4. Availability: Windows.
5. Price: Free.

8. Android Studio

Android Studio is the “official” Android emulator since it’s from Google. However, the core of the program is meant for app development, so while there is an emulator built-in, it's not super easy to use. This Android emulator program doesn’t have an easy-to-use interface like the other emulators in this list, so it isn’t the greatest if you just want to run some Android apps on your computer. However, if you plan to create your own apps, and you want an easy way to test them throughout the creation process, then this might be all you need.

Features:

1. Emulates the entire Android OS, not just one app.
2. Always supports the newest Android operating system.
3. You can emulate old Android OSs, too.
4. Lets you build Android apps.
5. Availability: Windows.
6. Price: Free.

Related Bonus: Best Screen Recorder for PC Gamer to Record Gameplay Video

Sometimes you might want to record your gameplay videos and then upload them to gameplay video-sharing sites such as twitch.tv. To record a wonderful gameplay video with audio or even narration, you will need a gameplay video recorder. Leawo Screen Recorder is highly recommended.

• 

• Leawo Screen Recorder

  - Support Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11.
  - Provide various doodle and annotation tools.
  - Support to record online class, PowerPoint presentation, and zoom meeting.
  - Smoothly record gameplay in high quality, including large 3D games.
  - Add background music or voiceover to video.
  - Integrate more advanced functions like real-time drawing, scheduled recording, shortcut controls, etc.

  Download

As a professional screen recorder software tool, it could record your entire gameplay screen with game audio and your own voice input through a microphone. You can freely add audio narration, cursor movement, and even doodles to your gameplay recordings, so that you can deliver instructions, describe problems, and share knowledge without a hitch. It could help you record gameplay videos to MP4 files at up to 1080P resolution for various uses as you want.