Ranking of the best Android emulators for PC and Mac in 2020

Android emulator for PC & MACAndroid emulators are in demand among both developers and ordinary users. For example, the former use emulators as a test platform for their projects before uploading them to the Play Store. Second, they use emulators for more convenient keyboard and mouse gaming.

In fact, it doesn't matter who you are: a developer or a gamer, it will not be superfluous to learn about existing emulators and how they work. The installation process and further use are often very difficult. If you do not want to “break the wood”, you need at least basic knowledge in the technical field.

To help people who are not particularly versed in emulators Android, we have selected 13 popular Android emulators. At the end of the article, we will tell a little about the once popular emulators, but which for one reason or another “bent” (Andy, AmiduOS, and Leapdroid).

Android Studio's emulator

Android Studio – one of the best software tools for developing mobile applications and games, which was created by the search giant Google in conjunction with JetBrains. The emulator contains a wide range of tools that facilitate the creation of mobile software and games for Android. Android Studio even has its own emulator for testing the created software.

Android Studio's emulator

Android Studio's emulator is more suitable for people involved in application development than for ordinary users, and its installation is a complete headache. However, if you figure out how to install and operate Android Studio, you won't need anything else.

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ARChon

ARChon is not like any modern emulator, if only because it is not a program, in our usual sense, but an extension for the Google Chrome browser. Once installed, you can use all applications directly in your browser. It's cool, of course. You just have to tinker before starting work.

ARChon emulator

First add the add-on to the browser. Then you need to convert the .apk file to a format supported by the Chrome browser (remember to enable the extension). This emulator is supported on the 3 most popular desktop OSs: Windows, Mac and Linux. Although ARChon is one of the most problematic when installing emulators, it can be forgiven for all the problems that arise during installation for its uniqueness.

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Bliss

Bliss is a little different from other analogues. Its main difference is launching it through a virtual machine, and also through a USB flash drive. This is a very interesting emulator, but it is not recommended to use it without basic technical knowledge.

Bliss emulator

Installation is as easy as installing a virtual machine, but installing an emulator on a flash drive is much more difficult. But you just need to insert a flash drive into your computer to start the emulator. By the way, Bliss runs Android Oreo.

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Bluestacks 4

Bluestacks – Everyone knows about this development environment, because it is compatible with Windows and Mac, and because it is the first emulator that works adequately. Plus, the program was created with a focus on mobile gaming. Early versions of Bluestacks were free, but with the latest version you have to pay a $ 2 monthly subscription or endure constant pop-up ads.

Bluestacks 4 emulator

Bluestacks supports multitasking mode: you can run multiple games at a time (or multiple copies of the same game at a time). The emulator has many settings for different games, and you can also assign hotkeys in installed games. This should greatly improve your gaming experience.

Bluestacks offers the widest functionality of all Android emulators. The emulator works based on Android 7.1 Nougat. Version 4 has improved performance on older computers. Overall, this is a very good emulator with a lot of features, so if you're into mobile gaming, Bluestacks is a great choice.

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Droid4X

Droid4X has both pros and cons. However, this is one of the first Android emulators for PC. The Droid4X has an uncomplicated design that everyone will love, and it is also quite easy to use.

Droid4X emulator

First of all, it was created for the gaming audience. However, like most emulators, Droid4X offers many possibilities. Due to the fact that the developers are no longer involved in supporting their project, we recommend using Droid4X very carefully, as this product has a lot of bugs and is very unstable. Plus, installation problems begin even at the stage of searching for an installer.

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Genymotion

Genymotion is one of the many existing emulators that you can use to test your projects for android gadgets. A key feature of the program is the ability to create a virtual copy of another device along with all its characteristics. This feature should help you better optimize your product for more smartphones and tablets.

Genymotion emulator Android

For example, you can simulate Huawei G700 with Android 4.2 or Huawei Y5 with Android 6.0. You can also switch between emulated devices. This option is not very useful for casual users, but for devs it is a great opportunity to create a product for a wider audience. You can use Genymotion both on a virtual machine and on a computer.

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KoPlayer

KoPlayer is probably one of the least popular development tools out there. This can only be explained by the recent release of the emulator.

KoPlayer emulator Android

KoPlayer was created with the gaming community in mind. In the emulator, you can customize the layout of the buttons in games. Players will also be able to record the passage of their favorite games and upload them to the public.

Installation, configuration and further operation of the emulator will not cause you any difficulties. KoPlayer works well, although there are many bug reports on the forums.

KoPlayer is a solid middle ground among our top, although it has bugs, but this emulator is still a good choice. In addition, the developers promise to fix most of the faults in the near future.

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MEmu

MEmu is one of the youngest emulators on the market. A distinctive feature of this development environment is compatibility with AMD chipsets and Intel. This feature is quite rare. MEmu supports the following versions Android: Jelly Bean, Kit Kat and Lollipop. There is also support for multi-tasking.

MEmu emulator Android

Among the emulators known today, it is very difficult to find an option that supports multitasking on Lollipop. The main functionality of the emulator is similar to many other analogs. It supports most modern mobile software.

MEmu is a great option if you are building applications. The emulator is absolutely free and very fast. Will even work on older computers.

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Nox

Nox is a single android emulator designed for the gaming audience. It contains all the features that are inherent in such emulators, and even more. For example, you can use gamepads and joysticks instead of a keyboard, and create or open multiple copies of applications at the same time.

Nox emulator Android

The emulator supports gesture control (swipe to the right), which can be assigned as hot keys. This system works very well. In addition, Nox is distributed by an unconditionally free payment model.

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Remix OS Player

This emulator was created by the Chinese company Jide. This is one of the newest emulators Android on PC. A distinctive feature of the Remix OS player is to work on Android Marshmallow.

Remix OS Player emulator Android

You should not have any problems with the installation, as well as with further operation. This program is suitable primarily for those who like games on smartphones and tablets. The emulator has a handy sidebar that you can use to customize your entire system.

Remix OS Player appeared relatively recently, so the developers are still fixing a lot of bugs. Despite all the bugs, it will be able to give odds to all other emulators in the work and system stability, and it is also free. One drawback that we managed to find is incompatibility with AMD processors.

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Xamarin

Xamarin is a tool for developing applications for Android devices from the American company of the same name, it is considered the answer Microsoft to the emulator from the Google search engine. The only difference is the ability to connect to programs like Microsoft Visual Studio.

Xamarin emulator Android

It also has a built-in emulator for developers. It is only suitable for mobile app developers. Although the application toolkit does not have the same functionality as that of Genymotin, it still does an excellent job with all the tasks within its power. Xamarin only runs under Windows. It is free for individuals, but legal entities will have to pay for the right to use the emulator.

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Youwave

YouWave can be called the “old man” among all Android desktop emulators, and for good reason. It has been around for a very long time. Although the last update was released back in 2016, YouWave remains competitive.

YouWave emulator Android

The free version uses Android 4.0. To access the newer Lollipop, you need to pay 2000r. The price may seem like a lot, but this program is worth the money. Installation is extremely simple. Unfortunately, in YouWave you will not find unique features for games, but you will be able to play.

In general, YouWave should be viewed as a software tool for developers. The emulator is compatible with Windows and Mac.

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Create your Android emulator

If none of the options we offer suits you, you can always create your own emulator. All you need is Virtual Box and an image of one of the versions Android from the official site.

Also, you should find a guide on creating Android – emulator and follow the directions. This is a very difficult method, so we do not recommend trying to do something like this if you do not have certain skills. You must be prepared for the fact that the final result may come with a large number of bugs and crashes that a regular user cannot “fix”.

At the beginning of the article, we promised to tell you about old Android emulators, which for one reason or another have slipped, as they say, to the very bottom:

  • Leapdroid was bought by Google. After that, he stopped his work.
  • AMIDuOS was closed on March 7, 2018. However, those who were able to buy it before closing can use it now.
  • Andy. It was once a very good emulator. But after a while, strange things began to happen to him. First, the company has chosen a rather strange direction of development. Secondly, suspicions of miners within the program began to appear. Therefore, until the developers understand and correct what they have done, we do not recommend installing it under any circumstances.

Most of these emulators simply haven't received an update for a long time.
If we missed any interesting emulators, write in the comments and tell us about Android – emulators that you think are the best.

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