Please note, that the process is rarely easy and some of them require some technical knowledge. There are just a few emulators where it’s as easy as downloading, opening, and using them. The market slowed up a lot in recent years with many old favorites (Andy, AmiduOS, and Leapdroid) permanently leaving the space. You can learn about their fates at the bottom of this article.
Android Studio’s emulator
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Android Studio is your Google-approved development IDE for both Android. It comes with a bunch of tools that will help developers create apps and games specifically for Android. Since it turns out, there was also an integral emulator you can use to test your app or game. Clearly, that really is not good for consumer grade stuff. However, those developing apps do already have a powerful (and free) tool at their disposal to help test their apps. It’s really a pain in the neck to set up. It’s not too bad once you do, even though.
ARChon
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD FROM GITHUB
ARChon is not a traditional emulator. You install it into Google Chrome. It subsequently gives Chrome the ability to run Android apps. It’s not an easy emulator for running. You’ll have to install the thing to Chrome. From there, you have to obtain APKs and load them. Being an added rub, you could have to use a tool to change your own APK in order to allow it to be compatible. We have the basic instructions linked up in the button above. That one is compatible with Mac, PC, and Linux. It’s also one of the most difficult to set up, however it’s also one of the most unique Android emulators.
Bliss
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD FROM XDA-DEVELOPERS
Bliss is something a little bit different. It works as an Android emulator for PC via a virtual machine. However, it can also just flat run onto your computer through a USB stick. That is definitely a power user option and not recommended for the less tech savvy. Like a VM install, the process is quite simple, if dull. Even the USB installation method is more complicated; however, it also enables your computer actually run Android natively when your system is more compatible. Obviously, it just really runs well if your system is compatible and that’s a small crapshoot right now. The system runs Android Oreo that really is just a step up from Bluestacks’ Nougat. This really is a small diamond in the rough, but, we just recommend that one towards the tech-savvy.
Bluestacks 4
Price: Free / $2 per monthDOWNLOAD FROM BLUESTACKS!
Bluestacks have become really the most mainstream of most Android emulators. There are several reasons for this. For starters, it’s compatible with Windows and Mac. It had been one of those earliest ones to get the job done reasonably well. Even the emulator targets mobile gamers. Earlier versions of Bluestacks were the type of bloated. The newest Bluestacks, dubbed Bluestacks 4, arrived on the scene in 2018. It’s not the cleanest experience out there. However, it has the ability to launch multiple instances so you can play multiple games at once (or the exact identical game multiple times). It also includes keymapping and settings to get many games installed. Which should help to make things a lot simpler? It’s one of the heaviest emulators on this list. However, it also gets probably the most features for better or worse. Recent updates put Bluestacks at Android 7.1.2 (Nougat), one of the most recent of an emulator. The update to Bluestacks 4 also improved rate, even on older computers. If you are an android savvy guy who loves to lures around the technical features of the Android ecosystem, play high graphics games and sometimes get involved in hacking android apps using apps like freedom. Then this Emulator is for you! Especially if you love to hack android apps, you need an emulator that is exactly like your Android device with all the similar features built into it. PS: For hacking android apps in the bluestacks emulator you can download freedom apk on iOS/MacOS and also on your Windwos PC.
Droid4X
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD ON DROID4X
Droid4X has experienced its own ups and downs. However, it’s one of those classic Android emulators for PC. It features a simple design which should really be easy for most people to use. It markets itself gamers and boasts support for simpler, casual games. However, just like most Android emulators, you can certainly do productivity stuff should you want to. That one is not in active development anymore. Its last update was March 28th, 20-16. Ergo, we recommend you tread with caution since this might possibly be described as a buggy and unstable product. Droid4x is also Mac compatible. Finding the installer to get this is only a little difficult, though.
Genymotion
Price: Free with paid optionsDOWNLOAD FROM GENYMOTION
This Android emulator is mostly for developers. It lets you test your apps on a variety of devices without owning them. You can configure the emulator to get a variety of devices with numerous versions of Android that will help suit your needs. For instance, you can run a Nexus One using Android 4.2 or perhaps a Nexus 6 using Android 6.0. You can easily switch between virtual devices in the will. It’s not perfect for consumer uses; however, Genymotion possesses their services for free for personal use. It is usable equally at the cloud and also in your computer.
KoPlayer
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD FROM KOPLAYER!
KoPlayer is a newer Android emulator for PC. It has also managed to fly under the most radar before recently. Its principal focus would be really for gaming. You’ll manage to use keymapping to mimic a controller by means of your keyboard. Players will also be equipped to record gameplay and upload it wherever they want. The install process is easy enough and it appears to work alright. Like most emulators, it can have issues which you’ll run right into randomly. It bills itself as being a middle-of-the-road emulator. You’ll be equipped to use it to get a variety of things. The only bad side is it is still buggy. Nevertheless, it’s really a good, free option.
MEmu
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD FROM MEMU!
MEmu is another of those up and coming Android emulators that appears to do quite well. One of its biggest features is support for both AMD and Intel chipsets. That is rarer than you’d think. Additionally, it supports Android Jelly-bean, Kitkat, and Lollipop. You can run multiple instances at once. This causes it to be one of those few emulators which move as large as Lollipop. Just like many, you can use this to pretty much whatever you want. It’s going support most games and most apps. However, we recommend it mostly because of productivity. It’s free to download and use if you want to.
Nox
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD FROM NOX!
Nox is another Android emulator for PC for gamers. Which includes utilities and additions which are specifically catered to helping gamers? You’ll have the capacity to perform things such as a game using an actual controller. This includes things such as the capacity to assign “swipe right” into, say, an arrow key and also simulate actual gesture movements directly onto your keyboard or joystick in case you have one. It has really a whole lot of pleasure and generally seems to work quite well most of the moment. It’s also entirely free. Do not pay attention to this lag from the video below. The emulator doesn’t lag like that.
Remix OS Player
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD FROM JIDE!
Remix OS Player from Jide is one of the newer Android emulators for PC. It’s also one of those few which runs Android Marshmallow alternatively of Android Lollipop or kit-kat. The installation process is pretty simple and using it also quite easy. It caters mostly for gamers. There’s a sidebar using customizable options for you personally. It’s relatively new; therefore they are still working out some bugs. Nevertheless, it works better than most plus it’s really free from perpetuity. The sole principal thing is that it will not support AMD CPUs
Make Your Own
Price: FreeDOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Since it turns out, you can construct your own personal emulator. Here is how it workout. You want to download VirtualBox (linked above). You then have to download an image from Android-x86. org. From there, it’s just a question of finding one among many guides online and also following steps. That is easily the most difficult Android emulator method. We do not recommend you take to without a tutorial and just a little prior knowledge. It won’t work well, it’ll be buggy, and unless you’re a coder, it’ll be difficult to fix. Still, it’ll be yours. If we missed any of the best Android emulators for PC, tell us about them in the comments!
