Windows 11 ARM VM on Mac
Run a Windows 11 ARM virtual machine on your Apple Silicon Mac
Kyvenza 2.0 boots Windows 11 on ARM on M1 through M5 Macs, with TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled by default so the installer passes Windows 11’s hardware check without registry edits. The network and display drivers ship inside the app. You bring Microsoft’s official ARM64 image and your own Windows licence. There is no 3D acceleration, and we would rather you know that before you pay.
What a Windows 11 ARM VM on a Mac is actually good for
The one Windows app that has no Mac version
Line-of-business clients, vendor utilities, accounting packages, and internal tools that were only ever built for Windows. These are desktop applications, which is exactly the workload this engine was tuned for.
Cross-platform testing
Check how your site, installer, or desktop build behaves on Windows 11 without keeping a second machine on the desk. Snapshot the clean state, test, roll back.
Windows-only browser and portal work
Government portals, banking clients, and enterprise tools that require Internet Explorer mode or a Windows-signed certificate store.
Keeping Windows off your main system
A disposable Windows environment for opening untrusted documents or trialling software, isolated from macOS and deleted when you are done.
Kyvenza vs Parallels Desktop for Windows 11 on ARM
Parallels is the better Windows product and we are not going to pretend otherwise. It is the solution Microsoft lists as authorized, and it has the guest integrations Kyvenza does not. The comparison below is meant to send GPU-heavy work to Parallels and keep everyday Windows tools here.
| Feature | Kyvenza | Parallels Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Boots Windows 11 on ARM | Yes, since 2.0.0 | Yes, Microsoft authorized |
| TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot | On by default, no registry workarounds | On by default |
| Guest drivers | Bundled disc, already attached to the VM | Installed by Parallels Tools |
| 3D / GPU acceleration | No — the desktop renders in software | Yes |
| Clipboard sharing | No | Yes |
| Shared folders with macOS | No | Yes |
| Audio and USB passthrough | No | Yes |
| Dynamic resolution | No — chosen before boot, up to 2560x1600 | Yes |
| Networking | NAT only for Windows guests | NAT and bridged |
| Snapshots of a Windows VM | Yes, with the VM shut down | Yes, including running state |
| macOS and ARM Linux guests | Yes, on Apple’s own framework | Yes |
| Price | $49 one-time, optional $19 renewal | Annual subscription |
What Kyvenza supports today
A short, honest list — so you know what to expect before you download.
Supported today
- Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5)
- Windows 11 on ARM (bring your own Microsoft image and licence)
- Ubuntu ARM (LTS releases)
- Debian ARM
- Fedora ARM
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later as host
- Native Apple Virtualization framework backend
Not supported yet
- GPU / 3D acceleration in Windows guests
- Clipboard, shared folders, audio and USB passthrough in Windows guests
- x86 / Intel guest operating systems
- Nested virtualization
- GPU passthrough
We list what we cannot deliver today so you can plan accordingly.
How it works
Download the Windows 11 ARM64 image from Microsoft
Kyvenza does not download, bundle, or redistribute Windows. The create wizard links straight to Microsoft’s official Windows 11 ARM64 download page. You also need your own valid Windows licence — Kyvenza does not supply, sell, or activate one.
Create the VM and pick the image
Choose Windows in the create wizard, select the ISO you downloaded, and keep the defaults if you are unsure: 4 virtual CPUs, 4 GB of memory, and a 64 GB disk. Pick your display resolution here too — it is fixed for that boot, with five verified modes up to 2560x1600.
Install the guest drivers during setup
Windows setup stops at the network page because it does not recognise the virtual network adapter. Choose Install driver and select the whole KYVENZA-DRIVERS disc, which is already mounted in the VM. That one step installs both the network and display drivers, with nothing to download.
Shut down, then click Complete Install
After Windows finishes installing, shut the VM down and click Complete Install in Kyvenza. The next boot switches the display over to the virtio adapter and detaches the installer image. From there it is a normal VM: start, stop, pause, snapshot, clone, back up.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, on any Apple Silicon Mac. Windows guests run on a second engine built from QEMU on Apple’s Hypervisor framework, separate from the Apple Virtualization framework that macOS and Linux guests use. Note that Windows support was validated on macOS 26 with an M4; it is expected to work on earlier macOS versions but we have not verified it there, so use the free trial to confirm on your own machine before buying.
Try Windows 11 on ARM before you pay for it
The 7-day free trial unlocks everything, including Windows VMs. Create one, install your own Windows image, and run the applications you actually care about. If the missing 3D acceleration or clipboard sharing is a dealbreaker, you will find out inside the trial rather than after the purchase. $49 one-time if you keep it.