The Best Virtual Machines for Windows 11 (Free and Paid)

A virtual machine or virtual machine is a software that simulates a computer and replaces the real thing. A VM mimics a computer's hardware and architecture to provide the same functionality.

You can run existing applications and services on virtual machines without risking the stability of your regular computer. For example, Windows 11 now has a lot of bugs that can make the experience frustrating.

The virtual machine will allow people to try it out without signing up for anything. Read on to learn which is the best Windows 11 virtual machine for your needs and desires.

What is the best virtual machine for Windows 11?

VMware Workstation

#VMware Workstation is one of the best virtual machines on the market because it is highly versatile. The software is capable of installing multiple virtual machines and operating systems on the same host.

You can use VMWare Fusion to deploy different iterations of Windows and MacOS released over the years. It can do all this at high speed.

Downloading VMware Workstation is very easy and only requires simple instructions. It is very user-friendly and casual users can run it to try out Windows 11 and its upcoming features.

There are currently two versions. The free version will cater to casual users and be used more for personal/educational purposes. If you want to use it in a business environment, it is recommended that you purchase a license for VMware Workstation Player.

Super V

Microsoft has its own Hyper-V virtual machine that comes with an accessible interface and intuitive features. In addition to creating virtual operating systems, Hyper-V can create virtual versions of hard drives, switches, external drives, and other devices, but it cannot be used for graphics card virtualization.

Hyper-V is free to use and comes preinstalled in Windows 10 Pro, Windows Server, and some versions of Windows 11, so if you haven't upgraded your computer yet, you can try out the operating system this way of beta version. It's ideal for managing other Windows VMs and can be used as a testing ground for unstable applications. It’s a great choice and a top pick on our list of the best virtual machines for Windows 11.

However, if you plan to activate and use Hyper-V, your computer must meet certain hardware requirements.

First, your PC must have:

• 64-bit processor with secondary address translation
• CUP support for hypervisor mode extensions
• At least 4GB of RAM
• Enable virtualization on the system's BIOS
• Hardware enforced data execution prevention is also enabled on the BIOS.

Citrix Hypervisor

Citrix Hypervisor is a virtual machine optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization . It's easy to use and comes with a high level of security, allowing work teams to store large files in it and collaborate.

Citrix hypervisor is more business-focused rather than catering to casual users. It is intended to be used in a business environment where many different people are working on a single project, which can be seen through its functionality.

It features enhanced graphics workloads and supports Nvidia's GRID graphics cards. The basic version is very simple in what you can do beyond creating a VM. For paying customers, they get sophisticated management tools and control over their enterprise's virtual environment.

The virtual machine even supports cloud hosting environments, including virtual desktops from Microsoft Azure.

If you decide to use a hypervisor, check that your computer meets the hardware requirements to run Windows 11. Microsoft has a helpful post on its website detailing everything, the important one being TPM 2.0 support.

⇒Get Citrix Hypervisor

Azure

Azure is also owned by Microsoft, which actually is a collection of online services that organizations and businesses can use to build, host, and deliver applications.

Now, Azure offers Windows 11 on its Virtual Desktop Service, a recently added feature. Virtual Desktops allow users to create their own digital computers in Microsoft data centers, so you don't have to use your own computer if it doesn't meet the hardware requirements.

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Business owners will have the opportunity to try out Windows 11 Enterprise and Microsoft 365 apps on Azure, giving them the opportunity to learn the operating system and become familiar with its features.

The only problem is that Azure isn't free, but you can choose to try the service for free for a full year and get a $200 credit. After one year, the $200 will be used to pay off your debt for using the service. All you have to do is pay off the rest and sign up for a plan.

⇒ Get Azure

How to make the most of your virtual machines?

Using virtual machines, multiple operating systems can be exported and cloned. Sometimes it may be necessary to make some changes to the VM, so it's a good idea to create a backup just in case something goes wrong. If you are using VMWare, it is recommended that you export the virtual machine to OVF format.

Learning how to clone a virtual machine is also a good idea because it allows you to test your computer architecture in a controlled environment. If you end up bricking the VM, that's totally fine as the original system will be safe.

It’s worth mentioning that due to recent changes by Microsoft, there are many virtual machines that are currently incompatible with Windows 11.

What are the advantages of using VM?

Many people and businesses use virtual machines to try out features on the operating system and run different systems.

A huge advantage of using a VM is the ability to run applications that are not available due to different operating systems.

You can run a Windows 11 virtual machine on a Mac computer and Linux on a PC, or vice versa.

Virtual machines can be used to join the Windows Insider Program and try out beta builds and new features of Windows 11 before they are officially released. With this, you can try out Windows 11 Android app features that are currently in beta.

But there are a variety of virtual machines, and it can be difficult to determine which ones are the best. This list breaks down the best virtual machines for Windows 11.

Is VM safe to use on a computer?

Yes, virtual machines are safe to use on PC. There is no increased risk in downloading one from a verified source and using it to try out a new operating system.

However, virtual machines do not provide any type of additional protection by default and have the same security risks as hosts.

VMs can become infected with viruses in the same way that PCs can become infected, so don't go around opening suspicious emails or visiting malware-infected websites thinking you're safe.

Some vendors, such as VMware, do offer security solutions as a bonus layer or protection.

Prior to launch, Microsoft made TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 a requirement for computers and virtual machines running Windows 11. This is a technology that protects the data used to authenticate the computer you are using.

Many virtual machines do not have this feature, but virtual machines like Hypervisor and VMware have virtual versions of this chip.

As a result, many virtual machines cannot be used in Windows 11 and must have some kind of workaround created in their products to work with Windows 11.

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