iOS developers and iPhone gamers will benefit from the list of best iOS emulators below. It caters to enterprises, indie developers and even casual iOS users. Whether you want to play an iPhone game on Windows 10 or test apps on it, these iOS emulators for Win 10 are worth checking out.
App Store is the best mobile marketplace for games and apps. Yes, Play Store is a huge competition but it gets a lot of fake and potentially dangerous apps. On the other hand, App Store implements strict code of quality and security over any app uploaded here. Therefore, it is the best resource for getting the assurity of quality apps and games.
The primary use case for getting an iOS emulator on Windows PC is to test apps. Yes, most iOS developers developer their apps on MacBooks but not everyone. React developers, or even ASP developers may cook up iPhone apps and games on Windows machines. In such a case, there is no go-to tool for devs. Therefore, the list below is bound to help out a lot of folks out there.
Contents
Top free iOS emulators for Windows 10
1: iPadian
When it comes to popularity, iPadian is definitely one of the most famous and downloaded iOS emulator specifically developed for Windows. It works with Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Therefore, most of users are definitely set with good enough system to try it out.
- Feels like an iPad.
- It may not work well with dev apps.
- Download iOS apps directly from a native store within iPadian.
- Lightweight software.
2: Appetize.io
Unlike the previous option, Appetize.io is actually one of web based iOS simulators. It also contains a segment dedicated for Android apps testing. This particular option makes it one of best options to test out cross-platform apps. It works not only on Windows computers, but on mobile browsers as well.
- Suited for cross-platform app testing.
- Works on web browser.
- Fast updates for new iOS versions to make testing better.
3: Xamarin TestFlight
I’m one of those people who used Xamarin to develop cross-platform apps in the past. However, it is a real pain when it comes to testing or even deploying iOS apps. Note that this particular option won’t run apps on your PC. Rather, it is a workflow that allow users to upload the app as beta testing on App Store and then let selected people use it on their iPhones and iPads.
- Apps don’t run on laptops or computers, but on actual iOS devices.
- Use Windows to deploy beta testing iOS apps to up to 1,000 testers.
- Great for both internal and external beta testing.
4: Remoted iOS Simulator for Windows
This is another tool developed by Visual Studio team. Xamarin users are free to use it for testing and simulate their apps as they develop. And yes, it actually runs apps on a Windows system. You can use the app screen just like an iPhone or iPad. It is best suited for simulating the apps during coding phase.
- Works on Win laptops and computers.
- Simulate apps while coding.
- You still need a Mac build host for it. (requirement by Xamarin)
- Great tool for cross-platform app developers while building UI.
5: Smartface
Our fifth pick for iOS emulators is an enterprise one. Therefore, it may not come at a very affordable price for individuals. However, its main advantage is that devs use it for testing apps in the cloud. No specific physical hardware is required. All we need is to upload the code to cloud server and then test it via a good internet connection.
- Works in cloud.
- Great for devs in a software house.
- Use it anywhere.
Conclusion
All the readers should understand that there is no perfect emulator for iOS on Windows. If you’re looking for an iOS emulator that works like Bluestacks (for Android), then it’s not the case. The closest we can get is with iPadian which itself comes with limited number of apps. The main reason for this is closed off OS that iOS is. Unlike Android, there is no such all-out open source kit. Therefore, the options on Windows are really limited. Except for iPadian, all are only good for testing and coding.
Also Read: Best Android Emulators for Windows and Mac
The best way to emulator iPhone apps on a PC is via XCode hands down! It is fully compatible but it works with Mac OS only. We conclude our list on this note. Feel free to leave your feedback and thoughts in comments below.
Last Updated: 11/2/2019
