We have prepared a list of the best iOS emulator for PC to run iOS Apps on your Windows and Mac.

It has always been challenging for users who own Apple devices to run iOs apps on their Windows PC. You cannot run the iOS applications or transfer files from an Apple device on to your Windows PC or other operating-system without using iTunes. Moreover, iOS is the most secure OS available in the market and has multiple security checks for using third-party applications to avoid the malware attack. So how do we address this issue? The answer is iOS emulator for Windows PC, which enables you to run most of the iOS apps on your PC without pinching your pocket. 

What is an emulator?

An emulator is an application software that allows a device to behave like another device. They make use of virtual technology. Emulators are a kind of virtual program that has the capability of creating different OS settings on multiple operating systems. iOS emulator allows your Windows PC (host device) to behave like an Apple device (guest device) enabling you to download all the iOS applications on to your Windows PC. You can also enjoy all the iOS games and apps on your Windows PC without having an Apple product. For this, you will require a device capable of emulating iOS applications on another device.

An iOS emulator can also be used for testing an app during its development stage. You can also find problems in any app at the beginning of its development rather than encountering it at the end of the development stage. It can also run several devices with the help of only one iOS system. 

It is also important to understand the difference between emulator and simulator, as people have often mistaken both to be the same. A simulator can simulate a software environment for testing applications, whereas an emulator is a step ahead and emulates the software and hardware configurations.

Check out: Android Emulators for iOS

Let us now go through some of the advantages and disadvantages of the iOS emulator for Windows PC.

Advantages:

• Emulators are available free of cost. However, it depends on the individual requirement on whether to go for the premium or paid versions.
• The installation of the emulators is very easy and simple.
• It offers a user-friendly interface.
• Emulators can be optimized to suit your testing requirements, and it can also help in identifying the issues at the very early stage.
• The up-gradation is possible with the help of Software development kit. 

The disadvantage is that it is restricted for games and apps consuming less memory space. Several iOS Emulators are available in the market in either free or paid versions. However, it is, up to an individual, to choose the right emulator depending on its requirements. Below are the 12 iOS Emulators to help you select your ideal emulator.

Top iOS Emulators for PC

• iPadian

iPadian is considered one of the top iOS emulator for Windows providing an iPad similar interface and experience. It is designed to offer you a seamless experience, be it for accessing the apps or using it for playing games. The best part of this emulator is that it has an inbuilt app store that has thousands of third-party apps. Some other features, including sidebars, dashboards, and dock, are also available on this emulator. There are many similar emulators, but the iPadian offers you the flexibility of uploading your app to test it. You can download either the free or paid version of this emulator. The paid version offers many more features, and almost all the iOS apps can be accessed on your Windows PC.

• App.io

App.io emulator application is a very basic emulator and very easy to use on your Windows OS. It is reliable and provides a smooth experience while running the iOS apps on your PC and offers an excellent platform for the development of the apps. It comes with a seven-day trial version before upgrading it to the premium plans. The biggest disadvantage is the time taken to upload an app. It can take up to 30 minutes to load and run an app. As it is a cloud-based development, you will have to synchronize the iOS.appi pack to run the apps.

• Air iPhone

Air iPhone is also one of the excellent emulators, which simulate a virtual iPhone screen on your Windows PC. It is designed based on the Adobe AIR framework that makes it an ideal choice amongst the users. Apart from installing the games and iOs apps on your Windows PC, it gives the advantage to use it for making and receiving calls, voice messages, and other features. The best part of this emulator is that you get an iPhone similar interface at free of cost. Developers have also used this emulator to test the iOS apps before making it into the actual iOS app store.

• Smartface

Smartface is one of the finest iOS emulator for Windows, allowing a user-friendly interface and a useful tool for developers to add texts, videos, pictures, different views while testing their apps. It has many other powerful features and is the most secured emulator available online for accessing third-party apps. This emulator also allows emulating Android apps on your Windows PC, which makes it a great deal for users. It provides a unique perception of a wide range of developing applications. This emulator has a free and paid version.

• Xamarian Testflight

Xamarian Testflight is one of the best iOS emulator for Windows and known to provide advanced features and supports in comparison to iPadian and Air iPhone emulators. However, it does not come free of cost but is worth buying because of its user-friendly interface and offers a seamless experience. This emulator is owned by Apple, which makes it more worthy, and you will be entitled to get access to almost all the iOS apps and games (iOS devices 8.0 onwards) on your Windows PC. Moreover, this emulator is compatible with all the versions of windows operating systems making it more popular amongst thousands of users. Other emulators will come handy to test lower version apps.

• Ripple emulator

Ripple emulator comes as an extension to Google Chrome that can be downloaded from Chrome web store. You also need not start it when a new device is chosen, making it convenient for the user. Like other emulators, you will not have to go through the complex set up process of the application, which makes it ideal to use it to test all the developing apps and HTML5 applications. It also comes under the category of cloud-based emulators and supports all the versions of iOS apps on your Windows PC. It is an excellent tool for testing apps but can also act as a true emulator being more advanced than the other emulators described above.

Check out: Xbox Emulators for PC

• Appetize.io

Appetize.io is also a browser-based emulator and an alternative to App.io for the reason that the former offers more advanced features than the later. It uses cloud storage instead of IDE for its functioning and offers a great experience for hassle-free working. It is one of the best apps that offers you free usage for a limited time, and later you can choose from their wide range of paid plans to continue using it. It is a lightweight emulator, and so you can use it without worrying about your computer memory space.

• Mobione studio

This emulator is now obsolete, however, you can use the beta version for your workings. It used to be one of the best emulators for the developers allowing them to develop an app without any hindrances. It had a simple, user-friendly interface, and offered a wide range of features along with a realistic platform for the development and testing of applications.

• Nintendo 3DS simulator

This emulator is for those who prefer gaming over apps as it creates a virtual gaming console on your PC. You can choose to play a wide range of iOS games on your Windows PC. This emulator or rather we can say a console gives a smooth usage and does offer lag-free gaming experience. This has also received commendable remarks from iOS users for its great features.

• Remoted iOS emulator

This is another emulator form Xamarin enabling you to test a large number of the iOS apps on your Windows PC. It comes as a preloaded emulator in Visual studio by Xamarin.

• Electric Mobile studio

This is another excellent emulator to run most of the iOS apps on your Windows PC. It is a paid version and offers a high-quality user experience. However, a seven-day trial version with limited features is also available to try it. It helps the developers to develop iOS apps with different coding computer languages. It requires more RAM space as compared to its alternatives.

• iDoS emulator

iDoS emulator is a good emulator having a basic interface and popular choice amongst the beginners. It offers a seamless experience on Windows PC. This is not recommended, despite its features and functions, as it is not providing an update on reports on bugs. You have seen some of the top iOS emulators for Windows PC. The majority of these emulators are compatible with Windows 10 and earlier versions to test the iOS applications. You can choose the one as per your requirement to enjoy a hassle-free working experience.