10 best free Android emulators for Windows 10
- If you have trouble installing Android drivers from Windows, check out our quick fixes
- Similarly, if Windows 10 fails to recognize Android, there are simple ways to resolve it
- It's also possible to add Windows features to mobile using Windows 10 launchers for Android
- Visit our Android section to read more cool guides made by our editors!
What Android emulator should I install on my PC?
We’re all about Windows 10 Mobile here, but the fact is that a lot more users use Android. However, a lot of Android users are also using Windows 10-powered computers.
We’re going to combine these two things, and present you the best Android emulators for your Windows PC you can find.
Although the title of the article says Windows 10, because that’s the most used OS by our readers, all these Android emulators will work for other Windows versions that you might be running, such as Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
As usually, the 1st position is the one we suggest as being the best and with the most features, but feel free to examine all your options.
- 1
BlueStacks
BlueStacks is definitely the most famous Android emulator (founded 8 years ago) on our list, and it is also the most widely used one. And rightfully so.
It is totally free and after several tests, we concluded that this is the best Android emulator for Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10.
BlueStacks runs 97% of what’s inside the Google Play Store on your Windows PC, as long as you run Windows XP or later.
It is the single Android App Player that we recommend virtualizing the full Android experience as a Windows software without any harm to your system.
In general, BlueStacks is the best for playing Android games on their computers, but it’s okay for other purposes, as well. Also, it’s very simple to use, so even if you’re not an ‘advanced’ user, you’ll do good with this emulator.
Unlike others, BlueStacks 3.0 allows you to run multiple Android Apps and Games simultaneously.
Furthermore, the most recent update – BlueStacks + N Beta, represents the first and only Android gaming platform to have Android 7 while the majority of other Android emulators run Android 4.4.
This means you will use an upgraded graphics engine, making your games faster and better looking. And this is exactly why BlueStacks is our single and most honest recommendation.
→ Download BlueStacks (+ free game)
Make sure to download the associated game, as shown in the screenshot above to get bonus Pika points.
You will be able to use them for special features and products. Once the link opens, you will get a ‘Download the Bla Bla Bla game’. When you click on it, BlueStacks automatically downloads and you can proceed from there.
BlueStacks not opening? Nothing to worry about! Solve the problem in no time!
- 2
Nox Player
Nox Player is another great Android emulator for playing Android games on your PC.
To complete the gaming experience, Nox offers some additional utilities and additions, such as the support for computer’s keyboard and mouse, as well as the gamepad.
It could be laggy sometimes, but the overall impression is satisfying. Another good thing is that it doesn’t come with any additional software.
Runner Up
- 3
MEmu
MEmu is an excellent Android emulator created for one purpose only: gaming. Supporting both AMD and Intel chipsets, this tool will run on every computer.
It also supports KitKat, Lollipop and Android Jelly Bean. This makes it extremely powerful and puts it in a good position.
You can play and run almost every apps and game (problematic apps and games are problematic for every emulator, right?). From all its features, here are the most important that you should consider:
- Sharing files between Android and Windows PC
- GPS location simulation
- Watch live shows and TV channels
- Fast APK installation
- Great experience with a well-designed user desktop
→ Download MeMu
- 4
Remix OS Player
Remix OS Player is the only Android emulator for Windows PC that enables you to play multiple games at the same time. Thanks to this tool, you can run Android apps and games in multiple windows on your PC, as well as chat with other gamers.
Remix OS Player is completely free to download, play, and update. It’s based on Android Marshmellow.
The recommended system requirements for Remix OS Player:
- Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer
- Core i3 (Recommend Core i5 or Core i7)
- 4GB RAM
- 8GB Storage (Recommend 16GB)
- Enabled Virtualization Technology in BIOS
→ Download Remix OS Player
- 5
Droid4x
Droid4X is one of the best choices for simulating Android on your computer. Addons are among the most interesting things in this emulator, which you can use to enhance the application’s functionality.
It comes with a pre-installed Google Play Store, and also beats competition in gaming, although some better options in terms of stability.
Another great feature is an app which you can install on your Android phone, so you can control games on your computer. Use this free Android emulator for your Windows PC with confidence.
→ Download Droid4X
- 6
AMIDuOS
AMIDuOS is a great free Android emulator that comes in two versions: one running Android Lollipop, and the other powered by Jelly Bean.
But using AMIDuOS comes with a price, as the Lolipop version costs $15, while the Jelly Bean version costs $10.
AmiDuOS will work exceptionally well on your computer, and it is good for variety of tasks, from productivity to gaming.
However, this emulator is not so good for developers, as it doesn’t give you device-specific configurations, but for regular users, it’s a very good choice, if you want to pay for an Android emulator, of course.
→ Download AMIDuOS
- 7
Windroy
Windroy works like any other regular Android emulator on this list, but it has something unique, it completely runs using the Windows kernel.
Windroy is perhaps the simples emulator to use on this list, because of its lightweight design.
As we pointed out, apps and games work well on Windory, so if you want a handy, simple to use Android emulator on your Windows PC, you definitely will take Windroy into consideration. It also fully supports Play Store.
→ Download Windroy
- 8
Genymotion
And now something for developers! Genymotion is absolutely the best Android emulator you can get, if you’re into developing Android games on your computer.
It emulates apps and games on a variety of Android devices, without requiring you to own that device.
Also, besides choosing the device Genymotion will ‘act’ as, you can also set up various versions of Android, so you can experience how apps and games work in different environment.
You can, as well, easily switch between devices, by your desire. Genymotion is something like the oppsite of AMIDuOS, because it’s great for developers, but not so great for regular users.
→ Download Genymotion
Choose the best Android emulator for gaming on PC from our fresh list!
- 9
Andy
Andy is a lesser known Android emulator for Windows PC users, but it’s completely free. It used to be a little buggy when it first came out, but most of the issues have been fixed since then.It is also good for a variety of tasks, but unlike Bluestacks, while it installs stuff on your Windows PC, we tested it ourselves and we saw that they partner with decent, if not impressive companies (in our case, it was Opera).
Andy supports some unique features that are not supported by all Android emulators out there, like remotely playing games on your computer from a mobile phone, ARM support, and the ability to directly install apps, using your desktop browser.
Here are the key features of Andy:
- Provides seamless sync between desktop and mobile devices
- Connects Win/Mac with Android apps for launching, push notifications and storage
- Enables app download from any desktop browser direct to Andy OS
- Ensures most up to date Android OS at all times
- Brings your favorite communication and entertainment mobile apps to the desktop
→ Download Andy
- 10
Koplayer
Koplayer is a well-rated app that is totally free and lets you open all the apps from Google store.
This emulator uses a brand new x86 Kernel technology that should make it faster,r better and more compatible than any other emulators. Koplayer is compatible with Windows 7, 8/8.1 and 10.
The game supports gamepad, mouse, and keyboard so your gaming sessions could be more pleasant. It also offers you some interesting features for the camera, keyboard, and microphone.
That lets you record your gaming sessions, make screenshots and share it with your friends.
You can try it and let us know in the comments section how does it work.
→ Download Koplayer
Conclusion
We’ll end our list here. As you can see, there are a lot of useful Android emulators for Windows out there, which is a great improvement over a few years’ periods.
You basically can choose the right emulator, based on your needs, skill level, and desires, which is great.
Also, if you’re using an iPhone or iPad, we also recommend checking out the best 5 emulators to run iOS on your Windows PC.
What’s your favorite Android emulator to use on your Windows 10 computer? Or you maybe know some quality emulator that we didn’t list here? Tell us in the comments.
FAQ: Learn more about Android emulators
Can you run APK files on a PC?
- Yes, you can run APK files on a PC if you install an Android emulator, like the software tools we listed above.
Are emulators legal?
- It’s perfectly legal to use emulators, but it’s illegal to distribute ROMs with copyright protection.
Can BlueStacks run on 1 Gb RAM?
- No, you need at least 2 Gb of RAM to run BlueStacks without performance issues. Even the first version of BlueStacks required 2 Gb of RAM minimum.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2016 and has been since revamped and updated in April 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
