Virtual machine software for Mac
A virtual machine for Mac that runs macOS and Linux natively
Kyvenza is Mac VM software built directly on the Virtualization framework Apple ships inside macOS. Create a macOS or ARM Linux virtual machine on any Apple Silicon Mac, with no command line and no kernel extensions. Windows guests are not supported, and we say so up front.
What people actually use a Mac virtual machine for
Test on a clean macOS install
Run a second copy of macOS in a window. Try a beta, a risky installer, or a client project without touching the system you work in every day.
Run your Linux servers locally
Boot Ubuntu, Debian, or Fedora ARM on your Mac and match the environment your production servers run, without a cloud instance or a second machine.
Sandbox software you do not trust
Give an unfamiliar CLI tool or an AI agent its own machine with its own disk. Snapshot before you run it, roll back after.
Kyvenza vs other Mac virtual machine software
Most VM software for Mac began life on Intel and still carries an emulation layer for compatibility. Kyvenza was written for Apple Silicon only, on top of the virtualization framework Apple already ships in macOS. That makes it faster and simpler for the guests it does support, and useless for the ones it does not.
| Feature | Kyvenza | Other Mac VM apps |
|---|---|---|
| Guest systems | macOS and ARM Linux | Windows, Linux, macOS, often x86 too |
| Windows guests | Not supported | Usually supported |
| Backend | Apple Virtualization framework (native) | QEMU or a proprietary hypervisor |
| Pricing | $49 one-time, 7-day free trial | Subscription, or free with limits |
| Host requirement | Apple Silicon, macOS 14 Sonoma or later | Varies by tool |
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)
- Ubuntu ARM (LTS releases)
- Debian ARM
- Fedora ARM
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later as host
- Native Apple Virtualization framework backend
Not supported yet
- Windows 11 on ARM — no shipping support today, no committed timeline
- 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 and install
Grab the signed .dmg and drag Kyvenza into /Applications. You need an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Intel Macs cannot run it.
Create your virtual machine
Pick macOS or an ARM Linux ISO. Disk size, memory, CPU count, and networking come pre-filled with values that work, so there is no config file to write.
Run, snapshot, clone
Start the VM in a window like any other Mac app. Snapshot before risky work and roll back in seconds, or clone a configured VM instead of building the same one twice.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Apple Silicon Macs ship with Apple’s own Virtualization framework built into macOS, so a virtual machine runs alongside macOS in a window with no reboot and no partitioning. Kyvenza is a Mac app on top of that framework: you pick a guest system, and it handles the disk, memory, networking, and display setup for you.
Run your first virtual machine on your Mac today
Download Kyvenza and create a macOS or ARM Linux VM in a few clicks. Free for 7 days with no feature limits, then $49 once.