Side by side
NoxPlayer vs QEMU
Both stand on android emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan MacWindows
Choose NoxPlayer if you want a free Android emulator for Windows or macOS with Google Play, multiple instances, and several input options. Look elsewhere if you need a platform beyond Windows or macOS.
Visit NoxPlayer
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2
QEMU covers whole-machine and cross-architecture process emulation, with disk-image utilities included. Note its platform requirements and the distinction between virtualization security use and TCG non-virtualization use.
Visit QEMUThe facts
| NoxPlayer | QEMU | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | NoxPlayer | Not published |
| Website | bignox.com | qemu.org |
| On android emulators | #5 of 19 | #1 of 19 |
NoxPlayer: what it does well
- Free plan costs nothing.
- Supports Google Play.
- Offers keyboard and mouse mapping.
- Supports gamepads and root access.
- Can run multiple emulator instances.
What to know first
- Listed platforms are limited to Windows and macOS.
- The described plan is the Free plan.
QEMU: what it does well
- Supports both system and user-mode emulation.
- Includes qemu-img disk-image utilities.
- Can work with KVM, Xen, and Hypervisor.Framework.
- Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Free and open source.
What to know first
- Windows support is limited to 64-bit.
- macOS requires the latest available version.
- TCG use does not provide guest-isolation guarantees.
Alternatives to NoxPlayer Alternatives to QEMU The whole list