5 Best Bluestacks Alternatives You Should Use

The concept of Android emulators is not new, considering they’ve been around for a while now. Despite smartphones getting cheaper, people still do prefer to be able to run Android apps on their desktop/laptop devices. In this aspect, one name that has been prominent ever since the concept of Android emulation came into play is Bluestacks. Bluestacks Player was the first and one of the best Android emulators made available for Windows and macOS that allowed its users to be able to run Android apps on their desktop systems.

However, Bluestacks hasn’t been able to keep up with the flow of time and is no longer a sufficient Android emulator. The Android Player seems to have become a memory hogger, is no longer stable, and offers bare minimum features that let you just experience Android on your PC or Mac and nothing more. Games run sluggishly on the software, and there are no developer-oriented features in the software. If you’re someone who shares the same emotion towards Bluestacks and is looking for a replacement, well then, you’re definitely in the right place. Read on, as we bring to you our list of 5 best Bluestacks alternatives that you can try:

Note: While there are a lot of Android emulator options out there, we tried each one individually to determine which ones are the most stable and offer similar or better experience than Bluestacks.

1. Remix OS Player

The first name on our list is the Remix OS Player. We’ve previously talked about Remix OS, the full-fletched OS replacement for your system that is based on Android and gives you an entire desktop experience. However, if you wish to avoid all the hassles of installing a new OS on your device, the Remix OS Player is the one for you. Remix OS Player is a free Android emulator for Windows based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Remix OS Player is in most ways, one of the best Android emulators out there. Apart from carrying a ton of features such as button mapping, native Google Play support, manual settings for signal strength, network type, location, battery and more, what sets the emulator apart from the herd is how stable the software is. I’ve tried it on almost all the laptops I’ve owned and reviewed and never has the software let me down. Stability is a factor in which Bluestacks has always let me down, while Remix OS Player won me over in that very aspect.

Download: Free (Windows)

2. Nox Player

If you’re someone who’s looking for a Bluestacks alternative that offers tons of features, well then, Nox Player is definitely the one you’re looking for. We’ve previously reviewed the emulator and boy, does it come preloaded with a plethora of features.

Gameplay optimizations, controller compatibility, ability to change the Android device’s build.prop, and a completely user-friendly interface are just some of the things where Nox Player outshines Bluestacks. It is based on Android Lollipop 5.1.1. and sports the Material UI. But one factor where Nox Player truly scores over Bluestacks is root access. If you’ve ever tried rooting Bluestacks, you’d know that it is a tedious task. But on Nox Player, you simply have to enable a toggle in the settings, and poof! – you’re rooted. That’s how simple Nox Player is for you.

Download: Free (Windows, macOS)

3. MEmu Play

MEmu Play is another great Android emulator that has lately gained a lot of traction. However, it is a tough task to name a single or even a couple of features why it is so, considering that MEmu comes loaded with a ton of features, and everything to like about. One of the most prominent features of the emulator is the fact that it supports both Intel and AMD CPUs. As astonishing as it may sound, it is a feature not sported by many Android emulators out there, including Bluestacks.

Apart from that, the emulator comes with the ability to run multiple instances at once. Furthermore, the software supports Android JellyBean (4.2), Kit Kat (4.4), and Lollipop (5.0), all while allowing you to have three different windows for all three versions. While the emulator also has great optimizations for gameplay unlike Bluestacks, it is very much dedicated to Android developers, simply for the plethora of developer-oriented features it comes with.

Download: Free (Windows)

4. Andy

Andy is an Android emulator you’ve probably heard of, considering it was launched right around the same time as Bluestacks had started gaining popularity. Once hailed as Bluestacks only competitor, the software is still going strong, and has left its nemesis in the dust when it comes to recent features.

Andy is a simple Android emulator, built with a neat and clean UI. While gaining root access on the emulator is still a cumbersome process, much like Bluestacks itself, the emulator allows you to use your Android device as a controller for games. It also has multi-touch support, access to your local file-system, app sync for mobile, sensor integration, and much more. While the software hasn’t been updated in quite some time now, it is still a very capable Android emulator based on Android JellyBean 4.2.2 and offers everything that Bluestacks does and then some.

Download: Free (Windows, macOS)

5. KoPlayer

KoPlayer is an Android emulator that you probably haven’t heard of it. Unlike other Android emulators that are targeted for developers, or emulators such as Bluestacks that are designed to give the normal Android experience without any decent optimizations, KoPlayer is an Android emulator with a prime focus on mobile gaming.

KoPlayer offers its users the ability to use keymapping to emulate a controller with your keyboard. Players will also be able to record gameplay and upload it wherever they want. KoPlayer is based on Android KitKat 4.4, and the install process is much easier than Bluestacks and it seems to work alright. While the software is kind of buggy in its current state, experiencing a couple of crashes at times, the development team is hard at work and proves itself as a worthy alternative to Bluestacks.

Download: Free (Windows, macOS)

Run Android Apps on Your PC with These Bluestacks Alternatives

So that was our list of the best Bluestacks alternatives out there. Whether you’re a developer looking to test apps or you’re a casual user looking to play some games, you will certainly find the best emulator for your need. For me, I’d prefer the Nox Player, simply for the plethora of features it offers. However, another personal recommendation would be to first try out the Remix OS Player and then, later on, install the OS completely alongside your existing Windows installation. Nonetheless, that is what I feel. But what about you? Which one is your favorite Android emulator? Was it on this list or did we miss out on that one? Let us know in the comments down below.