This guide summarises the licence terms that apply to every macOS virtual machine, whichever tool you use: UTM, VirtualBuddy, Parallels Desktop or Keep86. It is not legal advice; the licence text itself is what counts.
What the licence says
Apple’s Software License Agreement for macOS (section 2B(iii) in the macOS Tahoe agreement) allows you to install, use and run up to two additional copies of macOS within virtual operating system environments on each Mac computer you own or control that is already running macOS, for one of these purposes:
- software development,
- testing during software development,
- using macOS Server,
- personal, non-commercial use.
What this means in practice
- At most two macOS virtual machines per Mac. This limit comes from the licence, and Apple’s virtualization framework enforces it as well.
- On Apple hardware only. The licence covers Mac computers; macOS virtual machines on other computers are not allowed.
- Personal, non-commercial use covers using your own old apps for yourself — for example, opening family photos in an old editor or running a game you bought years ago. Running a macOS virtual machine for business work that isn’t development or testing is not covered.
- The licence binds the person who runs macOS, not the maker of the virtualization software. Each user is responsible for using a virtual Mac within these terms.
How Keep86 handles it
- Keep86 is sold for personal, non-commercial use only. There is no business plan, and we don’t market Keep86 to companies.
- Our terms and the app’s first screen state the permitted use, and you confirm it before the virtual Mac is set up.
- Keep86 runs one virtual Mac, well within the limit of two.
- We never host or redistribute macOS. Keep86 downloads macOS 27 from Apple’s servers when you ask it to.
Common questions
Can I use a macOS virtual machine for my work? Only for software development, testing during development or macOS Server. Other business use is not covered by the licence, so Keep86 is not offered for it.
Is it legal to run an older macOS version in a virtual machine? The licence terms above apply to the copies you run in virtual machines. Keep86 uses macOS 27 downloaded directly from Apple.
Does this apply to Windows or Linux virtual machines? No. This section covers copies of macOS only. Windows and Linux have their own licences.
Sources
- Apple, macOS Tahoe Software License Agreement, section 2B(iii) — https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/macOSTahoe.pdf
- Apple Developer Documentation, Virtualization framework — https://developer.apple.com/documentation/virtualization