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netplex./Alternatives/EVE-NG on Mac
EVE-NG on Mac Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 Thin client Any browser

EVE-NG won't run on your Apple Silicon Mac.
netplex. will.

EVE-NG has no ARM build, and on an M1/M2/M3 Mac the VMware Fusion + nested-virtualization path doesn't work - and the vendor images are compiled for x86 anyway. The realistic EVE-NG options for Apple Silicon are a cloud VPS or UTM with heavy compromises. netplex. sidesteps all of it: your Mac is a thin client that only needs a browser, and the x86 images run on the netplex. host - not on your laptop.

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EVE-NG does not support Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3). The VMware Fusion + nested-CPU-virtualization path isn't supported on ARM Macs, and most vendor images are x86-only. Intel Macs run EVE-NG via Fusion; Apple Silicon users are pushed to a VPS or UTM. netplex. runs the images on its host, so your Mac's CPU architecture never matters.

Why Apple Silicon breaks EVE-NG

And why netplex. doesn't care.
Your Mac is just a browser.

Point 01

No ARM build, x86 images

EVE-NG has no Apple Silicon version, and vendor NOS images are compiled for x86-64 - they won't run natively on an M-series chip.

Point 02

Fusion + nested virt isn't supported

The supported EVE-NG-on-Mac path is VMware Fusion with nested virtualization, which Apple Silicon doesn't provide - so the normal install simply doesn't work.

Point 03

Workarounds hurt

That leaves a cloud VPS (extra cost, setup) or UTM emulating x86 (slow). Both are compromises to run what should just work.

Point 04

A thin client, running on netplex.

The x86 images run on the netplex. host. Your MacBook - M1, M2, M3 or Intel - only needs a browser. Architecture mismatch disappears.

Feature comparison

EVE-NG on Mac vs netplex.
The short version.

Comparison of running EVE-NG on macOS and Apple Silicon against netplex., which needs only a browser on the Mac.
Feature EVE-NG on Mac
Community / Pro		 netplex.
Tier shown per row
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Not supported Yes - Mac is a browser client
Intel Mac Yes - via VMware Fusion Yes - any browser
What you install on the Mac Fusion + EVE-NG (Intel only) Nothing - just a browser
Where x86 images run On your Mac (Intel only) On the netplex. host
Workaround needed on M-series Cloud VPS or UTM (slow) None
Performance on the laptop Nested virt overhead Thin client - host does the work
Setup on Apple Silicon Not officially possible Open a browser

EVE-NG facts from eve-ng.net documentation and community sources (2026). netplex. rows are code-verified.

Straight with you

On an Intel Mac, EVE-NG via VMware Fusion works fine - if that's your machine, you're not stuck. The gap is specifically Apple Silicon, where EVE-NG has no supported path. netplex. needs an x86_64 host somewhere to run the images (that part isn't magic) - but your Mac, whatever its chip, only ever needs a browser to drive it.

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Questions

EVE-NG on Mac questions,
answered plainly.

Can I run EVE-NG on Apple Silicon?
Not well. EVE-NG emulates x86_64 vendor images, and an M-series Mac is ARM, so there is no hardware acceleration available - you are looking at slow software emulation through a translation layer, if it boots at all. Most people who try give up and use a remote server instead.
Does EVE-NG work on an Intel Mac?
Better, but still awkward. You need a hypervisor such as VMware Fusion or VirtualBox, nested virtualisation has to be available, and the console integration pack has to be installed and associated with telnet:// and vnc:// links on the Mac. It works; it is a project.
What is the simplest way to lab on a Mac?
Put the emulator on a Linux machine and use the Mac as a screen. That can be a spare box, a workstation under a desk or a cloud instance. With netplex. the Mac needs nothing but a browser - consoles, canvas and packet capture all render in the tab, so Apple Silicon is irrelevant.
Will my Mac need Docker or a VM installed?
No. Nothing runs locally in that model - the QEMU processes, the Open vSwitch fabric and the containers all live on the Linux host. Your Mac holds a websocket connection and draws the result.
Can I still capture packets from a Mac?
Yes. netplex. captures on the host and streams the result, so you can watch frames in the browser or download the pcap and open it in Wireshark on the Mac. There is no capture client to install and no X11 forwarding to configure.

Last reviewed September 2026 · Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

M1, M2, M3?
Just open a browser.

Free Associate tier - the lab runs on the host, your Apple Silicon Mac drives it from Safari or Chrome. No Fusion, no UTM, no VPS workaround.

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