So, you’ve probably heard about Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series processors powering those sleek new ARM-based Windows laptops. It’s got a lot of people talking, especially since more and more developers are jumping on board to optimize their apps for ARM.
Now, if you’re eyeing one of these ARM-powered laptops, you need to know what the app situation is like. Is the support strong enough to ditch your trusty Intel or AMD laptop? Here are all the apps we could find that support Windows ARM-based laptops.
Note: More apps should be supported on ARM-based Windows laptops with time.
Table of Contents
Browsers
Let’s be real, most of us spend half our time on a browser anyway, right? Thankfully, all the popular browsers have ARM-optimized versions. If your daily tasks revolve around web-based apps, you’re good to go with an ARM laptop.
- Microsoft Edge
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Brave
- Opera
- Vivaldi
Media
If you’re a binge-watcher, you’re in luck. Apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video run smoothly on Windows ARM PCs. Whether you’re catching up on the latest series or re-watching your favorites, ARM laptops won’t let you down in the streaming department.
- Netflix
- Prime Video
- Spotify
- Disney+
- Paramount+
- VLC Media Player
- Kodi
- Hulu
- Windows Media Player
Productivity
Sure, streaming and browsing are fun, but let’s not forget the grind. If you’re planning to get some serious work done, it’s worth checking if your go-to apps are ARM-compatible. Luckily, popular productivity tools are catching up fast. Here’s a look at what’s available so far:
- Microsoft Office
- LibreOffice
- PDF-XChange Editor
- Microsoft To Do
- Slack
- Zoom
- Microsoft Teams
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
- Google Drive (Upcoming)
- Microsoft Whiteboard
- Microsoft Phone Link
- Microsoft Outlook
Photo and Video Editor
So do you often use your computer for doing basic or advanced photo and video editing? Well, you will be glad to hear there are some popular apps out there that are compatible with Windows on ARM computers. Here’s the list:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Lightroom
- CapCut
- DaVinci Resolve
- GIMP
- Paint.NET
- Microsoft Clipchamp
- Luminar Neo
- ImageMagick
Design and Development
Whether you’re designing graphics or coding your next big project, ARM-powered laptops are surprisingly up to the task. Here are some great design and dev tools available on ARM:
- Figma
- Unity
- Blender
- Microsoft Visual Studio
- Microsoft 3D Builder
- GitHub Desktop
- Python
Utilities
Need a few extra tools to keep your laptop running smoothly? Windows ARM PCs support some common and limited utility apps.
- Microsoft PowerToys
- Rufus
- 7-zip
- Start11
- 1Password
- VMware
Benchmark Tools
Popular benchmarking tools support Windows for ARM laptops so you can test performance and get a clear picture of your system’s capabilities.
- Geekbench
- Cinebench
- PCMark 10
- GFXBench
- CrystalDiskMark
- CPU-Z
VPN
Initially, VPN support for Windows on ARM was quite limited, but over time, more VPN providers have joined the party. Two of the latest additions are ExpressVPN and NordVPN:
- Surfshark
- NordVPN
- ExpressVPN
- Private Internet Access (PIA)
- Windscribe
Tip: Free VPN vs Paid VPN: Which one is best for you
Social Media
Let me make one thing clear from the very start: don’t be wowed by seeing all the popular social media apps on this list. Unlike native applications, they are just web apps that run on Microsoft Edge. They run just as smoothly as their native app versions so you won’t notice much difference in performance.
- X (formerly Twitter)
- TikTok
- Threads
- GroupMe
Apps Not Compatible on Windows on Arm Yet
As exciting as ARM-powered laptops are, many popular developers like Adobe have yet to make the switch fully. Here’s a quick look at some that are still missing in action:
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Adobe After Effects
- Steam
- AutoCAD
- Oracle VirtualBox
- Tally
- Trello
- OBS Studio
- TeamViewer
- Filmora
There you go! If you’re wondering whether to jump on the ARM bandwagon or stick with your trusty Intel or AMD-powered computer, this should paint a clearer picture of where things stand. It’s an exciting time for Windows on ARM, and the list of supported apps is only going to get longer!
