macOS can also be run on several non-Apple virtualization platforms, although such systems are not usually described as Hackintoshes.

Benefits cited for 'Hackintoshing' can include cost (older, cheaper or commodity hardware), ease of repair and piecemeal upgrade, and freedom to use customized choices of components that are not available (or not available together) in the branded Apple products. Since 2005, Mac computers use the same x86-64 computer architecture as many other desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks and servers, meaning that in principle, the code making up macOS systems and software can be run on alternative platforms with minimal compatibility issues. 'Hackintoshing' began as a result of Apple's 2005 transition to Intel processors, away from PowerPC. A Hackintosh (a portmanteau of ' Hack' and ' Macintosh') is a computer that runs Apple's Macintosh operating system macOS (formerly named 'Mac OS X' or 'OS X') on computer hardware not authorized for the purpose by Apple.