PearPC only runs on x86 systems including Intel and AMD such as Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and ReactOS.

The installation was sometimes noted as complicated,[13] requiring editing of configuration files and the use of the command line.

[4][14] A commercial PowerPC emulator called CherryOS was released soon after the launch of PearPC, in March 2005, claiming to offer more features and greater speed.

However, within hours of its announcement, questions were raised about the claims, with some people suggesting that Cherry OS was nothing more than a repackaging of PearPC.

Cherry OS also created questions regarding the legality of commercial software developed and marketed specifically to run macOS on the x86 architecture, since Apple's license agreement specifically states that the operating system may only be installed on Apple-labeled computers.