How to Install & Use ArduPilot Mission Planner on Windows & Mac

Posted Aug 29, 2025

By Suriyaa Sundararuban

3 min read

This blog post is part of the documentation knowledge base for the Elara Aerospace team.

What is ArduPilot Mission Planner?

ArduPilot Mission Planner is the official Ground Control Station (GCS) application for ArduPilot, used to configure, manage, and control drone autopilots.

Windows Installation

Parallels Desktop Installation

Download Parallels Desktop from the official website.
Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the Parallels Desktop icon into your Applications folder.
Launch Parallels Desktop and follow the on-screen instructions to complete installation.
Use “File > New” to begin setting up a Windows virtual machine. Load your Windows installer (DVD, ISO, or USB), follow the prompts, and let the installer complete.

VirtualBox Installation

Download VirtualBox from the official VirtualBox website.
Open the .dmg file and double-click VirtualBox.pkg to start installation.
Go through the installer wizard, authorize the installation with your Mac password, and finish setup.
Launch VirtualBox from the Applications folder, then click “New” to create a new virtual machine and follow the steps to install Windows.

Installing Your Windows Program

Once Windows is running in your chosen virtual machine, download and run your Windows program as you would on a real PC.

Download Installer Visit the Mission Planner download page and download the latest .msi installer.
Run the Installer Double-click the downloaded .msi file. Follow the on-screen prompts to begin installation
Driver Installation If prompted to install drivers (such as USB or telemetry hardware), click “Install this driver software anyway”
Complete Setup Mission Planner will be installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Mission Planner by default and a Start Menu shortcut will be created
Launch Mission Planner Open the application via the Start Menu or Desktop icon. Connect your vehicle via USB or telemetry, select the correct COM port, and configure your autopilot

macOS Installation

Mission Planner is not natively available for macOS. You can run it using the Mono framework, or use APM Planner as a native alternative.

Using Mono

Install Mono Download Mono from mono-project.com and install it on your Mac
Download Mission Planner Download the Mission Planner .zip from the official ArduPilot site
Extract & Run Extract the contents, open Terminal, navigate to the Mission Planner directory, and run:
1 mono MissionPlanner.exe
Some features may be limited using this method

Using APM Planner (Native macOS Option)

Download APM Planner Get the latest .dmg installer for APM Planner from the official site
Install Drag the APM Planner app into your Applications folder and open it to start configuration and telemetry tasks

Post-Installation Steps

Connect autopilot board to your computer (Pixhawk or similar) via USB
Select the correct COM port and Baud rate (typically 115200)
Install firmware using the “SETUP / Install Firmware” section in Mission Planner
Save parameters before updating firmware to avoid loss of configuration

Using Mission Planner

Tips

Mission Planner automatically checks for updates if connected to the Internet
For Linux/UNIX systems, follow similar Mono-based installation instructions as for macOS
Always use the latest stable release for best compatibility and security

External Resources

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