QEMU AlternativesTop Virtualization Tools and other similar apps like QEMU

QEMU is described as '(short for "Quick EMUlator") is a free and open-source hosted hypervisor that performs hardware virtualization' and is a very popular Virtualization tool in the network & admin category. There are more than 25 alternatives to QEMU for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD and Web-based apps. The best QEMU alternative is VirtualBox, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like QEMU are VMware Workstation Pro, VMware Workstation Player, KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and Anbox.

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QEMU alternatives are mainly Virtualization Tools but may also be Web Browsers or Android Emulators. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of QEMU.

QEMU

266

Virtualization Tool
Free • Open Source

QEMU (short for "Quick EMUlator") is a free and open-source hosted hypervisor that performs hardware virtualization.

More about QEMU

QEMU alternatives page was last updated May 27, 2024

VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as...
60 VirtualBox alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- Oracle Solaris
+5
VirtualBox Features
1. Virtualization
2. Multiple languages
3. Container Virtualization
4. Lightweight
5. Dark Mode
6. Ad-free
7. Portable
Show all NaN VirtualBox features ▾
VirtualBox VS QEMU
Is VirtualBox a good alternative to QEMU?
Comments about VirtualBox as an Alternative to QEMU

Anipe
Slower and older, though a good emulator still this one is better
Positive comment •Apr 19, 2022
0
- Almost everyone thinks VirtualBox is a great QEMU alternative.
- VirtualBox is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to QEMU.
- VirtualBox is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to QEMU.
- VirtualBox is Free and Open SourceQEMU is also Free and Open Source

VMware Workstation Pro
VMware Workstation Pro Lets You Run Multiple Operating Systems as Virtual Machines (including Windows VMs) on a Single Windows or Linux PC. VMware Workstation Pro is the industry standard for running multiple operating systems as virtual machines (VMs) on a single Linux or...
38 VMware Workstation Pro alternatives
License model
- Free Personal • Proprietary
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Windows
- Linux
VMware Workstation Pro Features
1. Virtualization
2. Multiple languages
3. Container Virtualization
4. Support for Android Things
5. Bundled with macOS
Show all NaN VMware Workstation Pro features ▾
VMware Workstation Pro VS QEMU
Is this a good alternative to QEMU?

VMware Workstation Player
VMware Workstation Player builds on the industry leading foundation of Workstation Pro, and delivers a streamlined user interface for creating and running operating systems and applications in a virtual machine.
35 VMware Workstation Player alternatives
License model
- Free Personal • Proprietary
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Windows
- Linux
VMware Workstation Player Features
Container Virtualization
Show all NaN VMware Workstation Player features ▾
Discontinued
Workstation Player has been pashed out now that VMware Workstation Pro is free for personal use: VMware makes Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro free for personal use
VMware Workstation Player VS QEMU
Is this a good alternative to QEMU?

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Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop gives Mac users the ability to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system and their critical applications at the same time as macOS. Parallels Desktop is optimized for Intel and Apple M1 chip.

https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop
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KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). It consists of a loadable kernel module, kvm.
45 KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Linux
- Android
Top KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) Features
1. Virtualization
2. Linux-based
3. Nt kernel
4. Command line interface
5. Portable
6. Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
7. Lightweight
8. Privacy focused
9. Container Virtualization
10. Security focused
11. Emulation
Show all NaN KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) features ▾
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) VS QEMU
Is this a good alternative to QEMU?
- Most users think KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a great QEMU alternative.
- KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is the most popular Android alternative to QEMU.
- KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is Free and Open SourceQEMU is also Free and Open Source

Anbox
Anbox puts Android into a container and every Android application will be integrated with your operating system. Any Android version is suitable for this approach and try to keep up with the latest version from the Android Open Source Project.
34 Anbox alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Android Emulator
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Linux
Anbox Features
1. Lightweight
2. Container Virtualization
3. Unified inbox
4. No Tracking
5. Privacy focused
Show all NaN Anbox features ▾
Discontinued
According to their README, development has been discontinued in 2023.
Anbox VS QEMU
Is Anbox a good alternative to QEMU?

virt-manager
The virt-manager application is a desktop user interface for managing virtual machines through libvirt. It primarily targets KVM VMs, but also manages Xen and LXC (linux containers). It presents a summary view of running domains, their live performance & resource utilization...
29 virt-manager alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Linux
- BSD
Top virt-manager Features
1. VNC Viewer
2. Lightweight
3. Command line interface
4. SSH
5. Ad-free
6. No Tracking
7. Privacy focused
8. Container Virtualization
9. Customizable
10. Security focused
11. Live migration
Show all NaN virt-manager features ▾
virt-manager VS QEMU
Is virt-manager a good alternative to QEMU?

Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop gives Mac users the ability to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system and their critical applications at the same time as macOS. Parallels Desktop is optimized for Intel and Apple M1 chip.
53 Parallels Desktop alternatives
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Mac
- Chrome OS
+2
Parallels Desktop Features
1. Works Offline
2. Ad-free
3. Support for Multiple Monitors
4. Run Windows software
5. Support for Apple M1
6. Office 365 integration
Show all NaN Parallels Desktop features ▾
Parallels Desktop VS QEMU
Is Parallels Desktop a good alternative to QEMU?
- Parallels Desktop is the most popular commercial alternative to QEMU.
- Parallels Desktop is Paid and ProprietaryQEMU is Free and Open Source

UTM
UTM is a full featured system emulator and virtual machine host for iOS and macOS. It is based off of QEMU. In short, it allows you to run Windows, Linux, and more on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
52 UTM alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Mac
- iPhone
- iPad
- visionOS
UTM Features
Ad-free
Container Virtualization
Multi System Emulator
Emulation
Show all NaN UTM features ▾
UTM VS QEMU
Is UTM a good alternative to QEMU?
- UTM is the most popular iPhone & iPad alternative to QEMU.
- UTM is Free and Open SourceQEMU is also Free and Open Source

VMware Fusion
Seamlessly run your favorite Windows applications and devices, on any Intel-based Mac. Built from the ground up for the Mac, VMware Fusion is the easiest way to switch to Mac—letting you bring all of your Windows applications with you, making the most of your Windows software...
41 VMware Fusion alternatives
License model
- Free Personal • Proprietary
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Mac
+4
VMware Fusion VS QEMU
Is VMware Fusion a good alternative to QEMU?

Windows Sandbox
a new lightweight desktop environment tailored for safely running applications in isolation.
52 Windows Sandbox alternatives
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Windows
Windows Sandbox Features
Sandbox
Container Virtualization
Lightweight
Show all NaN Windows Sandbox features ▾
Windows Sandbox VS QEMU
Is Windows Sandbox a good alternative to QEMU?
Comments about Windows Sandbox as an Alternative to QEMU

Oktay Mercan
Easy to use but this is just windows 10 containerization not a complete VM program, soo you don't emulate other OS like linux or mac or other architecture(arm64, powerpc etc..).
Positive comment •May 27, 2024
0
- Windows Sandbox is Free and ProprietaryQEMU is Free and Open Source

Boxes
A simple GNOME application to access virtual systems. It is based on a design from Jon McCann and Jakub Steiner.
23 Boxes alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Virtualization Tool
Platforms
- Linux
- BSD
- Flathub
- GNOME
+5
Boxes Features
1. Dark Mode
2. Lightweight
3. Privacy focused
4. Security focused
5. Command line interface
6. Container Virtualization
7. Portable
8. Ad-free
9. No Tracking
10. VNC Viewer
Show all NaN Boxes features ▾
Boxes VS QEMU
Is Boxes a good alternative to QEMU?

OpenStack
OpenStack OpenStack is a global collaboration of developers and cloud computing technologists producing the ubiquitous open source cloud computing platform for public and private clouds. The project aims to deliver solutions for all types of clouds by being simple to implement...
73 OpenStack alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Cloud Computing Service
- Cloud Hosting Service
Platforms
- Online
- Self-Hosted
+2
OpenStack Features
1. Privacy focused
2. Multiple Account support
3. Decentralized
4. Ad-free
5. Two-factor Authentication
6. Cloud IDE
7. Dashboard
Show all NaN OpenStack features ▾
OpenStack VS QEMU
Is OpenStack a good alternative to QEMU?
- OpenStack is the most popular Web-based & Self-Hosted alternative to QEMU.
- OpenStack is Free and Open SourceQEMU is also Free and Open Source
- OpenStack is DecentralizedQEMU is not according to our users