The Best VirtualBox AlternativesTop Virtualization Tools and other similar apps like VirtualBox

VirtualBox is described as 'Open source virtualization tool supporting x86/AMD64, runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris. Offers portable, lightweight, ad-free use' and is a leading Virtualization tool in the network & admin category. There are more than 50 alternatives to VirtualBox for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD and NVIDIA vGPU apps. The best VirtualBox alternative is QEMU, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like VirtualBox are VMware Workstation Pro, VMware Workstation Player, virt-manager and KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine).

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VirtualBox alternatives are mainly Virtualization Tools but may also be Compatibility Layer Tools. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of VirtualBox.
VirtualBox iconVirtualBox
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Open source virtualization tool supporting x86/AMD64, runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris. Offers portable, lightweight, ad-free use.

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VirtualBox alternatives page was last updated Feb 13, 2025
  1. QEMU icon
     282 likes

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

    49 QEMU alternatives
    QEMU  with the free OS ReactOS

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Virtualization
    2.  GPU Acceleration
    3.  Portable
    4.  Command line interface
    5.  Support for scripting
    6.  Emulation
    7.  Container Virtualization
    8.  User mode emulation
    QEMU iconVirtualBox Icon

    QEMU VS VirtualBox

    Is QEMU a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    Comments about QEMU as an Alternative to VirtualBox
     
       
    Guest

    It runs faster than virtualbox using KVM. Also is better suited for production level.

    Top positive commentJan 12, 2017
    14
    Nuncio Bitis

    If you want a GUI to manage QEMU machines, install AQEMU. It works like VirtualBox or VMware GUIs.

    Positive commentDec 24, 2024
    0
    ag123

    it is fast to virtualize (say an iso file) you just have to run two commands

    Positive commentOct 19, 2023
    2
    Show more comments
    3 of 6 comments
    VirtualBox Icon
    QEMU icon
    • Most users think QEMU is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • QEMU is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to VirtualBox.

    • QEMU is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to VirtualBox.

    • QEMU is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
    • QEMU is Lightweight and Privacy focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users
  2. VMware Workstation Pro icon
     382 likes

    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...

    37 VMware Workstation Pro alternatives
    VMware Workstation Pro screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    VMware Workstation Pro Features

    1.  Virtualization
    2.  Multiple languages
    3.  Container Virtualization
    4.  Support for Android Things
    5.  Bundled with macOS
    VMware Workstation Pro iconVirtualBox Icon

    VMware Workstation Pro VS VirtualBox

    Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    Comments about VMware Workstation Pro as an Alternative to VirtualBox
     
       
    Guest

    Its much more user friendly and pleasant to work with.

    Top positive commentMar 4, 2017
    10
    Guest

    Expensive. If you want the free version for personal use, go with VMware Workstation Player.

    Top negative commentJan 24, 2020
    15
    dvdvideo123

    Virtual box is free, vmwre has 30 day trial.

    Negative commentJan 11, 2022
    3
    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    VirtualBox Icon
    VMware Workstation Pro icon
    • Most users think VMware Workstation Pro is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • VMware Workstation Pro is Free and ProprietaryVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
  3. VMware Workstation Player icon
     246 likes

    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.

    38 VMware Workstation Player alternatives
    VMware Workstation Player screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    VMware Workstation Player Features

    1.  Container Virtualization
    Discontinued

    Workstation Player has been pashed out now that VMware Workstation Pro icon VMware Workstation Pro is free for personal use: VMware makes Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro free for personal use

    VMware Workstation Player iconVirtualBox Icon

    VMware Workstation Player VS VirtualBox

    Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    Comments about VMware Workstation Player as an Alternative to VirtualBox
     
    Guest

    Free and slightly more advanced. Less user friendly than virtualbox but also much more feature rich.

    Positive commentMar 25, 2020
    9
    VirtualBox Icon
    VMware Workstation Player icon
    • Almost everyone thinks VMware Workstation Player is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • VMware Workstation Player is Free Personal and ProprietaryVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
  4. virt-manager icon
     77 likes

    Comprehensive desktop tool for managing virtual machines using libvirt, supporting KVM, Xen, and Linux Containers. It offers performance stats, resource allocation and virtual hardware configuration with VNC and SPICE clients for graphical consoles.

    31 virt-manager alternatives
    virt-manager screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Virtualization
    2.  VNC Viewer
    3.  Command line interface
    4.  SSH
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  No Tracking
    7.  Container Virtualization
    8.  Live migration
    virt-manager iconVirtualBox Icon

    virt-manager VS VirtualBox

    Is virt-manager a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    Comments about virt-manager as an Alternative to VirtualBox
     
    Guest

    virt-manager with kvm/libvirtd is as powerfull as virtualbox, but much much more faster.

    Positive commentSep 22, 2020
    2
    arpeters

    Fully open source alternative to VirtualBox available in Debian repository. I don't trust VirtualBox anymore since it was excluded from Debian main.

    Positive commentJan 25, 2020
    1
    zinz

    this is not vm but a vm manager.

    Negative commentApr 9, 2017
    -11
    VirtualBox Icon
    virt-manager icon
    • Most users think virt-manager is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • virt-manager is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
    • virt-manager is Lightweight and Privacy focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users
  5. KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) icon
     114 likes

    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.

    49 KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) alternatives
    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Virtualization
    2.  Linux-based
    3.  Nt kernel
    4.  Command line interface
    5.  Portable
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  Container Virtualization
    8.  Emulation
    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) iconVirtualBox Icon

    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) VS VirtualBox

    Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    • Almost everyone thinks KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is the most popular Android alternative to VirtualBox.

    • KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
    • KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is Lightweight and Privacy focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users
  6. Parallels Desktop icon
     140 likes

    Virtualization software for running Windows, Linux, and other OSes on Mac. Supports Windows 11 on Apple Silicon, resource adjustments, and seamless app access and file sharing between OS environments.

    58 Parallels Desktop alternatives
    Parallels Desktop screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Chrome OS

    Parallels Desktop Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    4.  Run Windows software
    5.  Support for Apple M1
    6.  Drag and Drop
    7. Microsoft 365 Copilot icon  Microsoft Office integration
    Parallels Desktop iconVirtualBox Icon

    Parallels Desktop VS VirtualBox

    Is Parallels Desktop a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    Comments about Parallels Desktop as an Alternative to VirtualBox
     
    ushabuntu

    Pricey, but the best there is.

    Positive commentNov 13, 2024
    0
    VirtualBox Icon
    Parallels Desktop icon
    • Most users think Parallels Desktop is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • Parallels Desktop is the most popular commercial alternative to VirtualBox.

    • Parallels Desktop is Paid and ProprietaryVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
  7. Proxmox Virtual Environment icon
     128 likes

    Proxmox Virtual Environment is a complete and easy to use Open Source virtualization platform for running Virtual Appliances and Virtual Machines. Proxmox VE tightly integrates KVM hypervisor and LXC containers, software-defined storage and networking functionality on a single...

    48 Proxmox Virtual Environment alternatives
    Proxmox Virtual Environment screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Virtualization
    2.  WebUI Management
    3.  High Availability
    4.  Clustering
    5.  Live migration
    6.  Two-factor Authentication
    7.  Container Virtualization
    8.  Portable
    9.  Dark Mode
    Proxmox Virtual Environment iconVirtualBox Icon

    Proxmox Virtual Environment VS VirtualBox

    Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    • Most users think Proxmox Virtual Environment is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • Proxmox Virtual Environment is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to VirtualBox.

    • Proxmox Virtual Environment is Freemium and Open SourceVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
    • Proxmox Virtual Environment is LightweightVirtualBox is not according to our users
  8. Portable Virtualbox icon
     44 likes

    Portable-VirtualBox is a free and open source software tool that lets you run any operating system from a usb stick without separate installation. It unpacks and adjusts the paths and configuration of VirtualBox so it will run portably.

    39 Portable Virtualbox alternatives
    Portable Virtualbox screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  Container Virtualization
    3.  Portable
    4.  GNU/linux-libre
    Discontinued

    Discontinued.

    Portable Virtualbox iconVirtualBox Icon

    Portable Virtualbox VS VirtualBox

    Is Portable Virtualbox a good alternative to VirtualBox?
     
    Comments about Portable Virtualbox as an Alternative to VirtualBox
     
    Evan Sercombe

    It is basically VirtualBox for mobile.

    Positive commentApr 12, 2018
    -20
    VirtualBox Icon
    Portable Virtualbox icon
    • Most users think Portable Virtualbox is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • Portable Virtualbox is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
    • Portable Virtualbox is LightweightVirtualBox is not according to our users
8 of 63 VirtualBox alternatives