Alternatives to VirtualBox for all platforms with any license

  • VMware Workstation Pro

    VMware Workstation Pro is a commercial hypervisor that allows users to create and run virtual machines on one computer.

    Commercial $ $ $ Windows Linux

    Multiple Languages Virtualization Add a feature

    VMware Workstation Pro icon
    • Its much more user friendly and pleasant to work with. Guest • Mar 2017 • 7 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Easy to work with while it is an advanced software. I realy like it and have used it many times. Sunmaster • Apr 2018 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

  • QEMU

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

    Free Open Source Mac OS X Windows Linux BSD

    Portable Scriptable Virtualization Add a feature

    QEMU icon
    • It runs faster than virtualbox using KVM. Also is better suited for production level. Guest • Jan 2017 • 6 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree

  • 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 Mac OS X on any...

    Commercial $ $ $ Mac OS X

    Virtualization Add a feature

    Parallels Desktop icon

  • Xen

    Xen.org, home of the Xen hypervisor, the powerful open source industry standard for virtualization. It is a native (bare-metal) hypervisor providing services that allow...

    Free Open Source Linux

    Hypervisor Virtualization Add a feature

    Xen icon
    • xen appears to be a hypervisor, which is quite different than basic virtualization software... Guest • Apr 2017 • 6 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree

  • 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...

    Free Open Source Linux BSD Gentoo Linux Fedora Debian ... OpenBSD

    Virtualization Add a feature

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  • Boxes

    A simple GNOME 3 application to access remote or virtual systems. It is based on a design from Jon McCann and Jakub Steiner.

    Free Open Source Linux

    Virtualization Add a feature

    Boxes icon

  • 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...

    Commercial Mac

    Virtualization Add a feature

    VMware Fusion icon

  • Microsoft Hyper-V Server

    Microsoft® Hyper-V™ Server 2008 R2 is a stand-alone product that provides a reliable and optimized virtualization solution enabling organizations to improve server...

    Commercial Windows Linux

    Hypervisor Virtualization Add a feature

    Microsoft Hyper-V Server icon
    • hyper-v server is a complete os in command line with a virtualisation tool (hyper-v) Guest • Aug 2015 • 3 agrees and 4 disagrees Disagree   Agree

  • Citrix XenServer

    XenServer is a turnkey open source virtualization solution that provides out-of-the box virtualization and cloud computing. XenServer includes the Xen Hypervisor, the...

    Free Open Source Windows Linux RadeonPro Nvidia Grid

    Hypervisor Virtualization Add a feature

    Citrix XenServer icon

  • bochs

    Bochs is a highly portable open source IA-32 (x86) PC emulator written in C++, that runs on most popular platforms. It includes emulation of the Intel x86 CPU, common...

    Free Open Source Windows Linux AmigaOS MorphOS

    Android Sync X86-emulation Add a feature

    bochs icon

Platforms

Desktop

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VirtualBox Comments

Comment by JohnTucker
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful 2 Helpful Report as spam

VirtualBox is great. Use it regularly to test software out so I do not have to worry about corrupting my primary desktop. Has saved me a couple times from bad installs / uninstalls.

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Comment by lunolas
about VirtualBox · Jul 2017 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

Fastest alternative for Windows as a host, good UI and tooling

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I like it

Comment by rafaellabertonili27
about VirtualBox · Oct 2016 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

I like it but I have had some problems when using it in my laptop, It makes everything work slower but still the best way to get a virtual machine to work.

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works fine

Comment by sophiaschuler600
about VirtualBox · Aug 2016 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

i think this works just fine considering it's free. I really don't think vmware is worth it.

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Comment by ParisFitts
about VirtualBox · Jan 2016 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

there are not so many alternatives for this and i have really been using this for a long time now and it really works great, i try everthing here first and it's good, i recomend it

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Needs more improvement

Comment by Eostyx
about VirtualBox · Feb 2012 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

Just as a performance gripe, it has this noticeable lag every second or so. I would only use this to test very basic things or to observe different operating systems. Otherwise, just install the OS on another petition. Experience it in it's glory, get drivers and stop the lag.

VirtualBox Oracle, if you can improve the performance limitations I would call this perfect for new users. Till then...

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Comment by OSienna
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

VirtualBox was kinda cool when it was owned by Sun. Now that Oracle has bought Sun they will probably let it die a slow death since there is no revenue in it for them... sad.

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Comment by Nikihayami
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

Laggy and raw under mac. Many options don't work. Parallels tools is much better instead. I'll never return to Vbox

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OlaMohammad · Sep 2014

It's your computer not the program

xphreedom · Feb 2015

I would disagree, it is not 'computer' problem. I been running VirtualBox under many different macs, with both low and high specs and the experience is always not perfect. However, it is free in contrast to Parallels, so there is not much of space to complain.


Comment by Aaron
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful 1 Helpful Report as spam

This works great I am on Ubuntu and I sometimes want to run my windows programs and the ones that do not run in Wine I run in this. I have Windows XP installed on this and I can run it at pretty good speeds. Because it is being emulated it is not as fast as the operating system would be at native speeds, but it does good enough for me.

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Anything like this?

Comment by jcarroll53
about VirtualBox · Aug 2013 · Helpful Not helpful Report as spam

I like VirtualBox but I'm looking for something that also allows a virtual network so that I can set up a dedicated virtual network for the virtual appliances to connect to (for DNS & RADIUS testing). Any idea on what is out there, if there is anything out there like this?

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Why is virtualbox more popular than vmware player?

Comment by Yazilliclick
about VirtualBox and VMware Workstation Player · Jul 2011 · Helpful Not helpful Report as spam

Currently I've been using vmware player for a while but am evaluating whether to make a switch or stick with it. My only real issue with it is switching the network adapter used. Looking on the net though every review seems to say vmware player is better/faster (if only marginally) but on here the votes aren't even close with virtualbox in the lead. So just curious on opinions.

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OmgItsTheSmartGuy · Jul 2011

Virtualbox actually allows you to create virtual machines, not just to run them.

Yazilliclick · Jul 2011

So does vmware player...

OmgItsTheSmartGuy · Jul 2011

Well, VMWare Player wasn't able to create virtual machines before the release of Version 3. So I guess Virtualbox had a head start, since it's been around for years.

OmgItsTheSmartGuy · Aug 2011

Update: It turns out that VMWare Player can't make snapshots of a virtual machine (basically, restore points). Virtualbox has included this feature for a while, and it's pretty useful-- if you ever get a virus on your VM or mess up its boot files, you can always restore to a previous snapshot. So that's one thing.

Jatin · Feb 2013

1.Virtualbox is earlier than VMware Player.
2.You can not easily find download link of VMware player on website.
3.Virtualbox allows to make restore points easily(on VMware it's a typical task, but possible)
4.Oracle(formerly Sun Microsystems) has created it.
5.It has a more specific user interface(I can't actually tell it as good or bad)
6.All features are provided in a single free version.
7.It is Open Source

Some reasons may be incorrect, but I hope this is enough


VirtualBox portable is not easy to use

Comment by em4020
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful Report as spam

VirtualBox portable isn't made by Oracle and isn't easy to use

@JonM33: I aggree with you: VirtualBox portable isn't made by Oracle. However, I and many other people are looking for a portable VM-app. Many persons report, that it is possible to work with "VirtualBox portable" on Vista business 64 bit, downloaded from http://www.vbox.me/ and/or http://portable-virtualbox.softonic.de/ . This VirtualBox portable is not very easy to use, but it is not far away to run as a VirtualBox portable. Maybe a new version can make the usage easier. So I would prefer to maintain the tags and metatag "portable" with an information:
"Portable VBox isn't made by Oracle. The portable 64bit-Version seems to work only with a parallel original VirtualBox Desktop installation."

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Comment by OmgItsTheSmartGuy
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful Report as spam

LogMeIn+Virtualbox=trippin' http://i.imgur.com/dHRRc.png

I just had to try that. :D

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Comment by JonM33
about VirtualBox · Jun 2011 · Helpful Not helpful Report as spam

Amazing program that I have been using for years, since it was made by innotek GmbH. Sun Microsystems improved on it quite a bit and now it is owned by Oracle. Does everything I need for a virtual solution. It even supports 3D! I test Linux distros on a Windows 7 host and all Compiz functionality is there. You can even run them in Fullscreen Mode, so it looks exactly as it would if it were installed on your PC.

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