VirtualBox AlternativesTop Virtualization Tools and other similar apps like VirtualBox

One of the most popular alternatives to VirtualBox is WinBoat, which is free and open source. Other popular alternatives are QEMU, Proxmox Virtual Environment, VMware Workstation Pro and KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine). You're spoiled for choice with Virtualization Tools like VirtualBox: we list more than 50 alternatives for Linux, Windows, Mac, the web and Android.

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Most VirtualBox alternatives are Virtualization Tools, but you can also narrow the list to Compatibility Layer Tools or Operating Systems. Other popular filters are Linux, Windows, Free, Open Source and Mac. You can also filter for EU-based alternatives if you prefer software from the European Union.

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VirtualBox alternatives page was last updated Oct 12, 2026

WinBoat
89 likes
Runs Windows applications, individual apps, or full desktops inside Linux with native OS-level integration, sleek interface, advanced filesystem sharing, smartcard passthrough, and resource monitoring while supporting simple installation and ongoing feature updates.
56 WinBoat alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Compatibility Layer
Virtualization
Origin
Romania
EU
Platforms
Linux
Docker
Romania
EU
+2
Good alternative?Is WinBoat a good alternative to VirtualBox?
QEMU
314 likes
QEMU, an open-source hypervisor, performs hardware virtualization, emulates CPUs using dynamic binary translation, and supports various architectures. It runs diverse unmodified guest OS, provides device models, and offers mixed translation modes for efficient execution.
47 QEMU alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
France
EU
+1
Good alternative?Is QEMU a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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8comments
QEMU vs VirtualBox Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Jan 12, 2017
It runs faster than virtualbox using KVM. Also is better suited for production level.
Positive comment by Amir-101 · Aug 29, 2026
It’s free, open source and has better features. It’s lighter and is the reference regarding production grade virtualization.
Positive comment by Leonart · Apr 26, 2025
Qemu on linux is perfect, but on windows, consider virtualbox or vmware as a better alternatives
3 of 8 comments
QEMU is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
QEMU is Security-focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users
Proxmox Virtual Environment
171 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...
53 Proxmox Virtual Environment alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
Austria
EU
Platforms
Linux
Debian
Android
Android Tablet
Austria
EU
+3
Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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1comment
Proxmox Virtual Environment vs VirtualBox Comments
Positive comment by Matt · Apr 15, 2025
Proxmox VE is an excellent bare-metal/type I hypervisor. It has excellent features for creating and managing virtual machines on a dedicated virtualization server.

If you are looking for a hosted/type II hypervisor, look elsewhere.
1 of 1 comments
Proxmox Virtual Environment is Freemium and Open SourceVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
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Parallels Desktop
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.

https://www.parallels.com
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VMware Workstation Pro
400 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
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
United States
Platforms
Windows
Linux
United States
Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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7comments
VMware Workstation Pro vs VirtualBox Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Mar 4, 2017
Its much more user friendly and pleasant to work with.
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Jan 24, 2020
Expensive. If you want the free version for personal use, go with VMware Workstation Player.
Negative comment by dvdvideo123 · Jan 11, 2022
Virtual box is free, vmwre has 30 day trial.
3 of 7 comments
VMware Workstation Pro is Free and ProprietaryVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
125 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.
43 KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Virtualization
Platforms
Linux
Android
Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?
virt-manager
88 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.
38 virt-manager alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
Australia
Platforms
Linux
BSD
Flathub
Flatpak
Australia
Good alternative?Is virt-manager a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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3comments
virt-manager vs VirtualBox Comments
Positive comment by arpeters · Jan 25, 2020
Fully open source alternative to VirtualBox available in Debian repository. I don't trust VirtualBox anymore since it was excluded from Debian main.
Positive comment by Guest · Sep 22, 2020
virt-manager with kvm/libvirtd is as powerfull as virtualbox, but much much more faster.
Negative comment by zinz · Apr 9, 2017
this is not vm but a vm manager.
3 of 3 comments
virt-manager is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
virt-manager is Security-focused and CustomizableVirtualBox is not according to our users
Parallels Desktop
148 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.
60 Parallels Desktop alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Virtualization
Compatibility Layer
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
United States
+6
Good alternative?Is Parallels Desktop a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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1comment
Parallels Desktop vs VirtualBox Comments
Positive comment by ushabuntu · Nov 13, 2024
Pricey, but the best there is.
1 of 1 comments
Parallels Desktop is Paid and ProprietaryVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
UTM
34 likes
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.
63 UTM alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
International
Platforms
Mac
iPhone
iPad
visionOS
Global
Good alternative?Is UTM a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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1comment
UTM vs VirtualBox Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Jul 29, 2022
UTM Created from Quemu ; Work on ipad os under 14 ; Need jeelbreak ; not foun on apple app store ;
1 of 1 comments
UTM is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
VMware Workstation Player
251 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.
44 VMware Workstation Player alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Proprietary
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Windows
Linux
United States
Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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1comment
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 VirtualBox Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Mar 25, 2020
Free and slightly more advanced. Less user friendly than virtualbox but also much more feature rich.
1 of 1 comments
VMware Workstation Player is Free Personal and ProprietaryVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
VMware Fusion
121 likes
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...
45 VMware Fusion alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is VMware Fusion a good alternative to VirtualBox?
SwiftVM
9 likes
Native macOS app for running macOS and Linux virtual machines, built with Swift and Apple's Virtualization framework.
39 SwiftVM alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Homebrew
Germany
EU
Good alternative?Is SwiftVM a good alternative to VirtualBox?
Boxes
34 likes
A simple GNOME application to access virtual systems. It is based on a design from Jon McCann and Jakub Steiner.
31 Boxes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application type
Virtualization
Origin
Czechia
EU
Platforms
Linux
BSD
Flathub
GNOME
Czechia
EU
+5
Good alternative?Is Boxes a good alternative to VirtualBox?

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1comment
Boxes vs VirtualBox Comments
Negative comment by Guest · Aug 12, 2019
This is a virtual machine manager, not virtualization software
1 of 1 comments
Boxes is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
Boxes is Security-focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users

12 of 73 VirtualBox alternatives

VirtualBox AlternativesTop Virtualization Tools and other similar apps like VirtualBox

Alternatives list

WinBoat

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QEMU

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QEMU vs VirtualBox Comments

Proxmox Virtual Environment

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Proxmox Virtual Environment vs VirtualBox Comments

VMware Workstation Pro

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VMware Workstation Pro vs VirtualBox Comments

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

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virt-manager

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virt-manager vs VirtualBox Comments

Parallels Desktop

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Parallels Desktop vs VirtualBox Comments

UTM

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UTM vs VirtualBox Comments

VMware Workstation Player

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VMware Workstation Player vs VirtualBox Comments

VMware Fusion

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SwiftVM

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Boxes

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Boxes vs VirtualBox Comments