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

The best open source alternative to VirtualBox is QEMU. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to VirtualBox and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to VirtualBox are WinBoat, virt-manager, KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and Proxmox Virtual Environment.

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VirtualBox alternatives are mainly Virtualization Tools, but if you're looking for Compatibility Layer Tools or Operating Systems you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Windows, Mac, Open Source, Free, Android and Windows + Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to VirtualBox.
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Alternatives list

  1. QEMU icon

    QEMU

     299 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.

    44 QEMU alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    QEMU with the free OS ReactOS
     
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    7
    83
    Comments about QEMU as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    14

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Leonart
    Positive
    0

    Qemu on linux is perfect, but on windows, consider virtualbox or vmware as a better alternatives

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Nuncio Bitis
    Positive
    0

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

    3 of 7 comments
    QEMU icon
    QEMU icon

    • Most users think QEMU is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • QEMU is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
    • QEMU is Security-focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users
  2. WinBoat icon

    WinBoat

     64 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.

    52 WinBoat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Docker
    WinBoat screenshot 1
     
  4. virt-manager icon

    virt-manager

     81 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.

    34 virt-manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    virt-manager screenshot 1
     
    |
    3
    29
    Comments about virt-manager as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    arpeters
    Positive
    1

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

    Guest
    Positive
    2

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    zinz
    Negative
    -11

    this is not vm but a vm manager.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    virt-manager 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 Security-focused and CustomizableVirtualBox is not according to our users
  5. KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) icon

    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

     119 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.

    41 KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) screenshot 1
     
    |
    31
  6. Proxmox Virtual Environment icon

    Proxmox Virtual Environment

     154 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...

    45 Proxmox Virtual Environment alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Proxmox Virtual Environment screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    7
    Comments about Proxmox Virtual Environment as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    Matt
    Positive
    0

    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.

    Proxmox Virtual Environment icon
    Proxmox Virtual Environment icon

    • Most users think Proxmox Virtual Environment is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • Proxmox Virtual Environment is Freemium and Open SourceVirtualBox is Free and Open Source
  7. Portable Virtualbox icon

    Portable Virtualbox

     45 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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Portable Virtualbox screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    38
    Comments about Portable Virtualbox as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    Evan Sercombe
    Positive
    -20

    It is basically VirtualBox for mobile.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Portable 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
  9. UTM icon

    UTM

     26 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.

    59 UTM alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • visionOS
    UTM screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Comments about UTM as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    UTM Created from Quemu ; Work on ipad os under 14 ; Need jeelbreak ; not foun on apple app store ;

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    UTM icon
    UTM icon
    • UTM is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
  10. Boxes icon

    Boxes

     30 likes

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

    28 Boxes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    Boxes screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    20
    Comments about Boxes as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    Guest
    Negative
    6

    This is a virtual machine manager, not virtualization software

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Boxes icon
    Boxes icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Boxes is a great VirtualBox alternative.

    • Boxes is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
    • Boxes is Security-focusedVirtualBox is not according to our users
  11. Xen icon

    Xen

     74 likes

    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 multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently.

    34 Xen alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Xen screenshot 1
     
    |
    5
    17
    Comments about Xen as an Alternative to VirtualBox
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    8

    xen appears to be a hypervisor, which is quite different than basic virtualization software...

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    2

    Xen is hypervisor that isn't emulate but isolate.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    This is a hypervisor, not a virtual machine.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    Xen icon
    Xen icon

    • Some users think Xen is a great VirtualBox alternative, some don't.

    • Xen is Free and Open SourceVirtualBox is also Free and Open Source
  13. XCP-ng icon

    XCP-ng

     46 likes

    XCP-ng is a high-performance, enterprise-level hypervisor with a rich ecosystem and is the result of massive cooperation between individuals and companies. All commercial features are enabled with no commitment required to a support agreement.

    22 XCP-ng alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • NVIDIA vGPU
    • AMD MxGPU
    Installation boot screen
     
  14. Lima icon

    Lima

     3 likes

    Lima launches Linux virtual machines on macOS, with automatic file sharing, port forwarding, and containerd.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
12 of 40 VirtualBox alternatives