Best VirtualBox Alternatives
The top-ranked VirtualBox alternative is VMware Workstation (Free). The best free option is VMware Fusion.
VirtualBox is Oracle's free, open-source virtualization software for running multiple operating systems on one machine. Users seek alternatives for better performance, stronger native integration, enterprise features, or lightweight containerization.
1VMware Workstation
FreePowerful desktop virtualization for running multiple VMs on Windows and Linux.
2VMware Fusion
FreeDesktop virtualization for running Windows and Linux VMs on macOS.
3Parallels Desktop
SubscriptionRun Windows and other OSes on Mac with seamless integration.
Hyper-V
FreeMicrosoft's native hypervisor built into Windows Pro and Enterprise.
QEMU
Open SourceOpen-source machine emulator and virtualizer supporting many architectures.
KVM
Open SourceKernel-based Virtual Machine turning Linux into a type-1 hypervisor.
Proxmox VE
Open SourceOpen-source server virtualization platform combining KVM and containers.
Containerization platform for packaging and running apps in isolated environments.
Gnome Boxes
Open SourceSimple GNOME app to create and run virtual machines on Linux.
Vagrant
Open SourceTool for building and managing reproducible virtual development environments.
Citrix Hypervisor
PaidEnterprise-grade server virtualization platform (formerly XenServer).
VirtualBox alternatives: FAQ
What is the best alternative to VirtualBox?
VMware Workstation is ranked first on this list (Free). The ranking combines our base score with readers' votes, so it can change.
What is the best free alternative to VirtualBox?
The highest-ranked free or open-source options here are VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion and Hyper-V.
Which VirtualBox alternatives work on Mac?
VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop, QEMU and UTM run on macOS.
Which VirtualBox alternatives work on Linux?
VMware Workstation, QEMU, KVM and Proxmox VE run on Linux.
Know a VirtualBox alternative we missed? Suggest it — we review submissions before they go live.