The 7 best alternatives for VirtualBox you can use

Most people who use a computer at some point need (or are just curious) to use a virtualization solution on their computer. Perhaps you want to use a different operating system but do not want to leave the existing operating system or need to run a program that is only available on a specific operating system. One of the most popular and most used virtual machine creation tools is Oracle's VirtualBox. This software has many benefits, the best thing is that it is free and open source software, running on many operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS ...

Download VirtualBox Download VirtualBox for Mac

However, free and open source software is not necessarily the best solution on the market. While VirtualBox is a great choice, it has poor performance and lacks new features that other competitors have quickly added. If you are looking for virtualization solutions other than VirtualBox, the following article will list you with 7 best alternatives that you can find and use.

1. VMware Workstation Pro

When it comes to operating system virtualization, VMware is a name that needs no introduction. With over 15 years of experience in this field, VMware products come with guarantees for what they do. Workstation Pro is the best choice when it comes to alternatives to VirtualBox, turning your computer into a host, ready to try, explore, or use a slew of operating systems every day. The program can also recreate tablets, sync virtual machines from the cloud so you can access it no matter where you are. It also has advanced hardware support, allows sharing virtual machines and a number of other features that will satisfy even the most demanding users.

VMware Workstation Pro is heavily used by professional developers and programmers, which is why it has the most exorbitant price on the list for $ 249 per license.

Download VMware Workstation Pro Download VMware Workstation Pro for Linux

2. VMware Workstation Player

VMware Workstation Player can be used to create and run virtual machines without switching operating systems, with the disadvantage being Workstation Player can only run three virtual machines at a time. It is available for Windows and Linux, but has full support for Windows 10 .

Workstation Player is also capable of running limited virtual machines, that is, machines created with VMware Workstation Pro. This makes it the ideal solution for deploying an educational environment without incurring excessive costs for hardware and software. Workstation Player virtual machines don't need to be installed (portable), so you can transfer the entire VM file to USB or other storage media and use it on another machine.

VMware Workstation Player costs $ 150 for a commercial license, but it's free for personal and non-commercial use, making it a great solution for home users.

Download VMware Workstation Player

3. VMware Fusion / VMware Fusion Pro

Another VMware product, Fusion Pro is only for OS X, allowing you to run Windows and Linux on a Mac in a virtual machine. What really makes the program a great choice is the combination (called Unity) that it creates between the server and the client, allowing you to run Windows applications on Mac just like you would with applications that run “ Goverment". You can use Windows 10 features like Cortana and universal search on Macs. Virtual machines can be restricted or expire on their own and on hardware, they can be assigned up to 64GB of RAM and 16 processing threads, if your Mac supports all of that.

If you are not a professional user and do not need so much power, you can use a lighter version, VMware Fusion. VMware Fusion is aimed at home users who want to experience Windows and Mac operating system on the same computer. VMware Fusion Pro costs about $ 200 for the new license, while VMware Fusion costs only $ 80.

Download VMware Fusion

4. QEMU

QEMU is another free and open source virtualization solution for a wide range of operating systems. While providing enormous power, it is one of the less user-friendly software. QEMU provides a large number of capabilities and advanced features that other options in the same line fall far behind, including many architectures instead of just the traditional x86 used by traditional computers. It can also be bundled with KVM to run virtual machines as fast as they would run in a local hardware environment. QEMU also does not rely on the server's graphical output to display the virtual machine, but implements an integrated VNC server to display the guest operating system screen.

Download QEMU

5. Parallels Desktop

No list of virtualization software can be completed without Parallels Desktop. Parallels Desktop is a direct competitor to VMware Fusion and Fusion Pro, and even offers two versions: one for personal use and one for business. Parallels Desktop does everything VMware Fusion has to offer with a few subtle differences. Parallels Desktop not only runs Windows, it can run Linux and Chrome OS on your Mac. It also supports Windows 10 including Cortana and can even create virtual machines in addition to installing Windows Boot Camp for convenience.

Parallels Desktop comes with many different modes, where you can specify your intended use (games, productivity, development ...) and the software will adjust the virtual machine settings to suit your needs. bridge. It costs $ 80 and can be purchased in a yearly package.

Download Parallels Desktop for Mac

6. Portable-VirtualBox

In essence, this free and open source program is a version of VirtualBox that you don't need to install to use. Portable-VirtualBox works by downloading and installing VirtualBox, allowing you to run a virtual machine on a server with or without VirtualBox or without permission to install this software. It doesn't matter where your virtual machines are stored, because Portable-VirtualBox is capable of running them anywhere.

7. MobaLiveCD

The last option on the list is freeware, which is used to run Linux virtual machines on a Windows environment without installation. As its name suggests, MobaLiveCD allows running a Linux LiveCD for testing and emulation purposes on any Windows computer. It uses QEMU as the engine to burn CDs, and runs Linux on Windows. Because MobaLiveCD is only used for a specific purpose, it does not come with many features, but always does its job well.

Download MobaLiveCD

The above article summarizes 7 virtualization programs that you can use to replace VirtualBox on your Mac. All of the paid tools on the list offer a trial period, so you can experience first to see what software is right for your needs.