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Multipass alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 29, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Multipass: built around Ubuntu images, not other guest OSes, and designed mainly around the command line. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Multipass, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. OrbStack currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1OrbStack logoOrbStackFree plan + paidNomacOS5 of 568.8
2UTM logoUTMOpen sourceYesmacOS, iOS5 of 564.8
3VirtualBox logoVirtualBoxOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 461.8
4Colima logoColimaOpen sourceYesmacOS, Linux5 of 559.4
5GNOME Boxes logoGNOME BoxesOpen sourceYesLinux5 of 557.5
  1. OrbStack logo

    1. OrbStackTop pick

    Best for: Mac developers who want Docker and Linux VMs without Docker Desktop's resource use

    Free plan + paidmacOS

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Multipass

    On a Mac, runs Linux machines and Docker containers with very fast startup and low overhead.

    Pros

    • Much lower CPU, memory and battery use than Docker Desktop
    • Drop-in for docker and compose commands, with migration from Docker Desktop
    • Runs full Linux machines as well as containers
    • Automatic local domains and HTTPS for containers

    Cons

    • macOS only
    • Commercial use requires a paid plan
    • Closed source
    Visit OrbStack Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is OrbStack a good Multipass alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Personal, non-commercial use
    Checked Oct 29, 2026orbstack.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    Pro, $8 per user/month
    Checked Oct 29, 2026orbstack.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    App
    Native Swift
    Checked Oct 29, 2026orbstack.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Docker Desktop replacement
    Drop-in
    Checked Oct 29, 2026orbstack.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Kubernetes
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026orbstack.dev(opens source in a new tab)
  2. UTM logo

    2. UTM

    Best for: Mac users who want free Linux, Windows or retro-OS virtual machines without paying for Parallels

    Open sourcemacOS, iOS

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Multipass

    Runs almost any guest OS on a Mac, including Windows and other Linux distributions.

    Pros

    • Free and open source, with the same features in the paid App Store copy
    • Runs ARM guests near native speed and emulates many old architectures
    • Scriptable through AppleScript and the utmctl command-line tool

    Cons

    • x86 guests on Apple silicon run through slow emulation
    • Graphics and game support trail Parallels Desktop
    • Mac and iPad only
    Visit UTM Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is UTM a good Multipass alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free; App Store copy is optional support
    Checked Oct 29, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Virtualization
    Apple Hypervisor for ARM64 guests
    Checked Oct 29, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
    macOS guests
    Apple silicon, macOS Monterey or later
    Checked Oct 29, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Command line
    utmctl and AppleScript
    Checked Oct 29, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
  3. VirtualBox logo

    3. VirtualBox

    Best for: Students and developers who need free VMs that work the same on Windows, Linux and Mac

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Multipass

    Free cross-platform VM app with a full GUI for any guest operating system.

    Pros

    • Free and open source base package
    • Runs on Windows, Linux, Intel Macs and Apple silicon
    • Snapshots, shared folders and scripting via the command line

    Cons

    • Extension Pack needs a paid licence for business use
    • Weak 3D graphics performance
    • Apple silicon support is newer and less polished
    Visit VirtualBox Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is VirtualBox a good Multipass alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL v3 (base package)
    Checked Oct 29, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Extension Pack
    Free for personal and educational use
    Checked Oct 29, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Host platforms
    Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple silicon), Linux, Solaris
    Checked Oct 29, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Oracle
    Checked Oct 29, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Colima logo

    4. Colima

    Best for: Developers who want a free Docker Desktop replacement on the Mac and are happy in the terminal

    Open sourcemacOS, Linux

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from Multipass

    CLI-driven Linux VMs on macOS focused on running container runtimes.

    Pros

    • Free and MIT-licensed, with no commercial-use licence fees
    • Works with the standard docker CLI and Compose
    • Kubernetes (k3s) and containerd available with one flag
    • Multiple profiles with their own resources

    Cons

    • No GUI for browsing containers, images or logs
    • File sharing and networking are slower than OrbStack's
    • Switching VM type or runtime means deleting and recreating the VM
    Visit Colima Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Colima a good Multipass alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Linux
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Runtimes
    Docker, containerd, Incus
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Kubernetes
    Built-in k3s
    Checked Oct 29, 2026colima.run(opens source in a new tab)
    Install
    Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Mise
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. GNOME Boxes logo

    5. GNOME Boxes

    Best for: Linux desktop users who want a quick test VM without learning QEMU or libvirt

    Open sourceLinux

    57.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Multipass

    Simple GUI for creating VMs on a Linux desktop, with many distributions to download.

    Pros

    • Downloads and installs common operating systems automatically
    • Snapshots, USB redirection and shared folders built in
    • Free, open source and available from Flathub

    Cons

    • Few options for networking, storage or CPU tuning
    • Linux only
    • Original code base is in low-maintenance mode
    Visit GNOME Boxes Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is GNOME Boxes a good Multipass alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Automatic installs
    Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, Windows and more
    Checked Oct 29, 2026apps.gnome.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Snapshots
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026apps.gnome.org(opens source in a new tab)
    USB passthrough
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026apps.gnome.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Install
    Flathub
    Checked Oct 29, 2026apps.gnome.org(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    LGPL v2
    Checked Oct 29, 2026gitlab.gnome.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Multipass alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

OrbStack logo

Best Multipass alternative for most people

OrbStack

On a Mac, runs Linux machines and Docker containers with very fast startup and low overhead.

UTM logo

Best Multipass alternative for a free option

UTM

Runs almost any guest OS on a Mac, including Windows and other Linux distributions.

OrbStack logo

Best Multipass alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

OrbStack

On a Mac, runs Linux machines and Docker containers with very fast startup and low overhead.

VirtualBox logo

Best Multipass alternative for open source

VirtualBox

Free cross-platform VM app with a full GUI for any guest operating system.

Colima logo

Best Multipass alternative for Mac

Colima

CLI-driven Linux VMs on macOS focused on running container runtimes.

VirtualBox logo

Best Multipass alternative for Windows

VirtualBox

Free cross-platform VM app with a full GUI for any guest operating system.

GNOME Boxes logo

Best Multipass alternative for Linux

GNOME Boxes

Simple GUI for creating VMs on a Linux desktop, with many distributions to download.

Multipass alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Multipass?

OrbStack ranks first right now. On a Mac, runs Linux machines and Docker containers with very fast startup and low overhead. UTM and VirtualBox follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Multipass?

Yes. OrbStack (free plan + paid), UTM (open source), VirtualBox (open source) and Colima (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Multipass?

Yes: UTM, VirtualBox, Colima and GNOME Boxes.

Which Multipass alternatives work on Linux?

VirtualBox, Colima and GNOME Boxes run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Multipass?

The complaints we hear most: built around Ubuntu images, not other guest OSes; designed mainly around the command line; macOS setup may need firewall changes, per its README.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Multipass, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.