VirtualBox alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave VirtualBox: extension Pack needs a paid licence for business use, and weak 3D graphics performance. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces VirtualBox, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. UTM currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	UTM	Open source	Yes	macOS, iOS	5 of 5	66.5

1. UTMTop pick
Best for: Mac users who want free Linux, Windows or retro-OS virtual machines without paying for Parallels
Open sourcemacOS, iOS
66.5
score / 100
Why switch from VirtualBox
Better fit on Apple silicon Macs, free and open source with near-native ARM guests.
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 ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is UTM a good VirtualBox 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 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
Virtualization
Apple Hypervisor for ARM64 guests
Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
macOS guests
Apple silicon, macOS Monterey or later
Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
Command line
utmctl and AppleScript
Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)

The best VirtualBox alternative for…

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

Best VirtualBox alternative for most people

UTM

Better fit on Apple silicon Macs, free and open source with near-native ARM guests.

Best VirtualBox alternative for a free option

GNOME Boxes

Simpler Linux option that downloads and installs guest systems for you.

Best VirtualBox alternative for open source

virt-manager

KVM-based VMs on Linux with better performance and no Extension Pack licensing.

Best VirtualBox alternative for Mac

Parallels Desktop

Paid but much faster and smoother for running Windows on a Mac.

Best VirtualBox alternative for Linux

GNOME Boxes

Simpler Linux option that downloads and installs guest systems for you.

VirtualBox alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to VirtualBox?

UTM ranks first right now. Better fit on Apple silicon Macs, free and open source with near-native ARM guests. Parallels Desktop and GNOME Boxes follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to VirtualBox?

Yes. UTM (open source), GNOME Boxes (open source) and virt-manager (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to VirtualBox?

Yes: UTM, GNOME Boxes and virt-manager.

Which VirtualBox alternatives work on Linux?

GNOME Boxes and virt-manager run on Linux.

Why do people switch from VirtualBox?

The complaints we hear most: extension Pack needs a paid licence for business use; weak 3D graphics performance; apple silicon support is newer and less polished.

How is this list ranked?

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