VirtualBox

Oracle's free, open-source virtual machine app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Solaris hosts.

Open sourceVirtual machine and container apps

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a general-purpose virtual machine app maintained by Oracle. It runs Windows, Linux, BSD and other guests on Windows, Linux, Intel Mac and Solaris hosts, and newer versions also run on Apple silicon Macs and Windows on Arm. It covers what most people need from a desktop hypervisor: snapshots, shared folders, clipboard sharing, USB passthrough, several networking modes and a command-line tool for scripting. Because the same VM files work across host systems, it is a common choice for courses, labs and developer tools like Vagrant. The base package is free and open source under the GPL v3. The separate Extension Pack is free only for personal and educational use; companies need a paid Oracle licence for it. Graphics performance is modest, and on Apple silicon it is less mature than UTM or Parallels.

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

What works

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

Why people leave

Extension Pack needs a paid licence for business use
Weak 3D graphics performance
Apple silicon support is newer and less polished

Top VirtualBox alternatives

See all 4

1
UTM
Better fit on Apple silicon Macs, free and open source with near-native ARM guests.
66.5
2
Parallels Desktop
Paid but much faster and smoother for running Windows on a Mac.
62.6
3
GNOME Boxes
Simpler Linux option that downloads and installs guest systems for you.
59.6
4
virt-manager
KVM-based VMs on Linux with better performance and no Extension Pack licensing.
57.2

Why people left VirtualBox

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from VirtualBox, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

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VirtualBox: common questions

Is VirtualBox free?

Yes. VirtualBox is free, open-source software.

Is VirtualBox open source?

Yes.

What platforms does VirtualBox run on?

VirtualBox is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to VirtualBox?

The highest-ranked VirtualBox alternatives right now are UTM, Parallels Desktop and GNOME Boxes. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 VirtualBox alternatives

VirtualBox facts

4 of 4 verified

License: GPL v3 (base package); Checked Oct 25, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab); “licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3 .”
Extension Pack: Free for personal and educational use; Checked Oct 25, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab); “The VirtualBox Extension Pack is freely available under the VirtualBox Extension Pack Personal Use and Educational License (PUEL) for personal and educational use.”
Host platforms: Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple silicon), Linux, Solaris; Checked Oct 25, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab); “macOS / Apple Silicon hosts”
Owner: Oracle; Checked Oct 25, 2026virtualbox.org(opens source in a new tab); “Join the VirtualBox community Millions of users actively use VirtualBox VirtualBox is a community effort backed by Oracle.”