Best virtual machine and container apps
Apps that run virtual machines, containers or Kubernetes on your own computer.
10 apps, ordered by visits from AppBreakup and how often our research lists each one as an alternative. Open any app to see its alternatives.
All virtual machine and container apps
- Alternatives to OrbStack
Fast, lightweight Mac app for running Docker containers, Kubernetes and Linux machines.
Free plan + paidmacOS - Alternatives to VirtualBox
Oracle's free, open-source virtual machine app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Solaris hosts.
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux - Alternatives to Docker Desktop
Docker's official desktop app for building and running containers on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Free plan + paidmacOS, Windows, Linux - Alternatives to UTM
Free, open-source virtual machine app for Mac and iPad built on QEMU and Apple Virtualization.
Open sourcemacOS, iOS - Alternatives to Podman Desktop
Free, open-source desktop app for managing containers and local Kubernetes.
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux - Alternatives to Rancher Desktop
SUSE's free, open-source app for containers and local Kubernetes on the desktop.
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux - Alternatives to Parallels Desktop
Paid virtual machine app for running Windows and Linux alongside macOS on a Mac.
PaidmacOS - Alternatives to GNOME Boxes
Simple GNOME app for creating and running virtual machines on Linux desktops.
Open sourceLinux - Alternatives to virt-manager
Open-source Linux desktop app for managing KVM virtual machines through libvirt.
Open sourceLinux - Alternatives to Colima
Open-source command-line tool that runs Docker, containerd or Kubernetes in a lightweight VM on macOS and Linux.
Open sourcemacOS, Linux
Our picks by need
Best for most people
OrbStackBest for a free option
VirtualBoxBest for open source
UTMBest for Mac
Docker DesktopBest for Windows
Podman DesktopBest for Linux
Rancher DesktopCommon questions
What are the best virtual machine and container apps?
Based on how often our research lists them as alternatives and visits from AppBreakup, the leading virtual machine and container apps right now are OrbStack, VirtualBox, Docker Desktop, UTM and Podman Desktop.
Are there free virtual machine and container apps?
Yes. OrbStack (free plan + paid), VirtualBox (open source), Docker Desktop (free plan + paid), UTM (open source) and Podman Desktop (open source) have a free option, out of 9 free or freemium apps we track.
Which virtual machine and container apps are open source?
VirtualBox, UTM, Podman Desktop, Rancher Desktop, GNOME Boxes and virt-manager, and 1 more.