VirtualBox
Oracle Corporation
VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and ARM64 virtualization product for both enterprise and home use. It's a feature-rich, high-performance solution that is also open source and freely available, allowing users to run multiple operating systems on a single Mac.
User Sentiments
Top Likes
- Free and open source
- Cross-platform compatibility (macOS, Windows, Linux, Solaris hosts)
- Supports a wide range of guest operating systems
- Feature-rich for a free virtualization solution
- Stable and reliable for daily use
Top Dislikes
- Can be complex to configure for beginners
- User interface can feel unpolished and outdated
- Performance issues, especially on Apple Silicon Macs and with graphics-intensive tasks
- Limited support for macOS and Windows guest OSes on Apple Silicon
- Error messages can be unhelpful
Popular Comments
PCMag - Edward Mendelson
2025-01-06
Oracle's VirtualBox, a free and open-source virtualization app, has long let you run almost any x86 operating system virtually on compatible host machines with Linux, macOS, or Windows. But it now also offers an ARM-based version for Apple silicon Macs that supports a select few ARM-based Linux and FreeBSD systems...If you have an Apple silicon Mac, I recommend VirtualBox only if you enjoy tinkering with system settings or absolutely prefer open-source software.
MacUpdate User - Awado
2022-10-18
Only suitable for testing. I do a few linux OS testings once in a while. But configuring network is quite difficult on VirtualBox versus doing it on other similar software.
Capterra User - Maha
2024
Good experience but definitely would use VMWare for professional virtualization tasks... Many limitations make VirtualBox lag behind its main competitor VMWare Fusion (on a MAC) or VMWare Workstation (on Windows).
Reddit User - iBeep
2023-03-15
VMWare Fusion Player is free for personal use, but it only supports OpenGL, so you can give it a try. I doubt VirtualBox would even work fine when using it for simple windows apps (if you manage to actually run Windows ARM on it in their new/beta versions). Sadly for gaming in Virtual Machines (Apple Silicon Macs) nothing comes close to Parallels yet.
SoftwareAdvice User - Wassim
2023-07
I love the UI design in the most recent update, the easy to use settings and menus navigation. And by far the functionality I use most is creating a snapshot of a VM, this is very good for handling dangerous malware inside a Windows Virtual machine. CONS. Some error messages are not very descriptive...
getapp User - Amal E.
2024
I use VirtualBox from time to time to emulate Windows on macOS. The biggest advantage is the price (the program is free!). Apart from that, it works correctly and there is nothing to complain about. At times, complicated settings (e.g., regarding graphics handling or access to external USB devices).
Detailed Review
VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization application for macOS that allows users to run multiple operating systems within virtual machines on their Mac. Developed by Oracle, it supports a wide array of guest operating systems, including various versions of Windows, Linux, and others. This makes it a versatile tool for developers, testers, and general users who need to work with different operating environments without the need for separate hardware.
Standout Features
- Free of Charge and Open Source: VirtualBox is completely free for personal and evaluation use, and its open-source nature is appealing to users and organizations that prefer open solutions.
- Cross-Platform Host Support: It runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Solaris hosts, providing flexibility for users working across different platforms.
- Broad Guest OS Support: VirtualBox supports a vast number of guest operating systems, including older and newer versions of Windows, various Linux distributions, DOS, and more.
- Snapshots: Users can save the state of a virtual machine and revert back to it later, which is useful for testing and recovery purposes.
- Shared Folders and Clipboard: VirtualBox allows sharing folders between the host and guest systems and clipboard sharing for easy data exchange.
- USB and Device Support: It offers support for USB devices, allowing guest operating systems to access host-connected USB hardware.
Conclusion
VirtualBox is a powerful and feature-rich virtualization solution, especially considering it is free. It's a solid choice for users who need basic virtualization functionalities and appreciate open-source software. However, it can be less user-friendly for beginners due to its somewhat complex configuration and less polished interface compared to commercial alternatives like Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion. Performance on Apple Silicon Macs, particularly for resource-intensive tasks and running Windows or macOS guests, is a known limitation. For users with Apple Silicon Macs requiring seamless performance and broader guest OS support, especially for Windows and macOS, commercial alternatives might be more suitable. Nevertheless, for x86-based Macs and users primarily working with Linux guests or for testing purposes, VirtualBox remains a valuable and cost-effective tool.
