VirtualBox vs VMware Workstation: Which Should You Use?

• Choose VirtualBox if you want an open-source tool you can download directly in a minute, run on Windows, Linux, Intel Macs or Apple Silicon Macs, and use for personal learning and testing.
• Choose VMware Workstation Pro or Fusion Pro if you need to use a desktop hypervisor at work without buying extra licenses, and you do not mind creating a Broadcom account to download it.
• Consider Hyper-V if you run Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise and only need Windows or Linux guests; it is built into Windows and has no separate download.

Performance differences depend heavily on your hardware, guest operating system and settings, so we do not quote benchmark numbers. In everyday use both run common Linux and Windows guests well on a modern PC with virtualization enabled in the firmware.

VirtualBox. According to the VirtualBox licensing FAQ, the base package is released under the GNU General Public License version 3, so it is free to use and modify. The optional Extension Pack is different: it uses the Personal Use and Educational License (PUEL), which allows free personal use and use by teachers and students as part of a curriculum, but excludes commercial use. Businesses that need the Extension Pack must buy Oracle's enterprise license. Many people never need the Extension Pack, so check whether you rely on its features before installing it at work.

VMware. Broadcom announced on November 11, 2024 that VMware Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are free for all users, including commercial, educational and personal use, and that the products are no longer sold. Free users get community forums, documentation and knowledge base articles rather than ticketed support. The older Workstation Player product is no longer offered; Workstation Pro now fills that role.

In short: for business use, VMware's desktop products are now the simpler licensing story, while VirtualBox is fine for business only if you stick to the GPL base package.

VirtualBox is a direct download from virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads, with separate packages for Windows, macOS on Intel, macOS on Apple Silicon, Linux distributions and Solaris. The page also links SHA256 and MD5 checksum files, so you can confirm the installer is genuine using the method in our file verification guide.

VMware Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are downloaded through the Broadcom Support Portal. Broadcom's download and license article explains that you sign in or register a free Basic User account, complete a trade compliance form with accurate details, and accept the terms before downloading. No license key is needed: during installation you choose the personal-use option for the free version. The same article notes that free use applies to Workstation Pro 17.5.2 and Fusion 13.5.2 or later; older versions without a license show a "Not Entitled" error.

Because the VMware process involves an account, look-alike sites offer "direct" VMware installers. Avoid them; a hypervisor runs with deep system access, so it is one of the worst things to get from an unofficial source.

VirtualBox has the broadest host list: Windows, Linux, Solaris and both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs each have their own package on the official download page. VMware splits its desktop line by host: Workstation Pro runs on Windows and Linux PCs, while Fusion Pro is the macOS version.

On the guest side, both handle mainstream Linux distributions and Windows well. Remember that the guest operating system has its own license: a Windows guest still needs a valid Windows license, and Apple's license terms restrict running macOS to Apple hardware. Use installation media from the operating system vendor, and if you are building a USB installer for a physical PC instead, our bootable USB guide covers that route.

Microsoft's Hyper-V documentation says Hyper-V is built into Windows 10 and 11 Pro and Enterprise as an optional feature, cannot be installed on Home editions, and requires a 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation and at least 4 GB of memory. The same documentation warns that when the Hyper-V hypervisor is running, third-party virtualization apps such as VMware Workstation and VirtualBox may fail to start virtual machines or run unreliably.

If you see slow or failing VMs after enabling Hyper-V-based features, that interaction is the first thing to check. Microsoft links instructions for turning the Hyper-V hypervisor off when you need another virtualization app. Before installing either product, also confirm that hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) is enabled in your BIOS or UEFI settings.

• Student learning Linux on a personal laptop: VirtualBox is the quickest start, with no account needed and checksums for verification.
• Developer or IT team at a company: VMware Workstation Pro or Fusion Pro avoids the Extension Pack licensing question, as long as your team accepts the Broadcom account step and community-only support.
• Apple Silicon Mac owner: both VirtualBox and Fusion Pro offer Apple Silicon hosts; guests must be Arm builds of the operating system.
• Windows Pro user who only needs Windows or Linux guests: try built-in Hyper-V first, and remember it can conflict with the other two.

Whichever you choose, give the VM enough memory and disk space for the guest system's own requirements; our guide to reading system requirements helps you size it, and 32-bit vs 64-bit software explains why you should pick 64-bit guest images on modern hardware.