# Page 2 | VirtualBox Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 2 - Is VirtualBox the right Virtual Machine solution for you? Explore 885 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews

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VirtualBox

4.6 (885)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/alternatives/)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 2 - Reviews of VirtualBox

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 26-50 of 885 Reviews

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Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

DD

Daniele D.  
sviluppatore software  
Program Development  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "oluzione completa e intuitiva per la virtualizzazione desktop, con limiti in ambito server"

February 20, 2026

4.0

Nel complesso, è una soluzione solida e adatta a studenti, sviluppatori e professionisti che necessitano di ambienti virtuali desktop, pur presentando margini di miglioramento nella gestione remota avanzata.

Pros

Semplicità d'uso, ampia compatibilità con tutti i sistemi operativi, possibilità di esportare delle machcine virtuali in modo da avere sempre delle macchine configurate come si preferisce, semplicemente da importare e iniziare a usare.

Cons

Mancanza della possibilità di eseguire macchine virtuali in ambiente senza desktop environment e/o connettersi al desktop della macchina tramite VNC o desktop via browser per un setup server-like.

Switched from

[VMware Workstation Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/212916/VMware-Workstation-Player/)

stessa facilità d'uso ma in un ambiente gratuito, stabile, ben documentato e con community attiva, con inoltre ottima compatibilità su linux e tutti gli altri sistemi operativi

Review Source

fZ

franck Z.  
formateur client  
Professional Training & Coaching  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "virtualisation"

December 16, 2024

4.0

j'utilise virtual box depuis des années pour tester de nombreux logiciels ou simuler des environnements clients.

Pros

Simple d'utilisation. utilisé par de nombreuse personnes en france

Cons

machines virtuelle difficilement compatible avec d'autres système de virtualisation type hyper v

Alternatives considered

[Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/)

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

l'aspect financier et le coté open source .

Review Source

RL

Raffaele L.  
IT  
Telecommunications  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Ottima soluzione per la virtualizzazione"

February 22, 2025

5.0

VirtualBox è la migliore scelta per chi ha bisogno di un software per la virtualizzazione graituito e flessibile. E' perfetto per studenti e sviluppatori.

Pros

VirtualBox è gratuito e opensource e supporta un'ampia gamma di sistemi operativi. E' un software facile da installare e da configurare.

Cons

Prestazioni inferiori a soluzioni enterprise.

Review Source

Vasilis K.  
Web Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A powerful for running virtual machines"

February 6, 2025

5.0

I've been using VirtualBox for more than 10 years mostly for running isolated environments for development purposes and my overall experience is very positive despite the fact that there are many bugs from time to time. Especially on macOS.

Pros

I love the fact that it's free and open source. It also has a big community support.

Cons

The setup process can be intimidating for beginners.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Formateur Technique  
Professional Training & Coaching  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Outils de virtualisation"

January 15, 2025

5.0

Pros

Configuration simple, peu gourmand en ressources, virtualisation multi-plateforme

Cons

Certains paramétrages avancés peuvent être fastidieux

Switched from

[VMware Workstation Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/212916/VMware-Workstation-Player/)

VirtualBox est gratuit et plus simple d'utilisation

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Internship for software developer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Running Virtual Machines with VirtualBox"

November 11, 2024

5.0

I've been using VirtualBox to run virtual machines to deploy web apps and other software.

Pros

Features to import and export virtual machines, check logs for errors, running multiple virtual machines at the same time.

Cons

Since VirtualBox runs virtual machines, it consumes more resources and my device got slower when using it.

Review Source

BS

Brian S.  
IT Manager  
Libraries  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Still a solid choice"

September 23, 2024

4.0

I first used VirtualBox before Sun acquired it, and it keeps relevant.

Pros

Very flexible and supports many platforms.

Cons

Still a little on the clunky side and a little dated-looking.

Review Source

BB

Benny B.  
SysAdmin  
Computer & Network Security  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "VirtualBox review"

August 22, 2023

5.0

Free Opensource & Multi platform application for managing and deployment of Virtual machines. No matter if a new OS inside your main system or virtualize your own computer and use it as a Sandbox...

Pros

Easy to deploy new machines in no mater what your original desktop system comes from; you can virtualize a bunch of Linux, MacOS, Windows machines and ChromeOS & Android too!

Cons

In a Windows Server environment, the Virtual machines can't start when booting the main Server OS (only after you login with Administrator credentials) and you need the help of third party programs to do that. In Linux environment is easier to deploy thanks to Cron.

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

Because not only the price, but the availability to choose Open Source software.

Switched from

[VMware Lab Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/264768/VMware-Lab-Platform/)

We switch to VirtualBox caused by the same available options as VmWare (we solved the trouble about starting as a service using a third party app) and VirtualBox is not only free but Open Source and multiplatform.

Review Source

Emre K.  
Security Software Engineer  
Computer & Network Security  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Bridging Real and Virtual Worlds with VirtualBox"

September 27, 2023

5.0

Overall, I am extremely pleased with VirtualBox. He can do everything that is expected of him and everything he promises, completely and properly.

Pros

What I like most about VirtualBox is that it can run smoothly and without burdening the local system. Besides, its free configurability is also a very nice thing.

Cons

I think my least favorite part is that sometimes there are points in the configuration settings that I have difficulty understanding.

Alternatives considered

[VMware Workstation Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/212916/VMware-Workstation-Player/)

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

Because it's simpler and cheaper

Review Source

GS

Gabriel S.  
Freelancer  
Computer Hardware  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Using VirtualBox for Linux installations and Application Building"

January 13, 2022

5.0

VirtualBox helps me build and test applications that I build for other operating systems. With it, I do not have to have another computer around me with a separate installation; I can just access it all from one place. This makes my life a whole lot easier.

Pros

What I like most about VirtualBox is its ease of use. As soon as you start up the program you are greeted with a very simplistic layout. Making a new virtual machine is as simple as clicking the new button. This makes the software very inviting for new users. Tweaking the settings of a virtual machine is also extremely easy in VirtualBox, since everything is sectioned out nice and neat; everything is easy to find.

Cons

I feel like graphics performance is a big struggle for any virtualization software. If there was a way to pass through graphics cards on Windows installations without the use of other software, VirtualBox would be perfect in my opinion. The only way, as of now, to pass through dedicated cards is through a base Linux installation virtualizing another operating system.

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

I chose VirtualBox over VMware simply due to the fact that it is much easier to use and has better compatibility with Linux. I think that the guest additions on a Linux installation in VirtualBox is much much better than ones in competing software solutions.

Review Source

Sébastien L.  
Directeur  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Real Problems No Longer Feel Real Inside a Perfectly Replicated Virtual System with VirtualBox"

March 22, 2019

5.0

Thanks to VirtualBox, I have been able to test different systems under controlled conditions. I was able to quickly test the minimum requirements of specific applications by simply changing the settings affecting the virtual machine before using it. It has also allowed me to get comfortable with other operating systems that I don't use regularly and to open native applications flawlessly as opposed to trying to emulate those with an incompatible system. It has saved me many times when deploying destructive scripts for testing purposes that would otherwise have wiped out my real hard drive or infected my machine directly. I feel this is a very well built software and I would be confident in recommending its use to anyone who is looking into virtualization.

Pros

The ability to install almost any operating system with great support for USB, ACPI and SMP without the risk of breaking the machine that is being used for virtualization is a strong advantage of VirtualBox. Apart from the fact that it is free and backed by a legendary company, one of its great features resides in the guest additions, which makes it possible to get better performance and communication with the host, such as adding drag & drop and copy/paste abilities. It also supports a wide range of hardware and has always worked very well for my testing purposes as long as enough memory and CPU can be allocated to the virtual machine without affecting the host. Because it is also possible to take snapshots of the virtual machine at any point, it is easy and convenient to test almost anything without having to reformat and waste many hours to set things up again: it suffices to go back in time to retrieve a working version of the instance. I use it mainly on Linux machines, but its great portability and cross-platform nature is an asset when it comes to deploying it on other systems.

Cons

When not used to the software, it is confusing why some functions might not be available without the guest additions. On some systems, using a desktop environment with fixed sized windows may distort the aspect ratio of the virtual machine. Instead of auto-scaling, it is then necessary to switch the window into "floating mode" to resize manually. Depending on the resources available, the virtual machine will certainly feel slower than the host, especially with no hardware acceleration. By the nature of virtualization, one needs a lot of system resources to take full advantage of both the host and the virtual machine at the same time. On the positive side, it is easy with VirtualBox to adjust the resources allocated to the virtual machine. It cannot be changed on the fly while using the virtual environment, but it is nevertheless indispensable to be able to do so otherwise.

Review Source

Renato Monteiro B.  
Diretor de tecnologia  
Internet  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Virtualbox é uma excelente ferramenta de entrada para o mundo das máquinas virtuais"

December 20, 2022

5.0

Utilizo o virtualbox ha mais de uma década, me permite rodar um sistema operacional diferente sem muita dificuldade. Além de oferecer um ambiente seguro para testes de todo tipo sem comprometer o meu sistema operacional principal. Facilita a vida de qualquer usuário que esteja fazendo uma migração para um novo sistema operacional e que possui softwares que não são compatíveis com o novo sistema, assim como permite a utilização de sistemas antigos (legados) em novos equipamentos.

Pros

Virtualbox é uma excelente porta de entrada para todo o mundo de máquinas virtuais. Uma solução open-source e gratuita que permite executar diversos tipos de máquinas virtuais em hosts com sistemas operacionais windows, linux ou MacOS. A gama de recursos de configuração da ferramenta é muito interessante, sendo possível alocar memória, quantidade de processadores, placas de redes específicas e até mesmo o modo de funcionamento das interfaces de rede (bridge, nat, etc). A ferramenta também facilita o transporte de máquinas virtuais de um computador para outro sem muita dificuldade.

Cons

É importante ter um conhecimento intermediário ou avançado em sistemas operacionais e redes para utilizar essa ferramenta. Também é necessário um hardware muito robusto, do contrário todo o sistema poderá ficar lento dependendo dos recursos que você resolveu alocar para a máquina. Alguns recursos, tais como USB de alta velocidade só estão disponíveis mediante a instalação de drivers específicos no sistema virtual, esses drivers são de fácil instalação através CD de Guest OS mas é necessário verificar a compatibilidade com o sistema operacional que será utilizado na máquina virtual. Tendo em vista que o virtualbox é uma solução que roda em cima de diversos sistemas operacionais, incluindo sistemas operacionais caseiros a utilização dessa ferramenta pode não ser a mais indicada para ambientes de produção, ao passo que é uma das melhores para ambientes de desenvolvimento.

Alternatives considered

[Proxmox VE](https://www.capterra.com/p/210797/Proxmox-VE/)

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

O virtualbox é uma solução leve comparada com outras soluções pois roda em diversos tipos de sistema operacional e não é um sistema operacional específico de virtualização como alguns dos concorrentes. O que a torna uma excelente ferramenta para ambientes de desenvolvimento.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Technical Lead  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "VirtualBox is amazing"

February 23, 2023

5.0

Overall I am very happy to use VirtualBox as it is fulfilling my requirements completely. Otherwise, I have to set up two laptops which will be expensive and complex to maintain.

Pros

I am using a couple of operating systems thru VirtualBox on my system. I have Ubuntu as host and Mint, Windows 7 as guest OS.Switching between these 2 works smoothly. The Internet works very well. We can specify RAM and hard disk size in the settings.We can configure shared folder between guest and host systems which make life very easy.

Cons

Installation is not that easy. Sometimes we have to do some tweaks based on the operating system we are using. But once the operating system is installed correctly things are very smooth.

Review Source

MF

Marc F.  
Ph.D. Student  
Research  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Thinking Outside the Box: Virtualization with VirtualBox"

April 7, 2023

4.0

As someone who enjoys developing mobile games with Android but preferring Apple hardware, I've found VirtualBox to be an incredibly useful tool. It's saved me a lot of money by allowing me to test my games on multiple virtual environments without having to purchase additional hardware.Altogether, I would highly recommend VirtualBox to anyone looking to create and manage virtual environments, especially if you're interested in developing mobile games using different hardware, or if you are looking for a solid playground for your software projects.

Pros

I've found VirtualBox to be a powerful and versatile tool for developing Android apps and creating custom operating systems. It's flexibility and free-access allowed me to test my applications on multiple environments without having to purchase additional hardware, and thus saved me a lot of time and especially money!

Cons

As someone who has used VirtualBox for various projects, I've come across a few cons worth noting. Firstly, the limited support for 2D/3D graphics can be a hindrance for developers working on graphics-intensive applications like mobile-games. Secondly, I've experienced occasional stability issues when running complex virtual environments or multiple virtual machines simultaneously. However, these kind of issues can be resolved by using VirtualBox Enterprise for little money.

Alternatives considered

[Docker](https://www.capterra.com/p/148132/Docker/)

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

From my personal experience, I find VirtualBox to be a better option compared to Docker for certain use cases. VirtualBox's ability to run multiple operating systems and applications simultaneously using hardware virtualization is a huge advantage over Docker's limited support for running a single application or service. Additionally, VirtualBox offers stronger isolation between virtual environments, making it a great option for running multiple applications with conflicting dependencies. While Docker has its own advantages, I still find VirtualBox to be a reliable and versatile virtualization tool that suits my needs especially because VirtualBox allows VDI access.

Review Source

Andrius L.  
Stock keeper  
Food Production  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Virtualizing was never that easy"

September 8, 2022

5.0

I would recomend this for the peiple who need some kind of anciend hardware to run the older software they require

Pros

The software is free with lots of useful functions that saves your time while time is very important in your life. Creating images with the complete system and ability to send that to another user to use it makes the virtualization essential in some cases.

Cons

Sometimes the profiles software has does not let you test the mashine in real life conditions and what works in the virtual mashine may not allways work in real hardware.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Enterprise Admin, Server and Storage, Cloud Admin Devops  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "VirtualBox reviews"

December 6, 2022

5.0

good

Pros

Easy to use. The software is very direct and a no-brainer to use.

Cons

Features. I believe more features can be added to the software for more user options and control.

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

Find it easy

Review Source

IAS

Isis Arnaud S.  
CEO  
Computer & Network Security  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Unleashing the Power of Virtualization with VirtualBox"

April 27, 2023

5.0

As a software engineer, VirtualBox has been an essential tool in my arsenal. Its versatility, user-friendly interface, and robust features have enabled me to set up custom development environments and test software on different platforms. Overall, it's an indispensable tool for any developer or tech enthusiast.

Pros

For me, VirtualBox's versatility is its greatest strength, offering a range of customization options and compatibility with various operating systems. It's user-friendly interface and robust features enable users to create and run virtual machines efficiently. Seamless integration with third-party applications and the ability to share files between the host and guest operating systems make it a top choice for many users.

Cons

VirtualBox's resource-intensive nature and occasional stability issues can be frustrating for some users. The installation process may also be somewhat complex, and the lack of built-in support for some guest operating systems may require additional configuration. Some users may also find the documentation and community support somewhat limited compared to other virtualization tools.

Review Source

Francis Carolina L.  
Co Editor Chief  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Everything you need to do software testing in a single workstation"

July 20, 2018

5.0

In the organization in which I worked some time ago, all platforms were migrating to free software. As a geographer, I had to make expedited deliveries of maps and that platform was not yet stable, with Virtualbox, I could use traditional software to respond to requests from my bosses. Currently I'm still using Virtualbox but outside the business scope. At home my family enjoys playing video games from the time of our childhood and they can only be executed in windows 98. It could not be possible to have this hobby without VirtualBox.

Pros

What I like most is that tool is free, easy to use and functional. These characteristics is what makes software distinguish from other similar ones. I also want to highlight its functions, such as: It allows installing virtually any operating system such as Linux, Android, Mac OS X, Windows, Chrome OS, etc; unlike others in the market. It is extremely easy to create an environment for testing of all kinds. In this way we will easily obtain a test environment completely isolated from the rest of the systems. Virtual machines and virtualization allow to use a single service per virtualized server easily and simply. In this way, even if one of the virtualized servers is dropped, the other will continue to work. Finally, the fact of virtualizing servers or operating systems can mean significant savings in maintenance and energy consumption.

Cons

Directly on the software, I could not say that there is something that I do not like, it is quite efficient. The issue is, we must have a computer or workstation that is powerful, since, if we use 2 operating systems simultaneously we are using twice as many resources. In addition, it is also possible that sometimes operating systems and programs will run slower in virtual machines. This is because the virtual machines can not get an ideal performance of the hardware that we have in our team. The more powerful our computer is, the less you will notice the loss of performance.

Review Source

GY

Gene Y.  
IT Engineer  
Computer Networking  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The most convenient and feature rich visualization software package"

September 7, 2023

5.0

Allows me to create separate secure virtual environments for various testing and user oriented applications without being tied to any specific hardware which makes migration and distribution very easy and convenient. I've been using the system for years and have been very satisfied with the performance, features and ease of use.

Pros

A cost effective solution for running multiple virtual machines and OSes. Great for testing and using various operating OSes while using shared hardware. Easy to set up and maintain. Very useful for creating remotely accessible virtual environments for multiple users. Easy local and remote backups and rollback functions. Very convenient and customizable management interface.

Cons

The only thing that I would like to be implemented in future versions would be integrated multiple cloud platform synchronization and management but there are plenty of 3rd party applications that accomplish the year so not really much of an issue but would be convenient to have everything in a single integrated package.

Alternatives considered

[vSphere](https://www.capterra.com/p/93512/VMware-Horizon/)

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

Easier to integrate with my existing environment and a more cost effective solution.

Review Source

ES

Edwin S.  
CTO  
Computer & Network Security  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Virtualization done right"

July 3, 2023

5.0

Experience has been great. Everything I wanted to virtualize I have done it with sucess.

Pros

Ease of use, great perfomance everything that a virtualization app needs you habe it with Virtualbox. I have Linux, Windows, Free-bSD, router apps and everyrhing works great.

Cons

The only real Con I could say and maybe its just me is the facts that I have is not being able to run it with secure boot enabled. Other than that never had a complaint.

Review Source

MR

Max R.  
Recruitment Professional  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Think remote, Think VIRTUALBOX"

December 22, 2022

4.0

It's a great piece of software and helps an enterprise to virtualize its environment for remote access and reduce the overall pile of e-waste.

Pros

The most important feature of VB is its GUI and ease of access and use and also how easy it is to set up a VDI using Virtualbox. The other features that I like about VB are its cost-effectiveness, tool availability, and ease of deployment.

Cons

This software delivers the best Virtualization software can offer and I have not seen any significant drawbacks in the software yet.

Review Source

Zhao Z.  
Research Assistant  
Research  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "As a graduate student majoring in Computer Science, I use VirtualBox a lot to set up Ubuntu."

February 8, 2018

5.0

I pay nothing to gain all the functionalities that I need to implement my coursework and research experiment. Although I am a Mac user, I can also install Windows on VirtualBox and use Office conveniently.

Pros

Firstly, VirtualBox is free. But it doesn't mean that it has bad quality. Its various features and functionalities are totally enough, especially for students to use for the academical purpose. I am using Ubuntu on VirtualBox to develop an Operating System kernel this semester. VirtualBox is the first recommendation by my professor. My laptop is Mac OS and only has 4G memory. Since VirtualBox is lightweight and uses smaller memory than VMware, startup or shutdown of the virtual machine on my laptop is very fast, only a few seconds. For students, VirtualBox initial settings are simpler than those on VMware. Most of the time, those settings have nothing to do with coursework or academic experiment. We usually use default values. Too many settings will distract our attention. So the simpleness of VirtualBox can help students focus on their coursework topic.

Cons

Compared to VMware, drag-and-drop functionality on VirtualBox is less convenient. Although we can do sequence settings on VirtualBox to make it support drag-and-drop functionality between host and virtual machine, it is time-consuming and easy to make mistakes to learn and implement these settings.

Review Source

OO

Oluwaseun O.  
Azure Architect  
Banking  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great Way to effectively manage multiple VMs"

December 7, 2022

5.0

Pros

its cost effective and a great way to manage multiple Virtual machines in an Enterprise.

Cons

a bit of latency integrating oracle VM Virtula Box and HyperV on same host.

Review Source

MS

Maha S.  
Assistant Professor  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Oracle VirtualBox: Basic OS Virtualization that needs Improvement"

July 16, 2023

3.0

Good experience but definitely would use VMWare for professional virtualization tasks.

Pros

I used VirtualBox to run Linux and Windows OSes on top of my OSX MAC for the sake of testing networking and database software and for developing client/server applications. The nice thing about VirtualBox is its free license that makes it a cost-effective choice for users who want to test with new OSes and software. The virtualization performance is decent with some lagging when testing newer versions of Linux with more advanced GUI desktops. Definitely VirtualBox has a lot of limitations that I will mention in the Cons sectionl

Cons

Many limitations make VirtualBox lag behind its main competitor VMWare Fusion (on a MAC) or VMWare Workstation (on Windows). The USB support is not enabled and requires a lot of configuration to make it work. The installation of the VM tools to provide a better resolution to the guest OS is also not that intuitive. This makes VMWare a much better alternative for serious developers/testers. The networking support also has some bugs especially when using the NAT network feature.

Alternatives considered

[vSphere](https://www.capterra.com/p/93512/VMware-Horizon/)

Reason for choosing VirtualBox

VirtualBox provides a free-license and thus is more cost-effective

Review Source

regan T.  
manager  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Great Virtualization Software for Multiple Platforms"

May 21, 2023

4.0

Using VirtualBox has been instrumental in solving various business problems. It allows me to test software on different platforms, isolate development environments, and run legacy applications effortlessly. The flexibility and versatility of VirtualBox have resulted in significant time and cost savings for my organization.

Pros

VirtualBox provides excellent virtualization capabilities, allowing me to run multiple operating systems seamlessly on my computer.The product is user-friendly and offers a straightforward installation process. Setting up virtual machines is a breeze.Integration with my existing business processes was smooth and hassle-free. It seamlessly integrates with other tools and applications I use.

Cons

The user interface could benefit from some improvements to enhance usability and make certain features more intuitive.While VirtualBox offers a wide range of features, there are a few advanced functionalities that could be added to further enhance the virtualization experience.

Review Source

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