saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

virtual machine program · HashiCorp (IBM)

Vagrant

Command-line tool that builds and manages virtual machines from a text file, using VirtualBox, Hyper-V, Docker or another provider.

50/100

#10 of 12 virtual machine programs
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

Vagrant suits developers who want to describe a virtual machine in a file and recreate it on demand1. It costs nothing for work use under its licence15. The catch: it is a front end that depends on another hypervisor, its source licence is not open source, and its last release is from August 202510,15,17.

Best for: Developers who want repeatable, scripted virtual machines.

Where the points come from

Systems4 of 17
Virtual machines18 of 27
Devices6 of 24
Openness and upkeep4 of 14
Price18 of 18

Systems 4 of 17 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Guest systemsNoneGuests run only through a provider such as VirtualBox or Hyper-V, so none count for Vagrant itself4,10.0 / 8
Also runs on other hostsmacOS, LinuxThe install page lists macOS and Linux downloads next to Windows2.4 / 4
Works on Windows HomeNot publishedNot published on the install page or installation docs2,14.0 / 5

Virtual machines 18 of 27 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
SnapshotsYesThe vagrant snapshot command saves and restores point-in-time states, if the provider supports it5.8 / 8
Virtual TPM and Secure BootNot publishedNot published on the provider configuration pages11,13.0 / 5
Network modesNAT, Bridged, Host-onlyThe overview describes a NAT device6. The VirtualBox page says private networks are host-only by default7. The public networks page describes a bridge option that picks the host interface to bridge to8.6 / 6
Nested virtualizationNot publishedThe Hyper-V provider page lists enable_virtualization_extensions ("Enable virtualization extensions for the virtual CPUs") but does not say a guest can run its own virtual machines11.0 / 4
Starts from a ready-made imageYesvagrant init uses a box from the public Vagrant Cloud catalog; HashiCorp publishes a basic Ubuntu box10.4 / 4

Devices 6 of 24 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
3D graphics for guestsNot publishedNot published on the provider configuration pages11,13.0 / 8
USB devices in the guestNot publishedNot published on the provider configuration pages11,13.0 / 6
Shared foldersYesSynced folders sync a host folder to the guest; the project folder is shared at /vagrant by default9.6 / 6
Shared clipboardNot publishedNot published on the provider configuration pages11,13.0 / 4

Openness and upkeep 4 of 14 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Open sourceNoThe repository licence is Business Source License 1.1, a source-available licence15.0 / 6
Security advisories publishedYesHashiCorp's security bulletins include HCSEC-2023-31, "Vagrant's Windows Installer Allowed Directory Junction Write" (October 27, 2023, fixed in Vagrant 2.4.0)18. The GitHub repository has a security policy and lists no published advisories of its own16.4 / 4
Updated in the last 12 monthsNoLatest stable version 2.4.9 is dated August 21, 2025, more than 12 months ago2,17.0 / 4

Price 18 of 18 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free editionYesNo paid edition exists; the licence allows production use without charge15.6 / 6
Cheapest licence for work use$0Free for work use under the Business Source License 1.1 grant15.12 / 12

The rule behind each line: how we score virtual machine programs.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
Vagrant1 personFree15$0Business Source License 1.1; production use allowed unless competing with IBM's paid version

The GitHub licence names IBM as licensor and lets you use Vagrant in production, except as a competing hosted or embedded offering15. Providers such as VMware must be bought separately and are not priced here3.

Strengths

  • No charge; the licence grants production use unless you offer Vagrant as a competing hosted product15.
  • The snapshot command saves, lists and restores machine states when the provider supports them5.
  • Documents NAT, host-only and bridged-style networks, and synced folders that share a host folder with the guest6,7,8,9.
  • Boxes from a public catalog let vagrant init start a machine without hunting for an installer10.

Limits

  • Vagrant cannot run a machine alone; you must install a provider such as VirtualBox first10.
  • The Business Source License 1.1 limits use that competes with IBM's paid versions, so it is not open source15.
  • The newest release is 2.4.9 from August 21, 20252,17.
  • With the Hyper-V provider, Vagrant cannot create or configure networks and ignores Vagrantfile network settings12.
  • The provider configuration pages do not list TPM, Secure Boot, USB, 3D graphics or clipboard sharing11,13.

Other virtual machine programs

  1. 1
    Oracle VirtualBoxPeople who want a free, open-source virtual machine app on Windows
    92/100
    $0cheapest licence for work use
  2. 2
    VMware Workstation ProWindows users who want a free hypervisor with snapshots and shared folders
    79/100
    $0cheapest licence for work use
  3. 3
    NanaBoxWindows users who want a light Hyper-V front end with GPU and TPM options
    74/100
    $0cheapest licence for work use
  4. 4
    Microsoft Hyper-VWindows Pro users who want virtual machines without extra software
    73/100
    $0cheapest licence for work use

All 12 virtual machine programs

Sources

  1. Vagrant by HashiCorp, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  2. Install Vagrant, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  3. Providers, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  4. Machine settings, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  5. vagrant snapshot, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  6. Networking overview, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  7. VirtualBox provider networking, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  8. Public networks, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  9. Synced folders, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  10. Boxes, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  11. Hyper-V provider configuration, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  12. Hyper-V provider limitations, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  13. VirtualBox provider configuration, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  14. Installation, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  15. hashicorp/vagrant LICENSE, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  16. hashicorp/vagrant security, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  17. Vagrant CHANGELOG, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  18. HCSEC-2023-31 - Vagrant's Windows Installer Allowed Directory Junction Write, HashiCorp. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: developer.hashicorp.com/vagrant · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with HashiCorp (IBM).