virtual machine program · Oracle

Oracle VirtualBox

Open-source desktop virtualization that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux hosts.

92/100

#1 of 12 virtual machine programs
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

The base package is open source, released under GPL version 3^1,2.
It installs on Windows, macOS and Linux hosts⁴.
Snapshots are built in; shared folders, a shared clipboard and 3D graphics need Guest Additions in the guest^3,6.
Version 7.2.20 came out on 2026-09-22¹¹.
The Extension Pack is free only for personal and educational use².

VirtualBox suits anyone who wants a no-cost virtual machine app with open-source code on Windows, macOS or Linux^2,4,12. It lists snapshots, shared folders, nested virtualization and virtual TPM 2.0 with Secure Boot^3,7,8. The catch: the manual does not describe a ready-made image gallery, and the separate Extension Pack carries a personal-use licence^2,10.

Best for: People who want a free, open-source virtual machine app on Windows.

Where the points come from

Systems17 of 17

Virtual machines23 of 27

Devices24 of 24

Openness and upkeep10 of 14

Price18 of 18

Systems 17 of 17 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Guest systems	Windows, LinuxManual lists Windows 11, Windows 10, Oracle Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu as guests^3,6.	8 / 8
Also runs on other hosts	macOS, LinuxInstaller packages exist for macOS and Linux hosts as well as Windows⁴.	4 / 4
Works on Windows Home	YesManual lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as hosts with no edition limit⁴.	5 / 5

Virtual machines 23 of 27 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Snapshots	YesManual says snapshots save a particular state of a virtual machine for later use⁹.	8 / 8
Virtual TPM and Secure Boot	YesVBoxManage lists --tpm-type 2.0 and a modifynvram command that enables UEFI Secure Boot⁸.	5 / 5
Network modes	NAT, Bridged, Host-onlyManual describes NAT, bridged, host-only and internal networking⁵.	6 / 6
Nested virtualization	YesManual describes passthrough of hardware virtualization functions to the guest, set with --nested-hw-virt⁷.	4 / 4
Starts from a ready-made image	NoManual says you provide the operating system; it mentions no image gallery¹⁰.	0 / 4

Devices 24 of 24 points

Rule	What is published	Points
3D graphics for guests	YesGuest Additions include hardware 3D support for Windows and Linux guests⁶.	8 / 8
USB devices in the guest	YesManual lists USB device attachment through virtual OHCI to xHCI controllers^3,9.	6 / 6
Shared folders	YesManual says shared folders exchange data between a virtual machine and the host⁹.	6 / 6
Shared clipboard	YesClipboard sharing needs Guest Additions and is off by default⁹.	4 / 4

Openness and upkeep 10 of 14 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Open source	YesThe source repository is public and released under GPL version 3¹².	6 / 6
Security advisories published	Not publishedThe manual's security chapter names specific CVEs but links no advisory list¹³.	0 / 4
Updated in the last 12 months	YesChangelog lists version 7.2.20 dated 2026-09-22¹¹.	4 / 4

Price 18 of 18 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free edition	YesThe base package is released under GPL version 3 and is open source^2,3.	6 / 6
Cheapest licence for work use	$0The GPL base package is free; the Extension Pack is not counted².	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.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
VirtualBox (base package)Any user	Free²	$0	GPL version 3; Extension Pack licensed separately

We score the base package only. The Extension Pack is free for personal and educational use; business use needs commercial terms².

Strengths

Base package is GPL version 3 with public source code^2,12.
Runs as a host on Windows, macOS and Linux⁴.
Manual documents NAT, bridged, host-only and internal networking⁵.
Virtual TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot can both be set from the command line⁸.
The changelog shows a release as recent as 2026-09-22¹¹.

Limits

You supply your own operating system installer; VirtualBox does not provide one¹⁰.
The Extension Pack is free only for personal and educational use².
The Windows host list names Windows 10 and 11 but gives no edition detail⁴.
The manual's security chapter discusses specific CVEs but links no advisory list¹³.

Other virtual machine programs

2
VMware Workstation ProWindows users who want a free hypervisor with snapshots and shared folders
79/100
$0cheapest licence for work use
3
NanaBoxWindows users who want a light Hyper-V front end with GPU and TPM options
74/100
$0cheapest licence for work use
4
Microsoft Hyper-VWindows Pro users who want virtual machines without extra software
73/100
$0cheapest licence for work use
5
Windows Subsystem for LinuxDevelopers who want Linux tools and distributions on a Windows PC
71/100
$0cheapest licence for work use

Oracle VirtualBox vs VMware Workstation Pro · Oracle VirtualBox vs NanaBox · All 12 virtual machine programs

Sources

Oracle VirtualBox, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Download VirtualBox, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
About Oracle VirtualBox, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Installing Oracle VirtualBox, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Virtual Networking, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Guest Additions, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Advanced Topics, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
VBoxManage, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Working with Virtual Machines, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Creating a New Virtual Machine, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
VirtualBox changelog, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
VirtualBox/virtualbox, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Security Guide, Oracle. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: www.virtualbox.org · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Oracle.