Did you know you can easily use different operating systems regardless of which operating system you are actively running? Thanks to virtualization software, or what we commonly call virtual machines, you can run other OSes with minimal effort. Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, or Linux, you can try out different operating systems—or at least test them—by using virtual machines on your existing system.
Using a virtual machine is incredibly easy and hassle-free. You don’t even have to reboot your computer just to switch to another operating system. In fact, some solutions even offer 3D acceleration support, which lets you play games! We decided to take a look at the most successful virtual machine options you can use today.
What Exactly is a Virtual Machine?
Virtualization software is a fantastic solution that allows you to run a different operating system on top of the one already installed on your computer. For example, you could run a Windows 11 guest system on a macOS host machine, a Linux distribution on a Windows computer, or even older versions of macOS on new Apple hardware. This way, emulation software saves you the trouble of needing a second, dedicated physical machine just for platform-specific applications.
A virtual machine (VM) is a technology that mimics complete computing systems—CPU, memory, storage, and network interfaces—using software. The software uses your existing hardware but doesn’t consume all of the resources. Think of it as borrowing resources from your physical hardware. When you shut down the virtual system, the resource consumption drops completely to zero.
A virtual machine is like a software-based simulation of a physical computer. It runs on the host computer, and since it behaves like a real computer, you can utilize almost all of its functions. This allows you to run multiple operating systems on a single physical system. You have full control over everything, without causing any harm or instability to the main system, and without any security worries. Whether you want to test new software or explore different operating systems, these machines are like a “virtual sandbox.” You can run them whenever you want and quickly delete them whenever you’re done.
To better understand the concept, let’s look at how a virtual machine differs from a physical one:
| Feature | Virtual Machines | Physical Machines |
| Hardware Dependency | Runs on virtualized hardware provided by software. | Runs directly on physical hardware components. |
| Resource Allocation | Shares hardware resources (e.g., RAM, CPU) with other VMs. | Dedicated, exclusive hardware resources. |
| Scalability | Highly scalable; multiple VMs can run on a single physical machine. | Limited by the physical machine’s hardware. |
| Efficiency | Better utilization of resources by allocating only what is needed. | Can lead to underutilization of hardware. |
| Flexibility | Easy to reconfigure and duplicate. | Less flexible; requires physical adjustments or replacements. |
| Cost | Lower cost due to resource sharing. | Higher cost because each machine needs its own hardware. |
| Performance | Light overhead due to virtualization layer. | Higher performance due to direct hardware access. |
The Contenders: The Best Virtual Machine Software Options
When looking for the Best Virtual Machine Software, several names consistently pop up. Each has its own strengths, catering to different users, from developers to casual explorers.
All-in-One Powerhouse: VMWare
VMWare is arguably one of the most popular and highly-regarded virtualization software options. It comes in two main flavors for personal use: VMware Workstation Player/Pro and VMware Fusion Player/Pro.
VMware Workstation Player (PC)
VMware Workstation Player is the free version of VMware’s premium tool, available for Windows and Linux users (there is no Mac version, as they have a separate product for that). Despite being a free tool, Player is surprisingly feature-rich, sharing many capabilities with the paid Pro version.
The free version lets you create incredibly powerful virtual machines (up to 32 virtual CPU cores and 128 GB of RAM) and configure them exactly as you like. VMware is compatible with Windows 8 and newer, as well as Linux operating systems like Ubuntu, CentOS, openSUSE, and many others. It even supports key Windows 11 requirements like TPM and UEFI boot through a simulated vTPM. Workstation acts as a hypervisor, transferring near-native performance to the virtual machine. This includes support for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 3D-accelerated graphics, and Linux Vulkan support, making Workstation a viable option even for some light gaming.
VMware Fusion Player (Mac)
The VMware Fusion version is the Mac equivalent of VMware Workstation. It supports both Intel and Apple Silicon (M-series) Mac hosts. It performs exceptionally well, allowing you to run x86 and ARM-based operating systems at near-native speeds. Like Workstation, VMware Fusion Player is a free solution that can create large virtual machines, including 32 virtual CPU cores and 128 GB of RAM. It includes features you often see in paid applications like Parallels Desktop, such as file sharing between the two operating systems, different view modes, and DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.3 support (on Intel models, at least).
The support for Apple Silicon is present, but it’s not fully optimized yet. You won’t get hardware acceleration support on Apple Silicon hosts, meaning you won’t be playing many 3D-accelerated games on Windows. However, if you are a Mac user taking your first steps into virtualization, the free VMware Fusion Player is definitely worth exploring.
Free and Capable: VirtualBox
VirtualBox is another highly popular choice. Oracle VirtualBox is a completely free, open-source virtual machine application that runs on a wide variety of host platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris. While primarily targeting x86 hosts, where it excels, VirtualBox has also begun offering experimental support for ARM-based Apple Silicon Mac models in developer preview builds.
VirtualBox provides full support for Windows 8 through 11, Solaris 10 and 11, and Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Oracle, and SUSE Linux Enterprise. It also offers limited support for older Windows versions like Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. VirtualBox is a well-established, reliable piece of software. It lets you set up your VMs however you like, with some easy preset options to guide you. It’s backed by a large online community, with guides, message boards, and extensive documentation.
If you’re on a budget or simply want a smooth virtual machine experience without spending a penny, VirtualBox is an excellent choice. While it might not be as feature-rich as commercial alternatives like VMware, it supports a vast range of operating systems and offers a user-friendly interface for both beginners and advanced users. If you’re testing software or experimenting with Linux, VirtualBox will handle most of your needs. When discussing the Best Virtual Machine Software, its totally free nature puts it high on the list.
For Apple Users: Parallels Desktop
Mac users will be intimately familiar with this one. There is simply no easier way for them to run Windows than by using Parallels Desktop. The software already offered standard x86 Windows support on Intel Macs, and better yet, it achieved compatibility with ARM-based Apple Silicon Mac models (M1, M2, M3, etc.).
If you need to run Windows on your Mac, Parallels is the place to go. Parallels Desktop is one of the most straightforward virtual machine applications you can use. It can automatically download and install supported operating systems, including Windows 11, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and even a separate macOS installation. You can even optimize your VM with one-click profiles for needs like gaming or power efficiency.
Furthermore, you can run Windows in a Coherence Mode, which completely hides the Windows desktop. This makes your Windows applications appear as if they were running natively alongside your macOS applications. You can automatically share files between the two platforms, scale disk space, and suspend your Windows VM to return to it quickly later.
The catch is that Parallels Desktop is paid software. The Standard version is typically $99.99 annually, often dropping to $64.99 with discounts. This plan allows up to 8GB of RAM and 4 virtual CPUs per VM. For the more capable Pro Edition, you’ll need to pay $119.99 annually.
In summary, Parallels is incredibly easy to set up, and its integration with macOS is seamless. You can run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side, making it ideal for those who frequently need to switch between platforms. While it supports other operating systems like Linux, its true strength—and the reason it’s considered the Best Virtual Machine Software for Mac users—is its ability to run Windows efficiently.
Built-In for Windows: Hyper-V
If you’re looking for a virtual machine solution already built into your Windows system, Microsoft Hyper-V might be the answer. Hyper-V is a hypervisor-based virtual machine available in the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows. It’s a solid option for running Windows-based VMs, and with a bit of configuration, you can run Linux as well.
This system, which was originally codenamed Viridian, then Windows Server Virtualization, and later Hyper-V Server, now comes as part of Windows Pro and Windows Server (2012 and 2016) at no extra cost to the user. Supported guest operating systems include Windows Server, Windows XP SP3 and newer, Linux with a 3.4 kernel or better, and FreeBSD.
The Hyper-V platform works great for those looking for an inexpensive, no-frills solution that is tightly integrated with the Windows environment. It’s also ideal for running Windows Server. Hyper-V allows relatively inexperienced users to set up a virtual server environment. However, it is more limited compared to VMware or VirtualBox, so don’t expect it to do everything those platforms can.
The Emulator: QEMU
QEMU is a full-system emulator that allows you to emulate hardware or virtualize existing hardware. When emulating hardware, you can run operating systems designed for one type of processor (e.g., ARM) on non-native hardware (like an x86 processor). When virtualizing existing hardware, QEMU can provide near-native performance.
It can be used on all major operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. The source code is also available for you to build QEMU yourself. The catch here is that to install the application, you typically need to use the command line.
What makes this product a bit different from other VM solutions is that it is both a VM host and a machine emulator. QEMU can emulate PowerPC, MIPS64, ARM, SPARC, and RISC-V, in addition to the x86 PC. Where QEMU falls short is the lack of advanced graphical interface tools; it relies on CLI inputs to set up and configure VM clients. This is a powerful but complex option that appeals to experienced users or those willing to spend time learning it.
Mac-Friendly QEMU: UTM
You can think of UTM as a simplified version of QEMU specifically for Apple devices. UTM has a Mac version that you can download and an iOS version that you need to compile and install yourself. Like QEMU, UTM allows you to emulate any processor, but you’ll get the best performance by running native operating systems. For example, running Windows for ARM on an ARM-based Apple Silicon processor will yield much better results than trying to run the x86 version of Windows 10. One of the best things about UTM is its Gallery feature, which allows you to download ready-made virtual machines.
Open-Source Server Solution: Xen Project
The Xen Project is a free, open-source virtual machine monitor (VMM) intended to serve as a hypervisor (type-1) for multiple operating systems sharing the same hardware. Initially developed by the University of Cambridge, the project later became a company acquired by Citrix. The Xen Project now works with The Linux Foundation to promote open-source applications.
It is a solution used for advanced virtualization, especially for servers in commercial and open-source environments. This includes, but is not limited to, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) applications, desktop virtualization, and virtualized security. Xen Project software is even used in automotive and aerospace systems. The service is particularly relevant for hyperscale cloud systems and can be easily used with AWS, Azure, Rackspace, IBM Softlayer, and Oracle. It emphasizes security and flexibility, aiming for the smallest possible codebase.
Choosing the Best Virtual Machine Software for You
The program you choose depends entirely on your needs and budget.
- If you’re a developer or using it for business purposes, and you need a full-featured virtual machine with great performance and advanced networking tools, VMware Workstation Pro is your best virtual machine software option.
- If your budget is tight or you just need something simple for experimentation, Oracle VM VirtualBox is an excellent free alternative.
- If you are a Mac user who needs to run Windows applications or switch between platforms seamlessly, Parallels Desktop is the ideal solution for you.
- If you already use Windows and need a simple, built-in solution with reasonable performance, Microsoft Hyper-V can handle all your needs.
What is Virtualization?
Virtualization, also known as hardware-assisted virtualization, is the process of creating virtual versions of operating systems and computers. This technology was fundamentally developed by AMD and Intel for server platforms. The goal was to increase processor performance and overcome virtualization-side challenges, such as translating memory addresses and instruction sets.
Many businesses use servers that only operate at a fraction of their total capacity. Hardware virtualization gained immense popularity on server platforms over time. The basic idea here is to integrate multiple small physical servers into a single large physical server for effective processor utilization. The operating system running on the physical server is converted into an operating system running within the virtual machine. In other words, the virtual machine software runs on the server’s hardware.
The virtual machine monitor (VMM) and hypervisor are the most common names for this software. Hypervisor software controls memory, processor, and other components, allowing operating systems to run on the machine without needing a source code.