# VirtualBox Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about VirtualBox Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Virtual Machine products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox --- # VirtualBox Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. Independent research methodology Capterra’s researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. 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[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) VirtualBox ## What is VirtualBox? Cross-platform virtualization application that helps you run multiple operating systems simultaneously on one machine. Provides OVF format support and VM group control capability. ## What is VirtualBox used for? [Virtual Machine](https://www.capterra.com/virtual-machine-software/)[VDI](https://www.capterra.com/vdi-software/) Overall rating Based on 885 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 94% Neutral 6% Negative 0% Pros & cons Versatile virtual testing platform Cost-effective virtualization solution Sluggish performance and resource demands Challenging USB device integration Contact vendor for pricing Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for VirtualBox?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.oracle.com/&name=VirtualBox) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### VirtualBox 4.6 (885) VS. [### Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/) [4.6 (1,952)](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price $31.39 Usage Based, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.3 (885) Ease Of Use 4.2 (1,937) Value For Money 4.7 (579) Value For Money 4.2 (1,584) Customer Service 4.1 (489) Customer Service 4.2 (1,556) ## VirtualBox alternatives [Vinchin Backup & Recovery](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/) [4.7 (153)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/) Highest Rated [NAKIVO Backup & Replication](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/) [4.8 (457)](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/reviews/) Starting price $99.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/) [Iperius Backup](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/) [4.5 (189)](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/reviews/) Starting price $29.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 92% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/) [Google Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/) [4.7 (2,274)](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/alternatives/) ## Who uses VirtualBox? Based on Capterra reviews from the past 3 years ## Pros and Cons Versatile virtual testing platform 98% positive reviews out of 193 Most reviewers find testing environments in VirtualBox invaluable for safely experimenting across multiple operating systems. Amal E Freelancer, 1 employee. "This flexibility allowed me to work on diverse projects, develop, and test software in different operating systems, all within the convenience of a single machine." Sluggish performance and resource demands 73% negative reviews out of 86 Most reviewers indicate performance and speed concerns, noting lag, slowdowns, and high resource requirements, especially on weaker hardware. Cost-effective virtualization solution 93% positive reviews out of 178 Most reviewers appreciate pricing, highlighting VirtualBox’s free, open-source access as a major budget-friendly advantage. Challenging USB device integration 71% negative reviews out of 51 Most users comment USB device support is unreliable, requiring complex setup and often failing to recognize peripherals. Maha S Assistant Professor, 501 - 1,000 employees. "The USB support is not enabled and requires a lot of configuration to make it work." Secure server virtualization 95% positive reviews out of 61 Most reviewers describe server and security features as essential for isolating projects and protecting sensitive data. Frequent crashes and instability 85% negative reviews out of 34 Most users report crashes and stability issues, including unexpected shutdowns, VM corruption, and system freezes disrupting work. ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Graphical User Interface 4.6 (112) 60.71% of 112 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important VirtualBox offers a user-friendly and intuitive graphical interface that simplifies managing virtual machines. Reviewers appreciate its ease of navigation, clear organization, and accessibility, though some mention occasional screen freezes and a need for menu improvements. Configuration Management 4.5 (110) 69.09% of 110 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important This capability helps you customize and maintain consistent virtual machine setups. Reviewers indicate the configuration options are flexible and straightforward, making it easy to replicate environments, though some find advanced setups complex or wish for more capabilities. Remote Access/Control 4.4 (109) 53.21% of 109 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important You can remotely access and manage virtual machines from anywhere. Some reviewers find this aspect helpful for collaboration and administration, mentioning good integration with tools like GNS3, though a few report occasional crashes or setup difficulties. Virtualization 4.7 (93) 77.42% of 93 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With VirtualBox’s virtualization feature, you can easily run multiple operating systems and test software in isolated environments. Reviewers appreciate its smooth performance, flexibility to switch between OSes, and the ability to safely experiment without affecting the host system. VDI 4.5 (90) 54.44% of 90 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important It gives you the flexibility to create, manage, and migrate virtual disk images across systems. Users think VDI’s portability, support for snapshots, and cost-saving through multiple VDIs from a single VM are valuable, though some find advanced options less intuitive. API 4.3 (69) 36.23% of 69 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases VirtualBox 15 features Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Verify the identity of users/devices to enable secure access This capability helps you customize and maintain consistent virtual machine setups. Reviewers indicate the configuration options are flexible and straightforward, making it easy to replicate environments, though some find advanced setups complex or wish for more capabilities. Desktop-as-a-service provider Synchronizing data between two or more devices/systems and automatically updating changes to maintain consistency Creates virtual version of end user's desktop environment or operating system Platform to achieve application and desktop virtualization VirtualBox offers a user-friendly and intuitive graphical interface that simplifies managing virtual machines. Reviewers appreciate its ease of navigation, clear organization, and accessibility, though some mention occasional screen freezes and a need for menu improvements. Support multiple types of devices You can remotely access and manage virtual machines from anywhere. Some reviewers find this aspect helpful for collaboration and administration, mentioning good integration with tools like GNS3, though a few report occasional crashes or setup difficulties. Remotely monitor and manage client networks, endpoints, systems, and devices via locally installed applications Deploy updates or install new software remotely It gives you the flexibility to create, manage, and migrate virtual disk images across systems. Users think VDI’s portability, support for snapshots, and cost-saving through multiple VDIs from a single VM are valuable, though some find advanced options less intuitive. Creates a virtual server that replicates all the functionalities of a dedicated physical server With VirtualBox’s virtualization feature, you can easily run multiple operating systems and test software in isolated environments. Reviewers appreciate its smooth performance, flexibility to switch between OSes, and the ability to safely experiment without affecting the host system. Features 4.5 (885) 4.5 Based on 885 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.7 (579) ### Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Free trial available Value for money 4.7 (579) 4.7 Based on 579 reviews ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.1 (489) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.1 (489) 4.1 Based on 489 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.6 Based on 885 reviews Filter by rating 5(548) 4(286) 3(49) 2(2) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent SA Samer A. Open source contributor Computer Software ### "It is my first choice in virtualization" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 March 11, 2026 It is my first choice and the best software in machine virtualisation. I have used it several times. Pros It is my first choice for virtualisation on my laptop, and that is because of the ease of use, installation and deployment. And due to the fact that it provides many features for free. It is connectable to many devices, and many features can be added. and having it frequently updated with the latest, keeping the edge in performance in comparison to other alternative software. Cons It requires so many computational resources, even if the VM is allocated a small allocation, so even if I like working on it, I have to delete it from the laptop after finishing the necessary work. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DD Daniele d. sviluppatore software Program Development ### "oluzione completa e intuitiva per la virtualizzazione desktop, con limiti in ambito server" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 February 20, 2026 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 Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AU Anonymous User Software Engineer Information Technology and Services ### "Great tool to host a local VM" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 20, 2026 I didn't find another tool which can currently replace VirtualBox to host my VMs for testing and still a great tool free of charge. Pros We use virtualbox to host some old windows operating system like win 7/8/9 etc. It is easy to use, you only need to find the virtualbox file online and import it to the tool, you also don't need to worry about the networking, it is all preconfigured for you. Cons VirtualBox is not updating feature set as frequently as before anymore, and some advanced features like configuring local network etc. lacks of documentation, also not a very active community right now. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. JZ Juan Z. Founder Computer Software ### "Virtualbox is a winner!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 September 8, 2025 Very, very good! I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a great, dependable sandbox experience. Pros It is free! It is intelligent and does not take up much space. Easy to set up and receives a lot of updates and support. Cons On older machines, the virtual machines take longer to boot and function. Especially if it is feature-rich. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DM Daniel M. tech engineer Computer Networking ### "VirtualBox Has Been in My Toolkit for Years and It Still Delivers" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 June 12, 2025 I think virtualbox remains the ultimate software for testing different operating systems as it gives me the flexibility to clone VMs, take snapshots, and simulate network setups with ease. The ability to run multiple environments on one machine saves me a ton of time. Its stability and ability to support just about every OS I need makes me stick with it. Pros What I like most about VirtualBox is how easy it is to spin up virtual machines and test different operating systems without touching my main setup. It’s fast, lightweight, and gives me full control over the environment. As someone working in a computing company, I use it daily for testing software in isolated systems. It just works, and I can count on it to be stable and reliable, even with complex setups. Cons I sometimes feel like VirtualBox's interface feels a bit outdated compared to newer tools. I encounter small compatibility issues with newer guest OS versions, but old is gold, and it's still a solid tool I rely on every day. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RL Raffaele L. IT Telecommunications ### "Ottima soluzione per la virtualizzazione" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 February 22, 2025 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 Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Vasilis K. Web Developer Information Technology and Services ### "A powerful for running virtual machines" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 February 6, 2025 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 Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. YS Yohan S. Engineer Food & Beverages ### "A good virtualization tool " 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 January 28, 2025 Pros VirtualBox is a lightweight tool that lets you run several virtual machines without consuming too many resources. Cons VirtualBox lacks features for managing virtual networks Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Iman G. Student Computer Software ### "Recommended to Beginners to Professionals" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 January 20, 2025 Recommend to everyone who is new to Virtual Machines, I personally use it to run Ubuntu regularly to work with my Project Files. Pros That this is free and open source. It contains lots of customizable features for running various VMs from the ISO files of the OSes, and is pretty easy to set up. Since it is very popular, it also has a lot of tutorials available online for customizations or while facing any errors. Cons The Guest Additions doesn't work properly with all the OSes, and also sometimes changing the screen size/resolution of the VM running might create an issue like flickering. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AU Anonymous User Formateur Technique Professional Training & Coaching ### "Outils de virtualisation" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 15, 2025 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 Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) Popular comparisons [Microsoft Azure vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/16365-169939/Azure-vs-VirtualBox)[Vinchin Backup & Recovery vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-180134/VirtualBox-vs-Vinchin-Backup-Recovery)[NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/161328-169939/NAKIVO-vs-VirtualBox)[Iperius Backup vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/129287-169939/Iperius-Backup-vs-VirtualBox) [Google Cloud vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-268690/VirtualBox-vs-Google-Cloud-Platform)[Amazon EC2 vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-219781/VirtualBox-vs-EC2)[VMware Workstation Pro vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-212916/VirtualBox-vs-VMware-Workstation-Player)[Parallels Desktop for Mac vs VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-170006/VirtualBox-vs-Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac)  Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)