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VMware Fusion vs VirtualBox: What are the differences?
Introduction
In this article, we will compare two popular virtualization software tools: VMware Fusion and VirtualBox. Both of these tools allow users to run multiple operating systems on a single machine, but they have some key differences that set them apart from each other.
1. Installation and Configuration: VMware Fusion is known for its straightforward installation process, with an easy-to-use wizard that guides users through the setup. On the other hand, VirtualBox may require some advanced technical knowledge to properly configure, making it less beginner-friendly.
2. Operating System Compatibility: While both VMware Fusion and VirtualBox support a wide range of operating systems, VMware Fusion offers better compatibility with macOS, as it is specifically designed for Mac users. VirtualBox, on the other hand, can be used on various platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris.
3. Performance and Resource Usage: VMware Fusion is known for its advanced optimization techniques, which often provide faster performance and better resource management. VirtualBox, while still capable of running virtual machines efficiently, may not offer the same level of performance when compared to VMware Fusion, particularly for resource-intensive tasks.
4. Virtual Machine Management: VMware Fusion offers a more user-friendly interface for managing virtual machines, providing features like snapshots, automated installations, and seamless integration with the host system. VirtualBox, while offering similar functionalities, may require more manual configurations and settings adjustments to accomplish similar tasks.
5. Hardware Support: VMware Fusion typically provides better hardware support, allowing users to utilize USB 3.0 devices, multiple monitors, and 3D graphics acceleration within the virtual machines seamlessly. VirtualBox, while capable of supporting some hardware devices, may require additional setup and configuration to achieve the same level of compatibility.
6. Pricing and Licensing: VirtualBox is an open-source software tool, meaning it is free to download and use, even for commercial purposes. On the other hand, VMware Fusion is a commercial product with different licensing options, including a trial version and paid licenses with additional features, such as advanced networking and support.
In summary, VMware Fusion offers a more user-friendly installation and configuration process, better compatibility with macOS, higher performance and resource management, improved virtual machine management features, superior hardware support, but it comes with a cost. On the other hand, VirtualBox is free to use, supports multiple platforms, offers decent performance, but may require more technical expertise for configuration and lacks some advanced features.
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Learn MorePros of VirtualBox
Pros of VMware Fusion
Pros of VirtualBox
- Free358
- Easy231
- Default for vagrant169
- Fast110
- Starts quickly73
- Open-source45
- Running in background42
- Simple, yet comprehensive41
- Default for boot2docker27
- Extensive customization22
- Free to use3
- Mouse integration2
- Easy tool2
- Cross-platform2
Pros of VMware Fusion
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What is VirtualBox?
VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.
What is VMware Fusion?
It gives Mac users the power to run Windows on Mac along with hundreds of other operating systems side by side with Mac applications, without rebooting. It is simple enough for home users and powerful enough for IT professionals, developers and businesses.
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What companies use VirtualBox?
What companies use VMware Fusion?
What companies use VirtualBox?
What companies use VMware Fusion?
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What tools integrate with VirtualBox?
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What are some alternatives to VirtualBox and VMware Fusion?
Docker
The Docker Platform is the industry-leading container platform for continuous, high-velocity innovation, enabling organizations to seamlessly build and share any application — from legacy to what comes next — and securely run them anywhere
KVM
KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V).
Vagrant
Vagrant provides the framework and configuration format to create and manage complete portable development environments. These development environments can live on your computer or in the cloud, and are portable between Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
Hyper
Hyper.sh is a secure container hosting service. What makes it different from AWS (Amazon Web Services) is that you don't start servers, but start docker images directly from Docker Hub or other registries.
Qemu
When used as a machine emulator, it can run OSes and programs made for one machine (e.g. an ARM board) on a different machine (e.g. your own PC). By using dynamic translation, it achieves very good performance.
When used as a virtualizer, it achieves near native performance by executing the guest code directly on the host CPU. it supports virtualization when executing under the Xen hypervisor or using the KVM kernel module in Linux. When using KVM, it can virtualize x86, server and embedded PowerPC, 64-bit POWER, S390, 32-bit and 64-bit ARM, and MIPS guests.