# What is the best virtualisation software? Virtualisation software separates the operating system from the underlying hardware, allowing **powerful IT resources to be divided into smaller, independent units**. For example, it enables multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on a single physical server. When used across large computing environments, virtualisation makes it possible to build flexible and scalable IT infrastructures. We compare the best virtualisation software available. ## The best VM software compared Here, we compare the **key features of the best VM software** at a glance. You can find more detailed information on each option in the sections below.
Software Host OS Price
Microsoft Hyper-V Manager Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise or Education, and Windows Server included with supported Windows editions
VMware Workstation Windows, Windows Server or Linux free of charge
Oracle VirtualBox 64-bit Windows or Linux / macOS free of charge
VMware Fusion macOS free of charge
Parallels Desktop for Mac macOS +
KVM 32- and 64-bit Linux free of charge
QEMU 32- and 64-bit macOS, Windows and Linux free of charge
OpenVZ 32- and 64-bit Linux free of charge
All information is correct as of September 2026. Virtualisation involves creating an **abstraction layer between physical hardware and the operating system** or between the operating system and an application. By abstracting IT components such as hardware, software, storage and network resources, virtualisation makes it possible to **provide resources at a virtual level** and allocate them flexibly to different users according to their needs. This is one of the key [benefits of virtualisation](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/server/configuration/advantages-of-virtualisation/). The underlying mechanisms vary depending on the type of virtualisation software used. In hardware virtualisation, software known as a [hypervisor](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/server/know-how/what-is-a-hypervisor/) is used. The hypervisor acts as an **interface between the physical hardware and virtual machines**. A hypervisor typically runs on a particular operating system (OS), known as the host OS, and provides virtualised hardware for a guest OS. There are [two types of hypervisor](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/server/know-how/hypervisor-type-1-and-type-2/):
Hypervisor type Name Description Examples
Type 1 hypervisor ‘bare metal’ A type 1 hypervisor runs directly on the physical hardware: Hardware → Hypervisor → Guest OS Hyper-V, KVM
Type 2 hypervisor ‘hosted’ A type 2 hypervisor runs on top of a host operating system: Hardware → Host OS → Hypervisor → Guest OS VirtualBox, VMware Fusion
Note Some guest operating systems have specific requirements for the host environment. In the case of macOS, Apple’s licence terms limit virtualisation of the system to supported Apple hardware. ## What is virtualisation software used for? Virtualisation software is used to **create virtual machines based on physical hardware**. This process, known as ‘provisioning’, forms the basis for scalable cloud platforms and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Virtual machines (VMs) offer another key advantage compared with operating systems installed directly on physical hardware. The **state of a VM can be saved as a ‘snapshot’**. If something goes wrong while working with the VM, you can quickly revert to the last snapshot. Another advantage of some VM programs is that they provide access to remote systems. With **desktop virtualisation**, the VM software runs locally, while the virtual machine itself is hosted on a remote system. Virtualisation can also improve security by **separating an operating system into multiple isolated environments** that operate independently of one another. ## The best virtualisation software Below, we take a closer look at the best **virtualisation software for virtual machines (VMs)**. The comparison does not include bare-metal hypervisors such as ESXi and Xen, or tools designed exclusively for container virtualisation, such as Docker, Kubernetes and OpenShift. Instead, we focus on **VM software for end users, grouped by guest operating system**. Keep in mind that server versions of VM software can cost considerably more. ### What is the best VM software for Windows? Traditionally, Windows offered relatively limited virtualisation capabilities, while Linux has long been a popular platform for virtualisation. However, Windows has made considerable progress in this area. Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor, for example, is integrated into modern versions of Windows. The technology also provides the foundation for the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL / WSL2). Virtualisation software can be particularly useful on Windows because virtual machines (VMs) provide **isolated environments for safer computing**. For example, you can carry out sensitive tasks such as online banking in a separate Linux VM, reducing exposure to threats affecting the host system. However, the isolation of a VM alone does not guarantee that the environment is free of malware. VMs also support snapshots, allowing you to save a particular system state and restore it if something goes wrong. #### Microsoft Hyper-V Manager [![Image: Diagram showing the architecture of Microsoft Hyper-V](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/5/a/csm_hyper-v-explained_304fab9022.webp "Diagram showing the architecture of Microsoft Hyper-V")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Schaubilder/hyper-v-explained.jpg) Hyper-V uses isolated partitions for virtual machines. Microsoft’s [Hyper-V Manager](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-ie/virtualization/hyper-v-on-windows/ "Hyper-V Manager from Microsoft") is **included with Windows Server and supported editions of Windows** (excluding Home editions). The tool itself can be used at no additional cost, although a valid Windows licence may still be required. Hyper-V Manager lets you manage Hyper-V hosts and virtual machines, either locally or on remote systems. Its **graphical user interface provides a central platform for managing virtual environments**. #### VMware Workstation [![Image: Screenshot of the VMware Fusion and Workstation website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/3/c/csm_vmware-website_b36e27a4b5.webp "Screenshot of the VMware Fusion and Workstation website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2026/vmware-website.jpg) VMware offers desktop hypervisors with a wide range of features; Source: https://www.vmware.com/products/desktop-hypervisor/workstation-and-fusion The desktop hypervisor [Workstation](https://www.vmware.com/products/desktop-hypervisor/workstation-and-fusion "VMware.com: Workstation") from VMware is designed for IT professionals, developers and businesses. It allows you to **virtualise most x86 operating systems on a standard desktop PC** and can also connect to remote vSphere environments. Workstation can be used to build, test and demonstrate software across different devices, platforms and cloud environments. The virtualisation software also supports the configuration of virtual networks and other virtual resources. In addition, you can **run local OCI containers and Kubernetes clusters with VM isolation**. The `vctl` command-line tool can be used to manage these containers and Kubernetes environments. As with many VM programs, Workstation lets you **create snapshots of virtual machines and restore them later**. It can also be used to run a separate desktop environment with stricter privacy and network settings. Support for DirectX 11 and OpenGL within VMs is particularly useful for gaming and other graphics-intensive applications. #### Oracle VirtualBox [![Image: Website screenshot VirtualBox](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/e/0/csm_virtualbox-website_39af1b6b2e.webp "Website screenshot VirtualBox")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2026/virtualbox-website.jpg) With VirtualBox, Oracle offers a free and open-source VM software; Source: https://www.virtualbox.org/ [VirtualBox](https://www.virtualbox.org "virtualbox.org") from Oracle makes it **easy to run virtual machines (VMs) on a desktop computer**. Although its interface can feel somewhat dated, the software remains popular because it is straightforward to use and offers a broad range of features. VirtualBox is also available as free and open-source software (FOSS), which is relatively unusual for a VM program developed by a commercial provider. VirtualBox provides the platform for running virtual machines on a host system and is often used alongside more specialised tools. One example is Vagrant, which automates the **creation of reproducible development environments**. Vagrant acts as an interface between virtualisation platforms such as VirtualBox, VMware and Hyper-V and provisioning tools such as Puppet, Chef and Ansible. ### What is the best VM software for Mac? In principle, virtualisation software allows a guest operating system to run within a host operating system. For example, you can run a Linux distribution from a Windows desktop or use Windows within a Linux environment. macOS is a special case, however, as **a macOS guest system may legally only be run on Apple hardware running macOS**. #### VMware Fusion [![Image: Screenshot of the VMware Fusion and Workstation website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/3/c/csm_vmware-website_b36e27a4b5.webp "Screenshot of the VMware Fusion and Workstation website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2026/vmware-website.jpg) VMware Fusion is the Mac version of VMware’s desktop virtualisation software; Source: https://www.vmware.com/products/desktop-hypervisor/workstation-and-fusion With [Fusion](https://www.vmware.com/products/desktop-hypervisor/workstation-and-fusion "VMware website: Fusion") from VMware, you effectively have the **Mac equivalent of the VMware Workstation product already presented**. This VM program became famous because it allowed you to run Windows on a Mac. When the virtualisation software was released in 2007, this was sensational. Nowadays, the tool has a lot more to offer. With Fusion, you can **run virtual machines (VMs) with supported Windows and Linux guest systems on a Mac** and, depending on the version and the architecture of the machine, macOS as well. On Macs with Apple Silicon, guest operating systems must be Arm versions; x86 versions cannot be run directly as virtual machines. Fusion also provides virtual networks and other features for building isolated environments for development, testing and administration. With the integrated snapshot functionality, you can **revert to safe restore points whenever needed**. The graphical user interface allows you to connect to remote vSphere and ESXi servers. #### Parallels Desktop for Mac [![Image: Screenshot of the Parallels website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/b/e/csm_parallels-website_c355b45bd6.webp "Screenshot of the Parallels website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2026/parallels-website.jpg) Parallels Desktop lets you run virtual machines on a Mac. Alongside VMware Fusion, [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/ "parallels.com: Desktop for Mac") is one of the best-known VM programs for Mac. It allows developers and other users to **run multiple operating systems on a Mac** without setting up a dual-boot configuration. Because the operating systems run side by side, there is no need to restart the Mac whenever you want to switch between them. Parallels Desktop focuses primarily on providing a Windows environment that runs alongside macOS. The virtualisation software allows you to **move and share content seamlessly between Mac and Windows**. With the so-called ‘Coherence mode’, you can even run Windows applications alongside Mac applications without displaying the full Windows desktop. #### Oracle VirtualBox [![Image: Screenshot of the VirtualBox website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/e/0/csm_virtualbox-website_39af1b6b2e.webp "Screenshot of the VirtualBox website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2026/virtualbox-website.jpg) Oracle offers VirtualBox as free and open-source virtualisation software; Source: https://www.virtualbox.org/ With [VirtualBox](https://www.virtualbox.org "virtualbox.org") from Oracle, Mac users have access to **free and open-source virtualisation software**. The VM program is particularly well suited to development, testing and smaller-scale desktop virtualisation. One of VirtualBox’s main advantages is its broad platform support, with packages available for both Intel-based Macs and Macs with Apple Silicon; on the latter, however, some features, such as 3D acceleration, are still experimental. On macOS, VirtualBox stands out for its **ease of use and flexibility**. Virtual machines can be created and managed through the graphical interface, while the VBoxManage command-line tool supports automated workflows. This is particularly useful in development and test environments, for example when several system configurations need to run in parallel or when existing VM images and preconfigured appliances are used. ### What is the best VM software for Linux? The free operating system **Linux has played a central role in the development of virtualisation technology**. Today, many of the core components required for virtualisation are built directly into the Linux kernel. As a result, Linux users can choose from a particularly wide range of VM software, including both free and open-source solutions and commercial products. #### KVM [![Image: Screenshot of the KVM website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/1/9/csm_screenshot-kvm_1389cb3723.webp "Screenshot of the KVM website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/screenshot-kvm.png) KVM is virtualisation software integrated into the Linux kernel; Source: https://www.linux-kvm.org/ The [Kernel-based Virtual Machine](https://linux-kvm.org/page/Main_Page "Project page of Linux KVM") (KVM) is **built into the Linux kernel as a core virtualisation technology**. It turns the Linux kernel into a hypervisor capable of running virtual Linux and Windows machines. In addition to x86 hardware, KVM also supports PowerPC and selected ARM processors. Where available, Intel VT-x or AMD-V hardware virtualisation is used to improve VM performance at processor level. With KVM, you can **run multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a Linux host**. Each VM is assigned its own virtual hardware, including processor cores, memory, network and graphics adapters, and storage. Standard Linux and Windows VM images can be used to set up the virtual machines. Many other Linux virtualisation tools are built on KVM, resulting in a **wide range of management interfaces**. On desktop systems, Virtual Machine Manager provides a graphical interface for managing VMs. Browser-based tools such as Kimchi and Foreman can also be used to access KVM environments, while command-line tools support automated workflows. Under the hood, KVM is commonly managed through the libvirt API. #### QEMU [![Image: Screenshot of the QEMU website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/c/3/csm_screenshot-qemu_ec7d997b80.webp "Screenshot of the QEMU website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/screenshot-qemu.png) QEMU is a powerful virtualisation tool for Linux systems; Source: https://www.qemu.org/ The [Quick Emulator (QEMU)](https://www.qemu.org/ "QEMU website") is a powerful and highly flexible virtualisation tool. In addition to **full virtualisation of x86 hardware, QEMU can emulate other processor architectures**. This makes it possible to run software compiled for processors that are not physically present in the host system. QEMU is often used together with other virtualisation technologies. The software can be **combined with hypervisors such as KVM and Xen**, and hardware acceleration can provide near-native performance for virtual machines. QEMU is available free of charge under an open-source licence. #### OpenVZ [![Image: Screenshot of the OpenVZ website](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/f/b/csm_screenshot-openvz_4f51c14031.webp "Screenshot of the OpenVZ website")](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/screenshot-openvz.png) OpenVZ is open-source virtualisation software for Linux; Source: https://openvz.org/ With [OpenVZ](https://openvz.org/ "OpenVZ website"), Linux users have access to an open-source virtualisation platform that originated from the **development of the commercial Virtuozzo software**. The name OpenVZ stands for ‘Open Virtuozzo’, and the project continues to provide an open-source foundation for Virtuozzo technologies. Unlike traditional VM software, OpenVZ does not use a hypervisor. Instead, **virtualisation takes place at operating-system level using containers**. These are not application containers in the Docker sense. OpenVZ instead runs multiple isolated operating-system environments on a shared, specially adapted Linux kernel. This approach is particularly useful for consolidating server resources. One drawback is that OpenVZ is a far more specialised solution than traditional VM software. If you need hardware virtualisation in the strict sense, KVM or QEMU is usually the better choice. This is a markdown version of: [https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/server/configuration/best-virtualisation-software/](https://www.ionos.com/en-ie/digitalguide/server/configuration/best-virtualisation-software/) for AI/LLM consumption.