{
 "schemaVersion": 1,
 "generated": "2026-10-30",
 "dataLicense": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
 "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
 "notice": "Data from Open Source Everything (https://opensourceeverything.org), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: use it freely, credit the site, link to the page, and share changes under the same license. Listings were drafted with AI assistance and are managed by the r/TrueOpenSource moderators; check a project's own page before relying on a fact.",
 "id": "virtual-machines",
 "name": "Virtual machines",
 "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/g/virtual-machines/",
 "category": "selfhost",
 "categoryName": "Home servers & security",
 "job": "Running other operating systems inside your computer or server",
 "closedApps": [
  "VMware Workstation / vSphere",
  "Parallels Desktop"
 ],
 "coverage": null,
 "alternatives": [
  {
   "id": "virt-manager",
   "name": "virt-manager",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/virt-manager/",
   "summary": "virt-manager is a graphical program that lets you create, run and manage virtual machines, which are computers running inside another computer. It is aimed at people and system administrators who want to run other operating systems on a Linux machine or server.",
   "kind": "app",
   "setup": "easy",
   "setupWhy": "Install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser.",
   "platforms": [
    "linux"
   ],
   "license": "GPL-2.0",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 3298,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager",
   "website": "https://virt-manager.org",
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "virt-manager",
   "rank": 1,
   "fit": "full",
   "note": null,
   "why": "Does the whole job · Easy setup",
   "score": 69.6
  },
  {
   "id": "virtualbox",
   "name": "VirtualBox",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/virtualbox/",
   "summary": "VirtualBox is a free program that lets you run other operating systems, such as Windows or Linux, inside your current computer as a separate virtual machine. It is made for everyday users, laptops, desktops and servers, and for people who need to test software.",
   "kind": "app",
   "setup": "easy",
   "setupWhy": "Install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser.",
   "platforms": [
    "windows",
    "mac",
    "linux"
   ],
   "license": "GPL-3.0",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 1460,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/VirtualBox/virtualbox",
   "website": "https://www.virtualbox.org",
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "virtualbox",
   "rank": 2,
   "fit": "full",
   "note": null,
   "why": "Does the whole job · Easy setup",
   "score": 66.5
  },
  {
   "id": "utm",
   "name": "UTM",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/utm/",
   "summary": "UTM is a free app that lets you run other operating systems, such as Windows or Linux, inside your Apple device like a Mac, iPhone or iPad. It is aimed at everyday people who want to use another system alongside their own.",
   "kind": "app",
   "setup": "easy",
   "setupWhy": "Install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser.",
   "platforms": [
    "mac",
    "linux",
    "ios"
   ],
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 36568,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/utmapp/UTM",
   "website": "https://mac.getutm.app",
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "utm",
   "rank": 3,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Runs on Apple devices only; no VMware vSphere server use mentioned.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Easy setup",
   "score": 42.7
  },
  {
   "id": "incus",
   "name": "Incus",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/incus/",
   "summary": "Incus is software that runs full Linux systems inside containers or virtual machines on a computer or server, letting it act like a small private cloud. It is aimed at system administrators, IT staff and developers who manage servers or set up test environments.",
   "kind": "self_hosted",
   "setup": "advanced",
   "setupWhy": "You run it on your own server (a computer you set up and keep running), or from the command line.",
   "platforms": [
    "windows",
    "mac",
    "linux",
    "server"
   ],
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 6513,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/lxc/incus",
   "website": "https://linuxcontainers.org/incus",
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "incus",
   "rank": 4,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Runs virtual machines, but it is mainly a server-style manager, not a desktop app like VMware Workstation or Parallels.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Advanced setup",
   "score": 31.4
  }
 ],
 "source": "https://opensourceeverything.org/g/virtual-machines/",
 "group": "Virtual machines",
 "replaces": [
  "VMware Workstation / vSphere",
  "Parallels Desktop"
 ]
}