Virtualbox vs VMware: Direct Comparison
Introduction
Virtualization has become standard for testing software and operating systems, used by everyone from hobbyists to developers. Server virtualization enables multiple operating systems to run on the same physical hardware, reducing the need for physical dedicated servers.
A hypervisor creates the virtualization layer that separates the guest machine from the underlying operating system, emulating resources so guest operating systems believe they are using all physical resources. They are unaware of the host OS or other VMs sharing the same resources.
There are two types of hypervisors:
Type 1 bare metal hypervisors, installed directly on the physical server.
Type 2 (hosted) hypervisors, installed on top of the host operating system.
While type 1 is better suited for large production environments, hosted hypervisors are used for VMs on personal computers. The most popular type 2 hypervisor software are VirtualBox and VMware.
This tutorial will teach you the differences between VirtualBox and VMware.
What is VirtualBox?
VirtualBox is Oracle's virtualization software for x86 and AMD64/Intel64 architectures. It is a free, open-source product, distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.
The software allows virtual machines to run on your host operating system and enables a managed connection between the VMs and the host if necessary.
VirtualBox can be run on Linux, Windows, Mac OS, and Oracle Solaris.
In 2010, Oracle released the VirtualBox Extension Pack, a closed-source package with additional features, including support for USB2/USB3 and RDP.
What is VMware?
VMware offers a variety of virtualization products. VMware Workstation Player is a complimentary x64 virtualization software intended for non-commercial use. The company emphasizes that this free version is designed for students and educators. For commercial use of the Player, a commercial license for Workstation Player must be purchased.
This software is utilized for creating and managing virtual machines, although it is most effective when operating a single VM. The free virtualization software can be installed on hosts running Linux or Windows operating systems.
For more feature-rich virtualization software suitable for larger-scale projects, consider exploring Workstation Pro.
VirtualBox Vs. VMware: Comparison Table
Comparison | VirtualBox | VMware | |
Software Virtualization | Yes | No | |
Hardware Virtualization | Yes | Yes | |
Host Operating Systems | Linux, Windows, Solaris, macOS, FreeBSD | Linux, Windows + macOS (requires VMware Fusion) | |
Guest Operating Systems | Linux, Windows, Solaris, macOS, FreeBSD | Linux, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD + macOS (with VMware Fusion) | |
User Interface | Graphical User Interface (GLI) and Command Line Interface (CLI) | Graphical User Interface (GLI) and Command Line Interface (CLI) | |
Snapshots | Yes | Snapshots only supported on paid virtualization products, not on VMware Workstation Player | |
Virtual Disk Format | VDI, VMDK, VHD, HDD | VMDK | |
Virtual Disk Allocation Type | Preallocated: fixed disks; Dynamically allocated: dynamically allocated disks; | Preallocated: provisioned disks; Dynamically allocated: thin provisioned disks; | |
Virtual Network Models | Not attached, NAT, NAT Network, Bridged adapter, Internal network, Host-only adapter, Generic (UDP, VDE) | NAT, Bridged, Host-only + Virtual network editor (on VMware workstation and Fusion Pro) | |
USB Devices Support | USB 2.0/3.0 support requires the Extension Pack (free) | Out of the box USB device support | |
3D Graphics | Up to OpenGL 3.0 and Direct3D 9; Max of 128 MB of video memory; 3D acceleration enabled manually | Up to OpenGL 3.3, DirectX 10; Max of 2GB of video memory; 3D acceleration enabled by default | |
Integrations | VMDK, Microsoft’s VHD, HDD, QED, Vagrant, Docker | Requires additional conversion utility for more VM types; VMware VSphere and Cloud Air (on VMware Workstation) | |
VirtualBox Guest Additions vs. VMware Tools | Installed with the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso file | Install with a .iso file used for the given VM (linux.iso, windows.iso, etc.) | |
API for Developers | API and SDK | Different APIs and SDKs | |
Cost and Licenses | Free, under the GNU General Public License | VMware Workstation Player is free, while other VMware products require a paid license |
Software and Hardware Virtualization
VirtualBox supports software virtualization, whereas VMware does not.
Software virtualization involves emulating a complete computer system, enabling the execution of guest systems on top of it. This approach allows for running virtual machines that utilize a different platform than the host. However, it typically results in reduced performance compared to hardware virtualization.
Both VirtualBox and VMware support hardware virtualization.
Hardware virtualization involves emulating hardware devices from the host. By executing code directly on the hardware, it significantly enhances virtual machine performance.
To leverage hardware virtualization:
The host machine must be equipped with Intel VT-x or AMD-V CPU features.
Hardware virtualization must be enabled in UEFI/BIOS.
Only guests using the same platform as the host can be run.
Operating Systems
The choice between the two virtualization platforms may depend on your host OS. VirtualBox is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, while VMware has certain limitations.
VirtualBox can be installed on Linux, Windows, Solaris, macOS, and FreeBSD.
VMware Player and VMware Workstation operate on Linux and Windows. For macOS, VMware Fusion/Fusion Pro is required.
Both options support most guest operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Solaris, macOS, and FreeBSD. The primary distinction is that VMware necessitates VMware Fusion/Fusion Pro to run macOS virtual machines.
User Interface (UI)
VirtualBox offers a graphical user interface (GUI) and a command line interface (CLI) known as VBoxManage. The CLI enables virtual machine management through the host command line, providing a broader range of features.
VMware offers both a graphical user interface and a command line interface (vmware). The VMware Workstation provides a more comprehensive set of UI features than the more basic VMware Player GUI.
Snapshots
Snapshots enable you to preserve the state of a virtual machine and restore it at a later time.
When a snapshot is taken, a copy of the VM disk file (VMDK) is saved. Multiple snapshots can be created for a virtual machine whether it is running, paused, or powered off. Although there is no official limit on the number of snapshots, excessive use may degrade VM performance.
It is possible to create numerous snapshots of the same virtual machine, each with its own differencing virtual disk. This capability is particularly useful for testing, as it allows easy reversion to a specific state.
VirtualBox supports snapshots, whereas VMware offers this feature only in its paid virtualization products, not in the free VMware Player.
Virtual Disk
Similar to other hardware, virtual disks that contain VM data can be emulated.
Format
Virtualization platforms may vary based on the virtual disk format they support.
VirtualBox supports:
Virtual Disk Image (VDI) – used by default
Virtual Machine DisK (VMDK) – developed by VMware
Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) – developed by Microsoft
Conversely, VMware supports:
Virtual Machine DisK (VMDK)
Thus, VirtualBox offers greater versatility in terms of disk format.
Allocation Type
Virtual disks can be pre-allocated or dynamically allocated.
When a virtual disk is pre-allocated, a specific amount of storage is reserved for the VM, which cannot be used by the host or other guest machines.
Dynamically allocated virtual disks do not initially occupy a fixed amount of space. They expand as needed, up to their designated maximum size.
VirtualBox supports both pre-allocated (referred to as fixed) and dynamically allocated (referred to as allocated) virtual disks.
VMware also supports pre-allocated (known as thick provisioned) and dynamically allocated (referred to as thin provisioned).
Virtual Network Modes
Each network adapter for your virtual machine can be configured individually to operate in the desired network mode.
VirtualBox offers the following network modes:
Not attached
Network Address Translation (NAT)
NAT Network
Bridged networking
Internal networking
Host-only networking
Generic networking
UDP Tunnel
Virtual Distributed Ethernet (VDE)
For a comprehensive overview of each network mode, please consult Oracle’s official VirtualBox manual.
VMware supports:
Network Address Translation (NAT)
Host-only networking
Virtual network editor (available on VMware Workstation and Fusion Pro)
USB Devices Support
USB devices can be connected to a guest machine by attaching them to the host. Both VirtualBox and VMware support USB devices.
VirtualBox supports USB 1.0, and requires the installation of the VirtualBox Extension Pack for USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 support.
VMware allows the use of up to two USB devices, with the USB port enabled by default. Support for USB 2.0 and 3.0 largely depends on the host machine.
3D Graphics
VirtualBox requires manual activation of 3D acceleration on the virtual machine for 3D graphics support, with capabilities up to OpenGL 3.0 and Direct3D 9. Video memory is limited to 128 MB.
VMware excels in 3D graphics support, offering DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3 support across all products, with up to 2 GB of video memory.
Integrations
In addition to various virtual disk formats (VMDK, VHD, HDD, and QED), VirtualBox provides integration tools such as Vagrant and Docker.
VMware does not support as many disk formats. Running virtual machines in formats other than VMware’s VMDK requires an additional conversion utility. VMware integrates with VMware vSphere and Cloud Air, but only for VMware Workstation.
VirtualBox Guest Additions and VMware Tools
Enhance the performance of VirtualBox VMs by installing Guest Additions, which include device drivers and system applications installed within the VM.
Install VirtualBox Guest Additions using the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso file on any guest operating system. Each VirtualBox version has a corresponding Guest Additions version. Features include seamless windows, shared folders, mouse pointer integration, shared clipboard, time synchronization, and more.
VMware offers VMware Tools for improving guest operating systems. Unlike Guest Additions, VMware Tools have separate ISO images for each supported OS (linux.iso, windows.iso, solaris.iso, etc.) stored in the application directory.
Without this utility, VM performance lacks features such as high video resolution, display of network speed, copy-paste, and drag-and-drop options.
API for Developers
To develop applications that interact with virtual machines, both platforms offer APIs and SDKs. Additionally, VMware Workstation provides features like the Eclipse plugin and VMware Studio.
Cost and Licenses
VirtualBox is a free, open-source virtualization software available under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2, suitable for personal, educational, or commercial use without additional fees. The Extension Pack is also free.
VMware offers several virtualization products:
VMware Player is free for personal and educational use. A $149.99 license is required for commercial use.
VMware Workstation Pro is designed for large-scale businesses and projects, with a licensing fee of $199.00.
VMware Fusion (for macOS hosts) has a one-time licensing fee of $159.99.
Selection Criteria
The primary distinction between the two platforms lies in their licensing terms:
VirtualBox is available free of charge and is open-source.
VMware is complimentary for personal use only. However, the free version intended for personal and educational purposes offers limited functionality, such as the absence of support for clones and snapshots.
If performance is a crucial consideration for your specific needs, purchasing a VMware license would be a more prudent decision. VMware’s virtual machines exhibit superior performance compared to those of VirtualBox. Although this difference may be less apparent on a smaller scale, it significantly affects performance in enterprise-level projects.
Your choice should be guided by the specific requirements of your virtual machines. For example, do you prioritize a wider range of virtual disk format options or enhanced 3D graphics? Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, necessitating a careful evaluation of individual features.
Based on their attributes, we recommend the following virtualization platforms for the respective use cases:
For those seeking a cost-free solution, consider:
VirtualBox
For educational applications, consider:
VirtualBox
VMware Workstation Player
For smaller projects, consider:
VirtualBox
For mid-sized projects, consider:
VirtualBox
VMware Workstation Pro
For large-scale projects, consider:
VMware Workstation Pro
For enterprises prioritizing high performance, consider:
VMware ESXi
Conclusion
This article offered an in-depth comparison of VirtualBox and VMware, two top virtualization platforms.
Consider all pertinent factors to make a choice that aligns with your particular needs.
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