18.9
Proxmox VE is an open-source server virtualization platform that manages KVM virtual machines and Linux Containers through a web interface.
Free planAndroidWebAPI
Best Virtual Machine Software in 2026
Virtual machine software lets you run guest systems inside a host, whether you are setting up a test environment, consolidating workloads, or managing virtual infrastructure. Compare host platforms and guest architecture to check compatibility with your hardware and intended systems. GPU acceleration, nested virtualization, and VM snapshots can matter for particular workloads and maintenance routines; the management…
28.3
QEMU is a free, open-source machine emulator and virtualizer for running guest operating systems or processes built for another CPU architecture.
Free planOpen sourceAPILinuxmacOS
38.3
oVirt is a free, open-source system for managing enterprise virtualization infrastructure.
Free planOpen sourceAndroidiOSWeb
- 4
KVM
KVM is an open-source virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware with Intel VT or AMD-V extensions.
Free planOpen sourceAPILinuxSelf-hosted7.9Free plan - 5
VMware Workstation Pro
VMware Workstation Pro runs virtual machines, containers, and Kubernetes clusters on a Windows or Linux computer for development, testing, and learning.
Free planLinuxSelf-hostedWindows7.2Free plan - 6
UTM
UTM is a system emulator and virtual-machine host for macOS and iOS that runs Windows, Linux, and other operating systems.
Free planiOSmacOS7.2$9.99 one-time - 7
Multipass
Multipass launches and runs cloud-style virtual machines on a workstation, making it useful for prototyping cloud deployments and creating customized…
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.9Free plan - 8
Oracle VirtualBox
LinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows6.8 - 9
Xen Project Hypervisor
Xen Project Hypervisor is a free, open-source type-1 hypervisor that runs multiple operating systems in parallel on one host.
Free planLinuxSelf-hosted6.8Free plan - 10
Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop is virtualization software for running Windows and Linux virtual machines on a Mac, so you can use Windows apps such as Excel,…
LinuxmacOSWindows6.8 - 11
Citrix XenServer
Citrix XenServer is an enterprise virtualization platform for workloads across on-premises and hybrid environments.
LinuxSelf-hostedWindows6.7 - 12
virt-manager
virt-manager is a free desktop interface for managing virtual machines through libvirt, primarily for KVM and also supporting Xen and LXC.
Free planLinuxSelf-hosted6.7Free plan - 13
GNOME Boxes
GNOME Boxes is a free Linux desktop app for creating and managing local virtual machines, then installing an operating system in one.
Free planLinux6.5Free plan - 14
Firecracker
Firecracker is open-source virtualization software for running container and function workloads in lightweight microVMs.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.5Free plan - 15
Cloud Hypervisor
Cloud Hypervisor is a free, open-source virtual machine monitor written in Rust for modern cloud workloads.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.4Free plan - 16
OpenNebula
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.3 - 17
VergeOS
VergeOS is a private cloud infrastructure operating system that combines compute, storage, networking, data protection, and automation in one code base.
WebAPISelf-hosted6.2 - 18
Scale Computing Platform
Scale Computing Platform brings virtualization, servers, storage, backup, disaster recovery, and fleet management together for edge and distributed infrastructure.
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.1 - 19
IBM PowerVM
IBM PowerVM virtualizes enterprise workloads across AIX, IBM i, and Linux environments.
LinuxSelf-hosted6.0 - 20
JamaicaVM
JamaicaVM is a runtime and development environment for building and running memory-safe realtime Java applications on embedded and mission-critical systems.
LinuxmacOSWindows6.0 - 21
HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM)
HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM) is a free, open-source virtual machine for executing programs written in Hack.
Free planLinuxSelf-hosted5.9Free plan - 22
IBM z/VM
IBM z/VM is an operating system and hypervisor for running guest servers on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE systems.
Self-hosted5.8 - 235.8
- 24
XCP-ng Center
XCP-ng Center is a free, open-source Windows management tool for XCP-ng and Citrix XenServer environments.
Windows5.6