VirtualBox is a free and open-source hypervisor for x86 virtualization created by Oracle. It was first released in 2007 and has grown in popularity over the years as an alternative to paid solutions like VMware Workstation. VirtualBox enables users to run multiple guest operating systems simultaneously on a single host computer. Some key capabilities include:
- Running Windows, Linux, macOS and other OSes as virtual machines
- Emulate virtual hardware like disk drives, graphics cards, etc.
- Snapshot and clone VMs for easier management
- Seamless windowing mode for running apps from different VMs
- Remote machine display and control
With its wide platform support and feature set, VirtualBox has become a popular tool for developers, testers, IT professionals and regular users looking for a free and open virtualization solution.
VirtualBox Overview
VirtualBox is an open source virtualization software package originally created by software company Innotek GmbH that allows users to run multiple guest operating systems on a host computer concurrently. It was acquired by Sun Microsystems in 2008 which was later acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2010.
Some key features of VirtualBox include:
- Ability to install and run multiple operating systems simultaneously on the same PC.
- Support for a wide range of guest operating systems including Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris.
- Free with open source license for personal and evaluation use.
- Drag and drop files between host and virtual machines.
- VM groups and cloning for efficient management of multiple VMs.
VirtualBox is popular among developers, testers, and power users who need to run different operating systems on their desktops for testing, development, and productivity purposes. It allows switching between various computing environments with ease. The free open source license makes it an appealing option compared to paid solutions like VMware Workstation.
VirtualBox Licensing
VirtualBox is an open source virtualization software originally created by Sun Microsystems and now owned by Oracle. It allows users to run multiple guest operating systems on a single physical machine. VirtualBox is normally free for personal use, but commercial and enterprise use requires purchasing a license.
According to the VirtualBox documentation, the core VirtualBox platform is offered under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2, which means it can be used for free for personal or evaluation purposes [1]. However, the VirtualBox Extension Pack which provides additional capabilities is released under the VirtualBox Personal Use and Evaluation License (PUEL). The PUEL allows free use for personal, academic, or evaluation purposes, but restricts commercial and production use unless an appropriate license is purchased.
For commercial, government, or production use, Oracle offers paid commercial licenses of VirtualBox. These allow full-featured use of VirtualBox in business environments without the restrictions of the PUEL. Commercial licenses provide support, indemnification and warranties from Oracle.
Commercial Licensing
Oracle offers two commercial licensing options for businesses that want to use VirtualBox, the VirtualBox Extension Pack Enterprise license and the VirtualBox Enterprise license.
The VirtualBox Extension Pack Enterprise license allows businesses to use VirtualBox for internal operations and commercial purposes. According to the VirtualBox licensing FAQ, this includes “commercial purposes or to operate or run a business, organization, internal IT infrastructure or other ‘productive use’.” This license includes access to the Extension Pack which provides additional capabilities.
The full VirtualBox Enterprise license provides additional capabilities beyond the Extension Pack, including commercial use rights, software updates, and premium support. The Enterprise license is required for redistribution of VirtualBox, embedding it into products, or offering it as a hosted service.
So in summary, businesses have two main options: the Extension Pack Enterprise license for internal commercial use, and the full VirtualBox Enterprise license for external distribution or embedding into commercial products and services.
Commercial License Cost
According to Oracle’s website, the cost for a commercial license of VirtualBox is based on either a Named User Plus or Socket pricing model.
The Named User Plus pricing is $50 per user. This model requires a minimum purchase of 100 users. So at the minimum amount, a VirtualBox commercial license would cost $5,000 for 100 named users.
The Socket pricing model charges per physical processor socket. The minimum purchase is 2 sockets at $500 per socket, so the minimum cost would be $1,000. Additional sockets are $250 each.
Therefore, the starting price for a basic commercial license of VirtualBox ranges from $1,000 – $5,000 depending on the pricing model and minimum purchase amount. The Named User Plus model scales up based on number of users, while the Socket model scales based on number of processor sockets.
What’s Included
The VirtualBox Commercial License provides several key benefits compared to the free, open source version of VirtualBox:
Support – Purchasing a commercial license provides access to Oracle support services. The level of support depends on the edition purchased. The Standard edition includes 12×5 support during local business hours. The Enterprise edition includes 24/7 global support with shorter response times.1
Upgrades – Commercial license holders receive major version upgrades for free during the license term. The open source version may require upgrading or migrating VMs with each major release.2
New Features – Commercial editions include access to the closed source VirtualBox Extension Pack which adds important functionality like USB 2.0/3.0 device support, VirtualBox RDP, disk encryption and more. These features are not available in the open source version.3
Alternatives to VirtualBox
While VirtualBox is a popular open source virtualization platform, there are other options available. Some popular alternatives include:
VMware Workstation Pro – A proprietary desktop virtualization software that allows you to run multiple operating systems as virtual machines. Offers great performance and advanced features for developers and IT professionals.
Microsoft Hyper-V – Hyper-V is Microsoft’s native virtualization tool included with Windows. It allows you to create and run virtual machines locally or on a remote server.
QEMU – An open source virtualizer that performs hardware virtualization for running virtual machines. Runs on Linux, Windows and macOS.
These alternatives provide similar functionality as VirtualBox in terms of running virtual machines. Choosing between them depends on your specific needs and technical requirements. VMware Workstation Pro offers premium features for heavy virtualization use, while Hyper-V and QEMU are free options.
Comparison of Options
When deciding on VirtualBox vs other virtualization options like VMware or Proxmox, there are pros and cons to consider for each platform:
Pros of VirtualBox:
- Free and open source software
- Available for Windows, macOS, Linux
- Easy to get started for simple needs
Cons of VirtualBox:
- Limited features compared to paid options
- No enterprise-level support
- Not ideal for production environments
Pros of VMware:
- Industry-leading features and performance
- Wide array of products for various needs
- Great for enterprise use
Cons of VMware:
- Expensive licensing costs
- Complex products with steep learning curve
- Overkill for simple personal use
Pros of Proxmox:
- Open source and flexible
- Built for enterprise use
- Lower cost than VMware
Cons of Proxmox:
- Steeper learning curve than VirtualBox
- Not as feature-rich as VMware
- Smaller user community than alternatives
Overall, VirtualBox strikes a good balance between features and ease of use for personal use cases, while VMware and Proxmox offer more robust options for enterprise environments.
Recommendations
VirtualBox is the most popular and versatile virtualization software available for free. It provides an extensive set of features for both personal and commercial uses. While the open-source community edition can be used for free without restrictions, Oracle also offers paid commercial licensing options that include additional support, features, and certifications.
The VMware Workstation Player offers similar capabilities as VirtualBox, and can be used for free for non-commercial purposes. For commercial usage, VMware Workstation Pro requires a paid license subscription starting at $249 per year.
Here are some recommendations for the best virtual machine software based on specific needs:
- For personal use on Windows desktops, VirtualBox Community Edition is the top free option.
- For commercial use on Windows, the paid VirtualBox Enterprise license provides official support and additional features.
- For Apple users, VMware Fusion provides a polished OSX experience.
- For large enterprise deployments, VMware vSphere offers robust virtualization management.
- For lightweight portability, VMware Workstation Player is a leading choice.
Evaluating business needs and IT infrastructure requirements is important when selecting the right virtualization software. The free open source products can meet many basic needs, while commercial licenses provide additional capabilities for more demanding use cases.
Conclusion
In summary, VirtualBox offers both a PUEL (Personal Use and Evaluation License) free edition as well as paid commercial licenses for enterprise use. The PUEL edition is great for personal and evaluation use. For companies and organizations needing full commercial use, support, and additional features, pricing starts at around $50 per year for the VirtualBox Enterprise license. This provides maintenance releases, priority support, and certification for supported host and guest operating systems. For even more capabilities, the VirtualBox Extension Packs provide added functionality like USB 2.0/3.0 support, virtual disk encryption, and more.
When evaluating commercial virtualization platforms, VirtualBox Enterprise provides an affordable option compared to VMware and Hyper-V. For open source virtualization, VirtualBox is a top choice along with options like KVM and Xen. Overall, VirtualBox provides a versatile, cross-platform virtualization solution for everything from home labs to enterprise data centers. With both free and paid options, it delivers an approachable yet powerful hypervisor for running production workloads or evaluating operating systems.