Virtual machines (VMs) are software emulations of a computer system that behave like a physical computer. They run their own operating systems and programs like a real machine. VMs are created within a physical server and share the server’s resources with other VMs. This allows companies to run multiple virtual “computers” on just one physical server.
VMs are important in today’s IT infrastructure because they provide many benefits over physical hardware:
- Cost savings from reduced hardware needs
- Improved disaster recovery and backup capabilities
- Increased scalability and efficiency
- Isolation and security between VMs
- Portability between servers
Major virtualization platforms like VMware and VirtualBox make it easy for businesses to take advantage of these VMs. This article compares the two solutions.
Background on VirtualBox
VirtualBox was originally developed by Innotek GmbH and first released in 2007. According to the VirtualBox documentation, “On January 17, 2007, Innotek GmbH, a software company based in Aufkirchen near Starnberg in Germany, launched VirtualBox Open Source Edition (OSE), the first version of its free and open-source hosted hypervisor for x86 computers.”
In January 2008, Sun Microsystems acquired Innotek GmbH and continued to develop VirtualBox. In 2010, Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems and VirtualBox became an Oracle product. Since then, Oracle has continued to actively develop and maintain VirtualBox.
Some key historical milestones for VirtualBox include:
- January 2007 – Version 1.0 released as open source by Innotek
- February 2008 – Version 1.5 gains support for 64-bit guest operating systems
- November 2009 – Version 3.1 adds support for Windows 7 and Mac OS X guests
- December 2010 – Version 4.0 gains support for virtual SMP with up to 32 virtual CPUs
So in summary, VirtualBox originated as an open source project by Innotek in Germany, before being acquired by Sun and then Oracle over the following few years.
Background on VMware
VMware was founded in 1998 by Diane Greene, Mendel Rosenblum, Scott Devine, Edward Wang and Edouard Bugnion. Rosenblum and his graduate students originally started working on virtualization technology at Stanford University in the 1990s which eventually led to the formation of VMware. The VMware virtualization software, first released in 1999, allowed users to run multiple operating systems at the same time on x86 computers. This early product, VMware Workstation, marked the beginning of VMware’s business focused on virtualization technology.
In 2007, VMware went public with an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was later acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, then sold to Dell in 2016. Today, VMware continues to be a leader in virtualization and cloud computing with a wide range of enterprise products and services.
Features
VirtualBox is an open-source, free virtualization software developed by Oracle that runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and Solaris hosts. Some key features of VirtualBox include:
According to the VMware vs VirtualBox: What is the Difference? article, VirtualBox offers a user-friendly graphical user interface, supports 3D virtualization for games and CAD software, allows sharing folders between host and guest OS, has snapshots to save VM states, and has extension packs to add more functionality.
VMware, on the other hand, is a commercial virtualization software that also runs on major platforms. Some notable VMware features include:
As stated in the VirtualBox vs VMware | Choosing the Best Virtualization Tool review, VMware provides advanced networking and storage options, has vMotion to migrate VMs between hosts, integrates with cloud services, offers disaster recovery solutions, and has more robust performance and scalability.
Performance
When it comes to performance, VMware generally outperforms VirtualBox in terms of speed, efficiency, and resource usage according to VirtualBox vs VMware. VMware utilizes more advanced virtualization techniques and optimizations that allow it to operate guest VMs with lower overhead. For example, one benchmark test showed that CPU performance for a Windows 10 VM was about 15% faster in VMware compared to VirtualBox.
VMware also tends to use memory and storage more efficiently. In the same benchmark test, the Windows 10 VM used 25% less RAM in VMware. This allows more VMs to run simultaneously with fewer performance impacts. VMware’s storage drivers and cache management also reduce I/O bottlenecks that can affect performance.
That said, for less demanding workloads, VirtualBox can provide adequate performance, especially if running on top of a native hypervisor like KVM. But for intensive workloads or maximizing hardware resources, VMware is better optimized for performance according to Kvm vs virtualbox vs vmware performance. So for production environments, VMware is generally preferable.
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use, there are some differences between VirtualBox and VMware. VirtualBox is generally considered slightly easier to get started with, especially for beginners. The setup process for VirtualBox is fairly straightforward, allowing users to get up and running relatively quickly. VMware can involve a more complex initial setup, including product activation and configuration. However, VMware offers more robust management tools and wizards to simplify various processes like creating and configuring virtual machines. So for basic use cases, VirtualBox may be simpler, but VMware provides tools to make complex configurations more manageable.
Compatibility
When it comes to compatibility, both VirtualBox and VMware support a wide range of operating systems and hardware configurations. However, there are some differences worth noting.
For operating systems, VirtualBox supports Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, and FreeBSD as host and guest machines. VMware supports the same host operating systems, but has a broader range of supported guest operating systems including older versions of Windows, Linux distributions, BSD, and Unix. So VMware has an edge when running older or more obscure guest operating systems.
In terms of hardware, VirtualBox supports a wide range of CPUs, but is limited to 128 GB RAM per virtual machine. VMware supports up to 4 TB of RAM per virtual machine, making it preferable for running memory-intensive applications or workloads. For storage, VirtualBox maxes out at 2 TB per virtual disk, while VMware supports 62 TB virtual disks. So again, VMware has greater scalability for storage and memory.
When it comes to networking, VirtualBox uses its own custom networking driver while VMware integrates with the host’s networking stack. This can give VMware an advantage in network performance.
Finally, for graphics and acceleration, VirtualBox has basic 2D/3D acceleration available. VMware offers a wider range of graphics acceleration options, like DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3, for better performance of graphically intensive applications.
So in summary, while both offer good compatibility, VMware supports a broader range of use cases with its ability to handle legacy and obscure guest operating systems, along with higher scalability for memory, storage and graphics requirements.
Cost
VirtualBox is free open-source software while VMware offers paid proprietary software. VirtualBox can be downloaded and used at no cost while VMware has various paid versions and licenses to access their software. According to VMware vs VirtualBox: Which Is Best For You? (2023 …), VMware has several pricing tiers ranging from a free personal license to enterprise and cloud versions that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per CPU. The free VirtualBox, on the other hand, has no limits on usage. So VirtualBox offers more flexibility and lower cost for personal and small business use, while VMware is oriented toward larger enterprises that need advanced features and support.
Security
Security is a critical consideration when choosing between VirtualBox and VMware. Overall, VMware tends to have a stronger security posture and track record.
VMware implements more advanced security features out of the box, like encrypted virtual machines, secure boot for VMs, and built-in host firewalls. VMware also has a dedicated security team that rapidly responds to vulnerabilities and issues patches and security advisories on a regular basis (https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories.html).
In comparison, VirtualBox has had some notable vulnerabilities over the years, like CVE-2014-0983 and CVE-2014-8102 which allowed VMs to escape and execute malicious code on the host. Oracle has addressed reported VirtualBox vulnerabilities, but response times have occasionally been slow. The open source nature of VirtualBox can make it a larger target for attackers as well (https://vulners.com/openvas/OPENVAS:1361412562310814660).
For enterprise deployments or high security needs, VMware provides greater assurance. But for personal use or testing, VirtualBox may still be sufficient if proper precautions are taken.
Conclusion
In summary, VirtualBox and VMware have some key differences:
- VirtualBox is free and open source, while VMware Workstation is paid software.
- VMware generally has better performance and compatibility with more operating systems.
- VirtualBox is simpler and easier to get started with for basic home/personal use.
For most home and basic business use cases, VirtualBox provides a solid free virtualization solution. The setup is straightforward, and it can run lightweight guest OSes smoothly. However, for enterprise environments or more demanding tasks, VMware Workstation is worth the cost for its superior compatibility, speed, and features.
Overall, VirtualBox hits the sweet spot for personal use, while VMware leads for business/professional needs. Consider your specific use case and requirements when choosing between these two capable VM solutions. Both have their merits and provide off-the-shelf virtualization for running guest operating systems conveniently on a host desktop or laptop.