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Best Virtual Machine Software in 2026

Running virtual machines depends on the host platforms and guest architectures you need to support, as well as how you manage them. Compare those fundamentals with GPU acceleration, nested virtualization, snapshots, and the management interface. Proxmox VE, VMware Workstation Pro, and QEMU are among the options shown. Free-plan availability and the paid starting price add cost context; weigh these listed details against your virtualization environment and the workloads you expect to run.

  1. 1

    QEMU

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    QEMU covers whole-machine and cross-architecture process emulation, with disk-image utilities included.

    9.2 Free plan Visit site
  2. 2

    KVM

    Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted

    KVM offers Linux-hosted virtualization with a broad set of documented VM features and integration options. Check that the host has the required processor extensions before choosing it.

    9.0 Free plan Visit site
  3. 3

    oVirt

    Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    oVirt offers self-hosted virtualization management with centralized storage, automation interfaces, and community support.

    8.8 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    Proxmox VE

    by Proxmox VE
    Free plan AndroidAPILinux+3

    Proxmox VE combines VM and container management with cluster, backup, and automation capabilities. Plan for per-socket subscription costs and the installer’s data-removal behavior before deployment.

    7.7 Free plan · paid from €120/yr Visit site
  5. 5

    Oracle VirtualBox

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  6. 6

    VMware Workstation Pro

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

    Workstation Pro offers local virtualization with snapshots, VM security options, and remote vSphere or ESX connections at no charge.

    7.5 Free plan Visit site
  7. 7

    Multipass

    Free plan LinuxMacWindows

    Multipass provides local virtual machines for Linux development and cloud deployment prototyping, with file sharing and cloud-init configuration.

    7.3 Free plan Visit site
  8. 8

    Xen Project Hypervisor

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    Xen offers a free hypervisor with guest isolation and a separate toolstack for managing virtual machines across hosts.

    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  9. 9

    OpenNebula

    by OpenNebula
    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Choose OpenNebula if you need a unified platform for virtualization and cloud infrastructure across on-premises, public cloud, or edge environments.

    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  10. 10

    virt-manager

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    virt-manager provides a desktop interface for virtual machine and host resource management through libvirt.

    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  11. 11

    Cloud Hypervisor

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Cloud Hypervisor provides VM lifecycle controls, device options, snapshots, and migration for Linux hosts. Check host kernel and architecture requirements against the deployment environment.

    7.0 Free plan Visit site
  12. 12

    Firecracker

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Firecracker combines microVM isolation with an API, resource controls, and a companion jailer. Check the supported host requirements and the aarch64 RTC limitation for your workload.

    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  13. 13

    GNOME Boxes

    Free plan Linux

    Boxes brings local VM setup, resource limits, snapshots, and host integration into a desktop application.

    6.8 Free plan Visit site
  14. 14

    UTM

    Free plan iPhoneMac

    UTM covers a broad range of guest architectures and virtual-machine modes, with some graphics limitations to consider. The GitHub version is free; the Mac App Store edition costs 9.99 USD once.

    6.7 Free plan Visit site
  15. 15

    HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM)

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    Choose HHVM if you need a free, open-source runtime for Hack on Linux with the Hack Typechecker included.

    6.6 Free plan Visit site
  16. 16

    Citrix XenServer

    Free trial LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

    Choose XenServer if your organization needs virtualization on dedicated x86 servers, with live migration, high availability, and GPU pass-through.

    6.2 Pricing on request · 90-day trial Visit site
  17. 17

    XCP-ng Center

    Free plan Windows

    XCP-ng Center provides host, pool, and virtual machine management for Windows, with both installer and portable options.

    6.2 Open source Visit site
  18. 18

    VergeOS

    by VergeOS
    Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb

    VergeOS combines infrastructure, data protection, and automation in one platform, with flexible hardware deployment options.

    5.8 Pricing on request · 14-day trial Visit site
  19. 19

    Parallels Desktop

    by Parallels Desktop
    Paid LinuxMacWindows

    Choose Parallels Desktop if you need to run Windows or Linux virtual machines on a supported Mac, especially when Windows apps or Windows 11 on Apple Silicon are central to your work.

    5.7 14-day trial Visit site
  20. 20

    XenServer

    by XenServer
    Free trial WindowsLinux

    XenServer covers core virtualization features with Windows and Linux guest support. The infrastructure requirement, request-based pricing and three-host trial limit should shape an evaluation.

    5.7 Pricing on request · 90-day trial Visit site
  21. 21

    JamaicaVM

    by JamaicaVM
    Free trial LinuxMacWindows

    JamaicaVM combines Java compatibility with realtime specifications, managed memory and target-specific compilation. Review supported hardware and RTOS options with aicas before licensing.

    5.7 Pricing on request Visit site
  22. 22

    Scale Computing Platform

    by Scale Computing Platform
    Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Choose Scale Computing Platform if you need combined infrastructure and centralized management across distributed or edge locations, with automation and Azure integrations.

    5.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  23. 23

    IBM z/VM

    by IBM z/VM
    Paid Self-hosted

    IBM z/VM is aimed at organizations consolidating virtualized workloads on IBM Z or LinuxONE systems.

    5.3 Visit site
  24. 24

    IBM PowerVM

    by IBM PowerVM
    Paid LinuxSelf-hosted

    IBM PowerVM combines virtualization, workload mobility, placement controls, and IBM management integrations for enterprise Power environments.

    5.2 Pricing on request Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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