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VirtualBox for Mac

  • Free

  • In English
  • V 7.0.97
  • 3.4

    (338)
  • Security Status

Softonic review

A free virtualization tool

VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization tool that can help you create an emulated machine on your Windows computer. The application is fully customizable and offers high performance and flexibility. Even though VirtualBox doesn’t have a very user-friendly interface or an abundance of automated functions, it’s one of the most-sought after virtualization software by tech-savvy users.

With VirtualBox, you can run multiple operating systems on your computer simultaneously. These operating systems aren’t limited to Windows and also include macOS, Linux, and Oracle Solaris. A few VirtualBox alternatives that offer similar features are VMware Workstation Pro, Microsoft Virtual PC, VMware Player, and Parallels Desktop

What is VirtualBox used for?

VirtualBox, developed by Oracle, is an open-source but powerful AMD64/Intel64 and x86 virtualization software. With its help, users can develop, test, demonstrate and deploy applications and features across different operating systems without needing more than one desktop. Considering the flexibility that the software offers, it’s suitable for both individuals and large-scale businesses

Unfortunately for beginners, this application can come across as difficult. That is because it requires technical skills to configure various functions. However, once you do get started, the software will turn out to be a great addition to your computer’s utility tools. To make things easier, VirtualBox provides various manuals that you can refer to when you get started.

What are the features of VirtualBox?

One of the best features of VirtualBox is that it offers high-end security. The virtualization engine comes with a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) authentication that helps in boosting security, performing safe migrations, and encrypting disk images. It also includes an SDK that can provide you with additional authentication requirements for maximum security. 

Another feature that makes VirtualBox stand out is that it is the only professional tool that is open-source and free. If you’re looking for a high-end virtualization software that includes all functions needed to create multiple operating systems - this could be the only free yet feature-rich choice that you have. 

Additionally, VirtualBox provides up to 32 virtual CPUs for each virtual machine that you create. This ensures smooth operations and flawless transition from one machine to another. Hosts can get the power of 1024 CPUs if required. In case you have trouble with any function, you can easily rely on a dedicated community that is active online and ready to help. 

Furthermore, the application can be controlled using a command-line interface. It supports all features that are available on the dashboard, along with additional tools that aren’t easy to access from the primary interface. Oracle also continues to provide new features and updates to keep VirtualBox at par with other professional virtualization tools. 

Does VirtualBox have any drawbacks?

Compared with paid virtualization tools, VirtualBox does have a few drawbacks. For instance, the application doesn’t offer a robust integration between the host operating system and the VirtualBox guest additions. While there are tools that let you drop files from one OS to another, VirtualBox doesn’t offer such a feature and does things the old-fashioned way. 

In addition to this, VirtualBox doesn’t offer any additional technical support. Apart from a community of online users that answer questions, there is no one-stop solution for any issues that you may face. Paid virtualization tools, on the other hand, offer robust support so that you never get stuck while working. 

Is VirtualBox free?

As mentioned earlier, VirtualBox is free to download and use. You can use the application to create multiple operating systems and perform additional tasks like 3D visualization, multi-screen viewing, and testing and development. The app also offers various configuration options that can help tech-savvy users customize the tool based on their preferences. 

Platform-specific improvements

In its latest iteration, version 7.0 of VirtualBox rolls out several key fixes and enhancements across platforms. Windows hosts see improvements in audio device switching with additional fixes integrated for smoother transitions using the WAS backend. Exporting VMs with NVMe storage is now a breeze, and forgotten touch events on Windows are a thing of the past. macOS hosts gain support for newer storage devices, and Linux guests enjoy kernel upgrades. Solaris guests benefit from streamlined installations. With fixes for BIOS quirks and RDP crashes and improved 3D capabilities, this update guarantees a seamless virtual experience.

Should I download VirtualBox?

If you’re looking for virtualization software that offers professional-grade features at no cost, then look no further and download VirtualBox. Developed by Oracle, VirtualBox download for Windows lets users create multiple operating systems on one machine. Thanks to this feature, users can easily test, develop and deploy cross-platform applications without switching between different computers. The powerful application also offers high-end security and is a great option for tech-savvy users who can configure the tool as per their liking. 

VirtualBox is a free alternative to visualization software such as Parallels and VMWare. Although it may not be as polished, its generally an excellent free solution to what can be an expensive problem.

VirtualBox allows you to install an alternative operating system on your Mac such as Windows, Linux, Solaris and just about any other OS you can think of. VirtualBox is considerably lighter than more well known packages such as Parallels and setting up a new OS is very simple and straightforward. VirtualBox guides you through the whole process step-by-step.

Integration with your native environment is straightforward although not as slick as Parallels. VirtualBox allows you to define 'shared folders', which can then be accessed from within the operating system you're running in VirtualBox. However, you have to install a "Guest" add-on first (which only takes a few seconds) and it's not made very clear how you actually access the shared folders once you've set them up. There is no drag-and-drop function from your native desktop into VirtualBox but considering it's free, you really can't complain.

When it comes to USB devices, VirtualBox automatically detects new ones and asks you if you wish to use them. Internet connections should work instantly after installation as VirtualBox automatically configures it for net access.

If you don't want to pay for Parallels or VMWare, and only need a virtual environment for ocassional use, VirtualBox is an excellent solution.

VMM: more work on improving the emulation of certain MSR registers (e.g. bugs #12224, #12544) VMM: fixed a VERR_INVALID_RPL Guru Meditation when booting certain guests (bug #11350) VMM: experimental support for SSE 4.1 / SSE 4.2 passthrough, see the manual for more information how to enable it (bug #8651) VMM: fix for recent Linux kernels with software virtualization GUI: experimental HID LEDs synchronization for Windows hosts, see the manual for more information GUI: warn the user if the Oracle Extension Pack is not installed and the user tries to activate the remote display feature (bug #9104) GUI: make sure that a minimized guest (using mini toolbar in fullscreen/seamless mode) keeps the minimized state (bug #12199) GUI: popup banner's "do not show this message again" check-box replaced with corresponding button GUI: network adapter cables can now be connected/disconnected directly through the running virtual machine Devices / Network menu a Network status-bar indicator GUI: the new VM wizard now proposes 64-bit guests on 64-bit hosts by default; better distinction between 32-bit OS types 64-bit OS types (bug #12533) GUI: better error message if appliance import fails (bug #12657) GUI: allow to set host-combination to 'None' using the Global settings / Input page (bug #12730) GUI: don't switch the guest to a black screen during online snapshot merge (4.3 regression) VBoxManage: when exporting an appliance, support the suppression of MAC addresses, which means they will be always recreated on import, avoiding duplicate MAC addresses for VMs which are imported several times AHCI: fixed a VM hang during suspend under certain circumstances AHCI: fixed a VM hang during online snapshot merge under certain circumstances AHCI: fixed a bug which resulted in Windows XP guest hangs if a SATA CDROM is attached (bug #12417) AHCI: fixed a Guru Meditation under certain conditions AHCI: ejecting a CD/DVD medium failed under certain conditions AHCI: disk hotplugging fixes NAT: transparent handling of host sleep/resume and network configuration changes if the dnsproxy is enabled or if the hostresolver is used (bug #12441) NAT: fixed crash and misbehaviour under some circumstances with ICMP packets having TTL=1 NAT Network: fixed IPv6 reassembly NAT Network: ping proxy implemented OVF: fixed reading of the OVF 0.9 section element (4.3 regression; bug #12345) OVF: several fixes 3D: several fixes, multiscreen fixes (e.g. bug #9124) 3D: include 3D content in captured videos (bug #12666) 3D: include 3D content in captured screenshot (bug #11758) VGA: proper handling of legacy graphics modes if the Guest Additions are active (bug #6649) USB: fixed crash during isochronous transfer under rare circumstances BIOS: better disk geometry handling of SCSI drives API: fix crashes in Java API clients using the XPCOM binding, happened with output parameters only (bug #11232) VBoxSVC: documented the handling of host power management events (see the manual for more information) and added an extradata item for configuring the handling of the battery-low event (bug #9925) VBoxSVC: fixed a bug which could trigger a crash if a VM snapshot was restored the second time and the VM has associated bandwidth groups (bug #12569) VBoxSVC: properly detect ifconfig if located in /bin (bug #12713) Shared Folders: fixed a failure to restore transient shared folders when starting a VM from a saved state (bug #12578) Mac OS X hosts: fixed issue when the application icon was frozen in the dock if the bridging interface was not connected to a network (bug #12241) Linux hosts: also consider the physical package ID when determining the number of physical CPU cores Linux hosts / guests: don't warn in kernel log if memory allocation fails (bug #11171) Solaris hosts: fixed the autostart SMF script (bug #11720) Windows hosts: fixes for non-ANSI code page user names and similar environment contents (bug #12596) Windows hosts / guests: fixed setting and using a guest user's process environment variables (relevant for Guest Control) Windows Additions: fixed handle leaks in VBoxTray (bug #12563) Windows Additions: fixed a crash while detecting active guest users Windows Additions: fixed restoring backed up D3D files on XPDM -> WDDM upgrade Guest Control: fixed setting and using a guest user's process environment variables Linux Additions: support Enterprise Linux 6.5 kernels (bug #12505) Linux Additions: fixed CPU hot-remove on newer Linux kernels Linux / Solaris Additions: don't automount a shared folder which is already mounted X11 Additions: support X.Org Server 1.15 (bug #12623)

Changes

  • VMM: more work on improving the emulation of certain MSR registers (e.g. bugs #12224, #12544) VMM: fixed a VERR_INVALID_RPL Guru Meditation when booting certain guests (bug #11350) VMM: experimental support for SSE 4.1 / SSE 4.2 passthrough, see the manual for more information how to enable it (bug #8651) VMM: fix for recent Linux kernels with software virtualization GUI: experimental HID LEDs synchronization for Windows hosts, see the manual for more information GUI: warn the user if the Oracle Extension Pack is not installed and the user tries to activate the remote display feature (bug #9104) GUI: make sure that a minimized guest (using mini toolbar in fullscreen/seamless mode) keeps the minimized state (bug #12199) GUI: popup banner's "do not show this message again" check-box replaced with corresponding button GUI: network adapter cables can now be connected/disconnected directly through the running virtual machine Devices / Network menu a Network status-bar indicator GUI: the new VM wizard now proposes 64-bit guests on 64-bit hosts by default; better distinction between 32-bit OS types 64-bit OS types (bug #12533) GUI: better error message if appliance import fails (bug #12657) GUI: allow to set host-combination to 'None' using the Global settings / Input page (bug #12730) GUI: don't switch the guest to a black screen during online snapshot merge (4.3 regression) VBoxManage: when exporting an appliance, support the suppression of MAC addresses, which means they will be always recreated on import, avoiding duplicate MAC addresses for VMs which are imported several times AHCI: fixed a VM hang during suspend under certain circumstances AHCI: fixed a VM hang during online snapshot merge under certain circumstances AHCI: fixed a bug which resulted in Windows XP guest hangs if a SATA CDROM is attached (bug #12417) AHCI: fixed a Guru Meditation under certain conditions AHCI: ejecting a CD/DVD medium failed under certain conditions AHCI: disk hotplugging fixes NAT: transparent handling of host sleep/resume and network configuration changes if the dnsproxy is enabled or if the hostresolver is used (bug #12441) NAT: fixed crash and misbehaviour under some circumstances with ICMP packets having TTL=1 NAT Network: fixed IPv6 reassembly NAT Network: ping proxy implemented OVF: fixed reading of the OVF 0.9 section element (4.3 regression; bug #12345) OVF: several fixes 3D: several fixes, multiscreen fixes (e.g. bug #9124) 3D: include 3D content in captured videos (bug #12666) 3D: include 3D content in captured screenshot (bug #11758) VGA: proper handling of legacy graphics modes if the Guest Additions are active (bug #6649) USB: fixed crash during isochronous transfer under rare circumstances BIOS: better disk geometry handling of SCSI drives API: fix crashes in Java API clients using the XPCOM binding, happened with output parameters only (bug #11232) VBoxSVC: documented the handling of host power management events (see the manual for more information) and added an extradata item for configuring the handling of the battery-low event (bug #9925) VBoxSVC: fixed a bug which could trigger a crash if a VM snapshot was restored the second time and the VM has associated bandwidth groups (bug #12569) VBoxSVC: properly detect ifconfig if located in /bin (bug #12713) Shared Folders: fixed a failure to restore transient shared folders when starting a VM from a saved state (bug #12578) Mac OS X hosts: fixed issue when the application icon was frozen in the dock if the bridging interface was not connected to a network (bug #12241) Linux hosts: also consider the physical package ID when determining the number of physical CPU cores Linux hosts / guests: don't warn in kernel log if memory allocation fails (bug #11171) Solaris hosts: fixed the autostart SMF script (bug #11720) Windows hosts: fixes for non-ANSI code page user names and similar environment contents (bug #12596) Windows hosts / guests: fixed setting and using a guest user's process environment variables (relevant for Guest Control) Windows Additions: fixed handle leaks in VBoxTray (bug #12563) Windows Additions: fixed a crash while detecting active guest users Windows Additions: fixed restoring backed up D3D files on XPDM -> WDDM upgrade Guest Control: fixed setting and using a guest user's process environment variables Linux Additions: support Enterprise Linux 6.5 kernels (bug #12505) Linux Additions: fixed CPU hot-remove on newer Linux kernels Linux / Solaris Additions: don't automount a shared folder which is already mounted X11 Additions: support X.Org Server 1.15 (bug #12623)

PROS

  • Free to download and use
  • Offers cross-platform support
  • Has a customizable dashboard
  • Lets users create emulated machines

CONS

  • The interface could be better
  • No technical support
  • No robust integration between OS

Program available in other languages


VirtualBox for Mac

  • Free

  • In English
  • V 7.0.97
  • 3.4

    (338)
  • Security Status


User reviews about VirtualBox

  • Anonymous

    by Anonymous

    Best option for developers.
    I currently used VirtualBox on my Mac that holds a simple Debian machine with 256MB RAM where runs all my webservers, services and databases.Via the "Shared Folders" you can easily change documents  More


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