10 Best Free Virtual Machine Software in 2023

In the ever-changing computing landscape, virtualization is the technology that transforms the use of hardware resources.

At the heart of this revolutionary technology are virtual machine (VM) tools designed to create and manage multiple isolated computing environments within a single physical host.

Virtual machines come in all shapes and sizes. A virtual machine can be a virtual desktop infrastructure or a fully functional server. Virtualized applications, servers and other machines provide scalable and versatile functionality to users.

You can experiment with virtual machines to try out a new operating system, create a virtual disk image of your hard drive, or go one step further to build a full database server in the cloud.

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Fortunately, many server virtualization tools are free or open source, so you save money when building a computer for your computer.

What are the best free virtual machines for 2023?

The following tools are listed in alphabetical order:

Azure Virtual Machines Citrix Hypervisor KVM Oracle VMs Proxmox VE QEMU VirtualBox VMware ESXi VMware Fusion VMware vSphere Best Free Virtual Machine Software

When we talk about system virtualization technology, we are referring to fully virtualized machines capable of running entire operating systems. These great products are part of G2's Server Virtualization Software category.

We also have a category for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) providers that provide businesses with cloud-based computing resources. If you're looking for tools to host and manage virtual desktops with remote accessibility, check out Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) software. There is also remote access software or remote desktop software that allows you to control a virtual computer or desktop through the Internet.

The list below contains real user reviews of virtual machine software. Note that for this list, providers offering a free trial are also considered.

To be included in this category, a solution must:

Provide a remote virtual desktop with full access to it. Support for computing, virtualization, storage, and other basic infrastructure needs. Display the remote computer's screen on the personal screen in real time. Allow connection via internal network or IP address. Supports multiple operating systems. Divide physical servers into multiple virtual instances. Make scalable virtual environments easily manageable. Grant access to an integrated or third-party control panel for managing virtual servers. Ensure regulatory compliance. Track and report usage and performance as it happens.

* This data was extracted from G2 July 1, 2023, and the product list is listed in alphabetical order. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.

1. Azure Virtual Machines

Category: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Providers

Azure Virtual Machines allow users to deploy and run powerful virtual machines in the cloud. A few different versions of the product are available as VM-Series for specific workloads and operating systems. Additionally, Azure VMs offer encryption of sensitive data, scalability, and versatile storage options.

The platform offers a free trial.

What users prefer:

“Azure is a whole universe of cloud computing! A complete and intuitive set of virtual tools for cloud and hybrid computing with endless options to configure the platform as a service (...