Multipass vs VirtualBox

Struggling to choose between Multipass and VirtualBox? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Multipass is a Development solution with tags like virtualization, ubuntu, linux, docker.

It boasts features such as Create Ubuntu VMs with a single command, CLI and GUI available, Built-in SSH access to VMs, Suspend and restart VMs while maintaining state, Share folders between host and VMs, Customizable CPU and memory allocation, VM image caching to speed up launches and pros including Simple and easy to use, Lightweight and fast VM launches, Reproducible dev environments, Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows, Active development and maintenance.

On the other hand, VirtualBox is a Os & Utilities product tagged with virtualization, vm, oracle.

Its standout features include Emulated virtual machines for multiple guest operating systems, Snapshots to save VM state, Shared folders for host-guest file system integration, Virtual networking and NAT, Remote machine display, Command line interaction, Headless operation, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Cross-platform, Easy to set up and use, Good performance, Lots of configuration options.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Multipass

Multipass

Multipass is a lightweight virtual machine manager for Linux, Windows and macOS. It simplifies setting up virtual Ubuntu instances in just a few clicks, allowing developers to easily create reproducible development environments.

Categories:
virtualization ubuntu linux docker

Multipass Features

  1. Create Ubuntu VMs with a single command
  2. CLI and GUI available
  3. Built-in SSH access to VMs
  4. Suspend and restart VMs while maintaining state
  5. Share folders between host and VMs
  6. Customizable CPU and memory allocation
  7. VM image caching to speed up launches

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Simple and easy to use

Lightweight and fast VM launches

Reproducible dev environments

Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows

Active development and maintenance

Cons

Only supports Ubuntu VMs currently

Limited configuration options compared to other VM managers

No snapshot or cloning support yet

No built-in orchestration features


VirtualBox

VirtualBox

Oracle VM VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization platform that enables users to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. Widely used for development, testing, and virtualized environments, VirtualBox supports a variety of guest operating systems and provides features like snapshotting, shared folders, and networking options.

Categories:
virtualization vm oracle

VirtualBox Features

  1. Emulated virtual machines for multiple guest operating systems
  2. Snapshots to save VM state
  3. Shared folders for host-guest file system integration
  4. Virtual networking and NAT
  5. Remote machine display
  6. Command line interaction
  7. Headless operation

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform

Easy to set up and use

Good performance

Lots of configuration options

Cons

Limited support options

Less features than paid solutions

Resource intensive