VMware Fusion vs Multipass

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

VMware Fusion is a Virtualization solution with tags like virtualization, hypervisor, macos, windows, linux.

It boasts features such as Run Windows, Linux, and other OS virtually alongside macOS, Seamless integration and full compatibility with macOS, 3D graphics support, Drag-and-drop file sharing between macOS and guest OS, Unity mode to run Windows apps seamlessly, Shared folders to access macOS files from guest OS and pros including Easy to set up and use, Good performance, Lots of customization options, Supports many guest OS versions, Can create snapshots to revert VMs, Integrates well with other VMware products.

On the other hand, Multipass is a Development product tagged with virtualization, ubuntu, linux, docker.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like Simple and easy to use, Lightweight and fast VM launches, Reproducible dev environments, Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows, Active development and maintenance.

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.

VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion is a hypervisor that allows users to run virtual machines on Mac hardware. It enables running Windows, Linux, and other operating systems virtually alongside macOS on Apple silicon or Intel-based Macs.

Categories:
virtualization hypervisor macos windows linux

VMware Fusion Features

  1. Run Windows, Linux, and other OS virtually alongside macOS
  2. Seamless integration and full compatibility with macOS
  3. 3D graphics support
  4. Drag-and-drop file sharing between macOS and guest OS
  5. Unity mode to run Windows apps seamlessly
  6. Shared folders to access macOS files from guest OS

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Easy to set up and use

Good performance

Lots of customization options

Supports many guest OS versions

Can create snapshots to revert VMs

Integrates well with other VMware products

Cons

Requires a paid license after trial expires

Can be resource-intensive

Limited remote management capabilities

No built-in collaboration tools

Not compatible with older Macs


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