Portable Virtualbox
Portable Virtualbox is a free, open-source virtualization software that allows you to run multiple virtual machines on your Windows computer without needing to install Virtualbox. It runs directly from a USB drive for easy portability.
virtualization
virtual-machine
portable
open-source
Portable Virtualbox: Free Virtualization Software
Run multiple virtual machines on your Windows computer without installation, with Portable Virtualbox - a free and open-source solution that runs directly from a USB drive for easy portability.
What is Portable Virtualbox?
Portable Virtualbox is a free, open-source virtualization software that allows you to run multiple guest operating systems on your Windows host computer without needing to go through a lengthy install process. It runs directly off a USB thumb drive, making it easy to take your virtual machines with you wherever you go.
Some key features of Portable Virtualbox include:
- Runs multiple operating systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS as virtual machines
- No installation required - runs directly from a USB drive
- Imports existing Virtualbox VMs
- Open-source software based on Oracle VM Virtualbox
- Compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows hosts
- USB support for connecting devices to virtual machines
- Shared folders allow accessing host files from the VM
- Supports 3D graphics acceleration
Portable Virtualbox aims to provide the full functionality of Virtualbox without modifications or performance impacts from running portably. It makes setting up sandboxes for testing software, running alternate operating systems, and migrating VMs between computers incredibly simple. The lack of installation avoids unwanted registry and system modifications to your host PC.
While performance may suffer slightly compared to a full Virtualbox install, Portable Virtualbox provides an convenient way to take your virtual machines anywhere. It's a useful tool for developers, IT professionals, and anyone who needs the flexibility of virtualization without being tied to one computer.
Portable Virtualbox Features
Features
- Runs VirtualBox virtual machines directly from a USB drive
- Does not require VirtualBox to be installed on the host computer
- Supports importing and exporting VMs in OVF format
- Includes VirtualBox Extension Pack for added functionality
- Open source and free to use
Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
Pros
Portable and self-contained
Does not clutter host computer with VirtualBox installation
Easy to carry VMs between different computers
Good for testing software across different OS environments
Cons
Limited feature set compared to full VirtualBox
No guest additions or shared folder support
Potential USB performance bottlenecks
Not officially supported by Oracle
Official Links
The Best Portable Virtualbox Alternatives
Top Os & Utilities and Virtualization and other similar apps like Portable Virtualbox
Here are some alternatives to Portable Virtualbox:
Suggest an alternative ❐
VirtualBox
Oracle VM VirtualBox, commonly referred to as VirtualBox, is a powerful and open-source virtualization platform developed by Oracle. It allows users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on a host machine, enabling the simultaneous execution of multiple operating systems on a single physical system. Key Features: Cross-Platform Support: VirtualBox...
QEMU
QEMU is a free and open source hypervisor and machine emulator. It emulates a complete computer system, including the processor, memory, storage, network interfaces and peripherals. This allows you to run software and operating systems written for one machine on a different machine.Some key features of QEMU include:Full system emulation...
VMware Workstation Pro
VMware Workstation Pro is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for desktop virtualization on x64 versions of Windows and Linux. It allows users to set up multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine and run different operating systems and applications in each VM without rebooting.Key features include:Ability to...
Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop is a popular virtualization solution specifically designed for macOS, enabling users to run multiple operating systems on their Mac computers. It is known for its user-friendly interface, performance optimizations, and seamless integration of virtual machines with the macOS environment. Key Features: Cross-Platform Virtualization: Parallels Desktop supports a wide...
VMware vSphere Hypervisor
VMware vSphere Hypervisor is a free bare-metal hypervisor that enables server virtualization, allowing multiple operating systems to run on the same physical server. It provides a robust, production-grade hypervisor layer that allows for greater hardware consolidation, improved availability and simplified management.Some key features of vSphere Hypervisor include:Workload optimization and compatibility...
WineBottler
WineBottler is an open-source software application for macOS that enables users to install and run Windows-based programs on their Mac computer. It simplifies the process of setting up Wine by bundling Wine together with required components like Geck or Mono into a single application bundle or 'bottle'.Key features of WineBottler...
Limbo PC Emulator
Limbo PC Emulator is an open-source emulator that allows you to run Windows software on Linux, macOS, and other platforms. It uses Wine and QEMU virtualization to provide compatibility with Windows applications.Some key features of Limbo include:Full compatibility with most Windows software without needing an actual Windows license or installationLightweight...
Windows Sandbox
Windows Sandbox is a virtualized desktop environment included in recent versions of the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. It allows users to run untrusted or unreliable software applications in an isolated environment without risking damage to the host device or operating system.Sandbox provides a lightweight virtual machine that...
VMware Workstation Player
VMware Workstation Player is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for desktop virtualization. It allows users to set up multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical machine and run them simultaneously.Key features of VMware Workstation Player include:Ability to run production environments and test software on different operating systems...
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is an open-source virtualization technology built into Linux. It allows you to create and run virtual machines (VMs) on any Linux server or desktop with hardware virtualization capabilities.KVM is implemented as a kernel module that leverages the virtualization extensions of modern CPUs like Intel VT or...
VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for Mac users. It allows you to create and run virtual machines that emulate other operating systems on your Mac hardware. Fusion provides a simple user interface to set up, manage, and use virtual machines.Some key features and capabilities of...
Bochs
Bochs is an open source emulator for the x86 architecture, allowing you to run operating systems like Windows, Linux, BSD and others on your computer without needing virtualization support from the CPU. It emulates common x86 hardware, including the CPU, memory, disks, network cards, graphics and more.Some key features of...
UCS Virtual Machine Manager
UCS Virtual Machine Manager (UCS VMM) is a comprehensive virtualization management platform designed specifically for Cisco UCS environments. It enables IT administrators to centrally manage their entire virtual infrastructure from one simple web-based interface.Key capabilities and benefits of UCS VMM include:Automated provisioning of virtual machines on UCS serversMonitoring and management...
MobaLiveCD
MobaLiveCD is a bootable live Linux distribution that is tailored for mobile broadband usage and troubleshooting. It can be run directly from a CD or USB drive without needing to install anything on the computer's hard drive.Some key features of MobaLiveCD include:Comes preloaded with various applications like speedtest-cli, iperf3, ping,...
VMWare Disk Mount
VMWare Disk Mount is a free, standalone utility from VMWare that allows you to mount virtual disks on a Windows machine without needing to run VMware or Hyper-V hypervisors. It supports mounting VMDK and VHD format virtual disks and provides read-only access to files and folders stored on those disks.Once...
Mojopac
Mojopac is a portable application suite developed by Emurasoft that allows you to carry various software, files, settings, and even an entire operating system on a USB flash drive. It creates a self-contained virtual computer on any Windows PC without needing installation or administrative rights.When launched from the USB drive,...
VMLite Workstation
VMLite Workstation is a powerful, free system virtualization platform for desktop computers. It allows you to simultaneously run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a single physical host system. VMLite Workstation works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X host operating systems.Some key features of VMLite Workstation include:Ability to...
Qemu Simple Boot
Qemu Simple Boot is an open-source emulator that allows you to create and run virtual machines on your computer without going through a lengthy boot process. It is part of the Qemu project for machine virtualization.Some key features of Qemu Simple Boot:Allows you to quickly test operating systems or programs...
VMLite VBoot
VMLite VBoot is a fast and lightweight virtual machine manager for Windows designed for simplicity and ease-of-use. It allows you to easily create, run, and manage virtual machines on your Windows desktop or laptop without slowdowns or bloat.Some key features of VMLite VBoot include:Intuitive and straightforward user interface to create,...
GreenVBox
GreenVBox is an open-source and free virtualization software that allows users to run multiple guest operating systems on a single host machine. It utilizes hypervisor technology to create isolated virtual machines that share hardware resources from the host.Some key features of GreenVBox include:Lightweight and fast performance - It has a...
Xhypervisor
XHypervisor is an open-source, lightweight Type-1 hypervisor designed for enterprise virtualization. As a bare-metal hypervisor, XHypervisor installs directly onto server hardware to control the hardware and manage guest operating systems.Some key features of XHypervisor include:Efficient resource management using dynamic memory and storage allocationLive migration of virtual machines between hosts with...
FAUMachine
FAUMachine is an open-source, cross-platform application for designing, visualizing, and simulating finite automata. It allows users to create nondeterministic and deterministic finite automata (NFAs and DFAs), convert them into state diagrams, minimize DFAs, and test them with input strings.Some key features of FAUMachine include:Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating states and...
SmartOS
SmartOS is an open-source server operating system based on the Illumos kernel, a derivative of Solaris. It was originally developed by Joyent and focuses on security, virtualization, and cloud computing features.Some key features of SmartOS include:Built-in hypervisor for virtualization using KVM or zonesZFS file system for storage with snapshots and...
Virtual PC
Virtual PC is virtualization software from Microsoft that allows you to run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a Windows host computer. It provides an easy way to set up isolated environments for testing software, running alternate operating systems, or compartmentalizing different tasks.Some key features of Virtual PC include:Ability...
GNURoot Debian
GNURoot Debian is an application for Android that provides a chrooted Debian GNU/Linux environment that runs directly on top of the Android kernel, without the need for device root access or installation of a custom ROM.It sets up a minimal Debian filesystem with access to most Android hardware like the...
Parallels Workstation
Parallels Workstation is a desktop virtualization software that enables users to run multiple operating systems on a single physical computer. It utilizes hypervisor technology to create isolated virtual machines where different operating systems can be installed and used simultaneously.Some key features of Parallels Workstation include:Ability to run Windows, Linux, macOS,...
VMLite XP Mode
VMLite XP Mode is a free virtualization software that allows users to run Windows XP as a virtual machine on modern Windows operating systems. It utilizes lightweight virtualization technology to provide an integrated XP virtual machine without slowing down the host system.Some key features of VMLite XP Mode include:Allows running...
VMLite MyOldPCs
VMLite MyOldPCs is a user-friendly virtual machine program designed to emulate older Windows operating systems on modern computers. It allows you to easily install and run Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and other legacy OSes in a virtual environment within your current system.MyOldPCs creates a separate, sandboxed virtual machine...
MokaFive Player
MokaFive Player is a virtual desktop application that delivers Windows or Linux virtual machines to any device, while keeping sensitive data securely stored in the cloud. It provides a seamless desktop experience across devices.Key features include:Separates the end user desktop environment from the underlying operating system for enhanced securityCentralizes and...
VMX Builder
VMX Builder is a Windows desktop application designed to simplify the creation and configuration of VMware virtual machine definition files with the .vmx extension. Instead of manually editing the text-based .vmx files, VMX Builder provides a graphical user interface to set up and configure all aspects of a VM.Key features...
USBFastBoot
USBFastBoot is a lightweight and portable Windows application that provides a quick way to reboot your computer directly into the BIOS or boot menu screen. It works by temporarily emulating a USB device being plugged in, which triggers most PCs to open the boot options menu on the next restart.This...