QEMU or VirtualBox is a complex solution. You may have heard that QEMU is more powerful than VirtualBox. QEMU can also scare you because of its complexity. It's easy to wonder: what is QEMU, what is VirtualBox, and how to choose between them?
QEMU and VirtualBox are similar but offer completely different benefits when it comes to features such as ease of setup and performance. Here is a complete comparison of QEMU and VirtualBox.
1. Simplicity settings
When choosing QEMU over VirtualBox, one of the most important factors you should consider is ease of installation. If you are new to virtualization, using a simple application will allow you to achieve your goals and even troubleshoot your virtual machine without any difficulty.
You may find it difficult to set up QEMU if you don't have much experience with virtualization. To begin, you must ensure that your host system has a compatible operating system and processor. After that, download QEMU from the official website or install the application through the package manager.
VirtualBox is very easy to set up. You can work with VirtualBox by downloading and installing the application directly from the Oracle VirtualBox website. After installing the program, you can create a virtual machine and configure its hardware settings in just a few simple steps.
2. Easy to install and run VM
The ease of installing and running a VM is an important factor for beginners who want to work with QEMU or VirtualBox. Experienced users may also like the simpler program due to its ease of use.
Installing and running a VM in VirtualBox is easier than in QEMU.
You will need to follow a somewhat complicated process in order to start a virtual machine with QEMU. After installing QEMU/KVM and verifying that the libvirtd daemon is working, you will need to launch Virtual Machine Manager or any other GUI tool of your choice. You will need to set up a new machine with an ISO image and complete the installation of your new virtual machine.
Many users find it easier to install and run a virtual machine using VirtualBox. Instead of using a GUI tool, you will use VirtualBox directly when setting up a new virtual machine with an ISO image of your choice. VirtualBox simplifies the setup process, so you'll need to answer a few questions before your new virtual machine is installed.
3. Compatibility of virtual machines
You should consider virtual machine compatibility when choosing KVM QEMU over VirtualBox if you plan to distribute an image or use a huge number of images. QEMU is much more versatile than VirtualBox in terms of image type support, but you should still be able to work with most image files using VirtualBox.
QEMU supports several types of images, including RAW, cloop, cow, qcow, qcow2, VMDK, VDI, VHDX, and VPC. QEMU's native format is qcow2, but the wide range of supported image types makes the program very versatile. You can convert between image types with the qemu-img convert command.
VirtualBox supports VDI, VMDK, VHD and HDD image files. While VirtualBox does not have the same level of compatibility as QEMU, it does have sufficient support for image types, making VirtualBox VMs mostly portable. You can use the VBoxImage CLI utility to change the image file type if necessary.
4. Access to virtual machine files
As a rule, virtual machines do not have access to host files, since they work as isolated containers. Some applications allow virtual machines to access host files when properly configured. You can configure VirtualBox and QEMU to access the host's file system if you need easy access to certain files.
You can exchange files from the host file system with QEMU virtual machines by opening the appropriate settings in the GUI application of your choice. If you are using virt-manager, open the powered off VM and click to add a file system in the File System tab. Enter the desired file path and click "Finish" to complete the new settings.
It's just as easy to access files from the host's filesystem using VirtualBox. Before accessing shared folders in the left pane, you will need to select virtual machine settings. Click on the file icon and enter the directory you want the virtual machine to have access to via the Folder Path field.
Finally, check the box Automatically mount the folder to have immediate access and save the new configuration. You can find the shared files in the /media directory of a Linux virtual machine, or in a network location in the This PC section of a Windows virtual machine.
5. Type of hypervisor and overall performance
You have to keep performance in mind when choosing between VirtualBox and QEMU. If your virtual machine is too slow, you may not be comfortable using it. Both QEMU and VirtualBox are similar type 2 hypervisors. In general, QEMU is faster than VirtualBox.
Because it's a type 2 hypervisor, QEMU will rely on software emulation when you use it to run a virtual machine. While you may find it slightly less efficient than the Type 1 hypervisor, it's worth noting that QEMU is still considered one of the most efficient software-based virtualization programs out there.
QEMU Linux is faster than VirtualBox because it directly integrates KVM (kernel-based virtual machine). If you want to improve the performance of VirtualBox, you can go to the Acceleration tab in the VirtualBox settings to customize how virtual machines start. You should consider setting up VirtualBox to use KVM.
6. Compatibility and versatility
You should consider compatibility and versatility when choosing a hypervisor so you don't run into compatibility issues in the future. Both QEMU and VirtualBox have strengths in different areas, so you may find that one is better than the other for your needs.
VirtualBox is better than QEMU in terms of operating system compatibility. VirtualBox can run efficiently on Windows, macOS, and most Linux distributions. QEMU also runs on Windows and macOS, but its direct integration with KVM makes it best suited for Linux use.
QEMU is more versatile than VirtualBox in terms of advanced usage. It offers a command line interface (CLI) and a monitor that are indispensable for developers and advanced users.
While VirtualBox can only virtualize x86 and ARM64 architectures, QEMU provides significantly more support for virtualizing niche architectures.
7. Cost of use
VirtualBox and QEMU are completely free for individual use. QEMU is also free for corporate use. If you want to use VirtualBox for a commercial application, you will need to pay $50 per workstation named user or $1,000 per socket per year.
Choose VirtualBox or QEMU for Virtualization
After comparing VirtualBox and QEMU, it becomes clear that each application has its own advantages. You may prefer VirtualBox if you want easy to manage and simple virtualization.
You may prefer QEMU if you're willing to challenge yourself for more performance and versatility. Once you've decided which application to use, all you have to do is create your own virtual machine.
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