Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Boot Camp VS VirtualBox

Compare Boot Camp VS VirtualBox and see what are their differences

Boot Camp logo Boot Camp

Learn how to install and use Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp. Find all the topics, resources, and contact options you need for Boot Camp.

VirtualBox logo VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as...
  • Boot Camp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-02
  • VirtualBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-17

Boot Camp features and specs

  • Dual OS Flexibility
    Boot Camp allows users to install Windows alongside macOS, providing the flexibility to run applications and software specific to each operating system.
  • Native Performance
    Running Windows through Boot Camp offers native performance as it utilizes the full potential of the Mac's hardware, unlike virtual machines which might have performance overhead.
  • No Additional Costs
    Boot Camp is a built-in utility in macOS, meaning users do not incur additional costs for third-party virtualization software.
  • Full Windows Compatibility
    Boot Camp provides full access to Windows features, drivers, and hardware support ensuring compatibility with a wide range of Windows applications and games.

Possible disadvantages of Boot Camp

  • Reboot Requirement
    Switching between macOS and Windows requires a reboot, which can be inconvenient and time-consuming if frequent switching is needed.
  • Storage Allocation
    Users need to allocate dedicated storage space to the Windows partition, which may lead to storage management issues on devices with limited disk capacity.
  • Single OS at a Time
    Only one operating system can be run at a time, limiting multitasking capabilities between macOS and Windows applications.
  • Lack of Updates for ARM Macs
    Apple’s new ARM-based Macs do not support Boot Camp, making it unavailable for those using the latest Mac hardware.

VirtualBox features and specs

  • Open Source
    VirtualBox is open-source software, which means it is freely available for personal and commercial use. Users can access and modify the source code, enhancing flexibility and customization.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    VirtualBox supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris, making it highly versatile and suitable for various environments.
  • Ease of Use
    VirtualBox offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for both beginners and experienced users to create and manage virtual machines.
  • Snapshot Feature
    VirtualBox allows users to take snapshots of their virtual machines, enabling them to save the current state and revert back to it if necessary, which is useful for testing and debugging.
  • Guest Additions
    VirtualBox provides Guest Additions that enhance the performance and usability of guest operating systems. Features include shared folders, clipboard sharing, and improved graphics performance.

Possible disadvantages of VirtualBox

  • Performance Overhead
    VirtualBox may introduce performance overhead compared to running software directly on physical hardware. This can affect the speed and responsiveness of the virtual machines.
  • Limited 3D Graphics Support
    The 3D graphics support in VirtualBox is not as robust as some other virtualization solutions, which may be a limitation for users requiring heavy graphical applications.
  • Lack of Enterprise-Level Features
    While VirtualBox is suitable for personal and small-scale use, it may lack some advanced features and scalability options required for large enterprise environments.
  • Complex Network Setup
    Setting up complex networking configurations in VirtualBox can be challenging and may require additional knowledge and effort.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running multiple virtual machines in VirtualBox can be resource-intensive, potentially leading to system slowdowns if the host machine does not have sufficient CPU and memory resources.

Boot Camp videos

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VirtualBox videos

VirtualBox vs VMware Player - In-Depth Comparison on Ubuntu 18.04

More videos:

  • Review - Oracle VM VirtualBox Review (Real User: Erik Benner)
  • Tutorial - How to Use VirtualBox (Beginners Guide)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Boot Camp and VirtualBox)
Cloud Computing
20 20%
80% 80
Virtualization
20 20%
80% 80
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Virtual Machine Management

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Boot Camp and VirtualBox

Boot Camp Reviews

10 Best VMware Alternatives and Similar Software
Boot Camp transforms your Mac into a full-fledged Windows PC, taking use of its memory and processing capacity to run Windows and its software. You may utilize Boot Camp’s driver program to install Windows. Though, the process of running Windows on a Mac might be difficult.
12 Best FREE Virtual Machine (VM) Software in 2020
Boot Camp is a build Virtual machine software that comes with your Mac device. This software allows you to switch between macOS and Windows.
Source: www.guru99.com

VirtualBox Reviews

Best Alternatives of VirtualBox for Windows
I’m sure you can appreciate the irony in the name of this program, but this is also a very accurate description of what Portable-VirtualBox is. In essence, this free and open source program is VirtualBox and does not need to be installed, making it useful even if it is contained on a USB drive. Portable-VirtualBox works by virtually downloading and installing VirtualBox on...
10 Best VMware Alternatives and Similar Software
VirtualBox now supports a broad number of guest operating systems and operates on Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and Solaris hosts. VirtualBox is constantly evolving, with regular patches and an ever-growing list of features, and it supports various OSs and platforms.
12 Best FREE Virtual Machine (VM) Software in 2020
VirtualBox is an open-source hypervisor for x86 computers. This tool supports the creation and management of virtual machines. It runs on Windows, Linux, BSD, and others.
Source: www.guru99.com
What are the Top Most Open Source Virtualization Software?
VirtualBox provides full virtualization for any operating system to run in a virtual environment with all the software installed within, abstracted from the existing operating system.
7 VirtualBox Alternatives You Can Consider
There are lots of virtualization software out there that let you run multiple applications from different platforms in the same hardware. One of them is VirtualBox by Oracle Corporation. VirtualBox is an open source and freeware that lets users create a virtual environment to run a different operating system on the same machine. It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Solaris....

Social recommendations and mentions

Boot Camp might be a bit more popular than VirtualBox. We know about 41 links to it since March 2021 and only 32 links to VirtualBox. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Boot Camp mentions (41)

  • What's your preferred project management tool for tracking?
    I did, I also teach it now, but I am talking about the utility included with macOS that lets you boot a Windows environment. Apple hardware is pretty solid so I ran windows on a PowerBook for many years. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • How do you download the Fate VNs on Mac M1?
    Nope, Apple is a bitch in the sense that they make a very closed system so you have to use softwares they approved. I tried for years and eventually gave up and got a windows. One that worked for a while was using bootcamp to install windows on mac for dual system but that takes a toll on your computer. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • How do you get windows on Mac
    There is a method called “BootCamp” you can find more info on: https://support.apple.com/boot-camp. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Identity V on MacBook
    It’s an official apple thing Https://support.apple.com/boot-camp. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Do I need Windows machine for TWS?
    Also just for the record you can install Windows on a MacBook via bootcamp https://support.apple.com/boot-camp so you don’t really need a windows “machine” to run windows software. Windows doesn’t even enforce activation there (though I think technically speaking you have to activate it). Source: about 3 years ago
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VirtualBox mentions (32)

  • Barbie Secret Agent game for Mac
    Also, if your sister has an Intel Mac instead of an M1 Mac, I highly suggest VirtualBox and setting up something like Windows XP on that instead of Windows 11-- the steps will be pretty similar, and VirtualBox is free. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Is virtualbox.org down?
    I am unable to reach any page within the virtualbox.org domain including forums, but I can't find any post online about others having this issue. Is there a known problem at virtualbox.org or should I look locally? I usually get the error 502 - Bad Gateway. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Multipass: Ubuntu Virtual Machines Made Easy
    Some of these tools include Oracle VM VirtualBox (that I've used since before the acquisition of Sun Microsystems by Oracle), VMWare Workstation Player, and QEMU, but last year, I found out about Multipass. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Can I use a Mac?
    You can use a Mac, then use Parallels or Virtual Box for any virtual machines you might need(I prefer Parallels). There are Educational versions of Windows amongst other Microsoft products available to you through NJIT. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Will anyone continue on debian 11?
    I thought Debian doesn't have VB packages? Or are you the talking about the ones from http://virtualbox.org web site? Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Boot Camp and VirtualBox, you can also consider the following products

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager - SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is a virtual machine monitoring and troubleshooting.

VMware Workstation - VMware Workstation is a multiple operating system handler to easily evaluate the any other type of new operating systems.

RHEV - Red Hat Virtualization is an open source, software-defined platform that virtualizes Linux and Microsoft Windows workloads.

QEMU - QEMU (short for "Quick EMUlator") is a free and open-source hosted hypervisor that...

SALTSTACK Configuration Tool - SALTSTACK Configuration Tool allows you to manage your infrastructure that is built on a dynamic communication bus.

Proxmox VE - Proxmox is an open-source server virtualization management solution that offers the ability to manage virtual server technology with the Linux OpenVZ and KVM technology.