Our love for electronic gadgets such as computer as grown huge in last few years. And we, the humans are never satisfied with a single product. We get easily bored and then we want more. We are always ready to do experiments.
And in this general process, we created VMware Workstation. An awesome software which allows you to run multiple Operating systems on a single computer.
It’s very useful software for computer programmers who have to test many things in different environments or you can be a tech geek who likes to play with different Operating systems.
But like anything VMware Workstation is also not perfect. It comes with its own set of different problems and that’s why after trying it, many people start looking for an vMware Alternative. So today we have brought you a list of Best VMware Workstation Alternatives.
Top 5 VMware Alternatives
5. VMware Player
If you want VMware for personal uses then VMware Player is one of the best free alternative available. It allows you to mount and run VMs directly from a Windows or Linux desktop.
However, you cannot create new VMs from an ISO in VMware Player. It also has a plus version with enhanced features which requires a purchase.
4. Oracle VM VirtualBox
If you are a beginner and don’t have any experience with Virtual machines then Oracle VM VirtualBox is probably the best VMware Workstation Alternative to Start with.
It’s a great application for lab testing. You can install it on Windows, OS X, Solaris, and Linux. The lacking features from VMware Player are also included. You can create new virtual machines from ISO or importing.
3. Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is another good alternative to vMware. It requires a purchase of a license for using but you can get a free trial before you consider buying it.
They have been in the business from quite some time now so I don’t think you’ll face any major problem with their software. It’s also used by many hosting companies for providing VPS or Virtual Private Servers.
2. XenServer
XenServer is a software offered by Citrix. Once connected with XenCenter, it can do many useful things such as live migration, HA and importing and exporting VMs to the cloud. The software is free but you can purchase a full support version too.
XenServer is mainly a new version of XenSource. It was also a VMware created by Citrix. But they tried to sell it very hard and lost many customers in the process. Since then they have corrected their mistake and launched this open source software.
1. VMware ESXi
And finally the best. VMware ESXi is a software that does it all what you can expect from a VMware. It’s the best option for large enterprise virtual server deployments of Windows or Linux.
However, the price is a little high for this one. But don’t worry it’s worth it. There is a free version too but you should not expect much from the free version.
Most recently the company has announced that they will soon power Google’s Chrome virtual desktop cloud and provide access to Windows application.
So these were my favourite WMware Workstation alternatives. Which one of this are you thinking to use? Do you know any better software which you think should be included in the list? Tell us all in the comment box.