VirtualBox: run another operating system free, and the one licence catch
VirtualBox runs another operating system in a window. The base program is free under the GPL. The optional Extension Pack is free only for personal and educational use.
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What it is
VirtualBox lets you run another operating system inside a window on your computer. The project's manual says it is a cross-platform virtualization product that lets you "run Windows and Linux on your Mac, run Windows Server on your Linux server, run Linux on your Windows PC, and so on, all alongside your existing applications". The program is called Oracle VirtualBox. It is not an AI tool. People use it to try Linux, test software safely, or keep an old program running.
Is it free?
The main program is free. The project's licensing FAQ says the VirtualBox base package is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3, and its download page says the platform packages are released under the GPL version 3.
There is one catch. The optional Extension Pack is under a separate licence. The FAQ says it is freely available under the Personal Use and Educational License (PUEL) "for personal and educational use", and that for commercial use it is available for a fee. The FAQ says personal and educational use exclude "any use of the product for commercial purposes or to operate or run a business". It also says the old 30-day trial of the Extension Pack has been discontinued. We did not find a price for the commercial licence on the pages we read. If you only use the base package, you do not need the Extension Pack.
What the Extension Pack adds (per the manual)
- A remote desktop (VRDP) server to connect to a virtual machine over RDP.
- Host webcam passthrough.
- Intel PXE boot ROM.
- Disk image encryption with AES.
- Cloud integration features for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
What the base program does (per the manual)
- Runs as many virtual machines as you like. The manual says the only practical limits are disk space and memory.
- Snapshots: save the state of a virtual machine and go back to it later, including while it is running.
- The same file and image formats on every host, so a virtual machine can move between computers.
- Guest Additions are installed inside a virtual machine to improve performance and add features, and are under the GPL v3 as well.
What computers it runs on
- The home page says VirtualBox is for x86_64 hardware, and that version 7.1 added macOS on Arm and version 7.2 added Windows on Arm.
- The Downloads page lists packages for Windows hosts, macOS on Intel, macOS on Apple Silicon, Linux distributions and Solaris.
- The newest release on the home page when we checked was 7.2.20, dated 22 September 2026.
- The manual says VirtualBox can run a selection of Arm guests on Arm hosts. On Arm hosts it does not say it runs x86 systems, so we cannot say.
How to get it
- Open the Downloads page and choose the package for your computer.
- Install it like a normal program.
- Create a new virtual machine and point it at an installation file (ISO) for the system you want to try. VirtualBox does not supply the operating system. That is our note, not a quote. Check the licence terms of whatever system you install.
What to watch out for
- One hypervisor at a time. The manual says not to run virtual machines from other hypervisors at the same time as VirtualBox, because it "can crash the entire host".
- Extension Pack terms. Do not install it for work use without checking the licence.
- No redistribution. The FAQ says you may not make the Extension Pack available on your own website or mirrors without a licence from Oracle.
- We did not test performance, or how it runs on any given computer.
Privacy and data
- We found no privacy statement and no mention of data collection or update checks on the pages we read, so we cannot say what the program sends, if anything.
- Virtual machines and their disks stay on your computer unless you move them. The manual says VMs can also be exported to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, which is optional.
India
- We saw no region limit on the pages we read, and no price for the base package. We did not test downloads from India.
Frequently asked questions
Is VirtualBox free?
The base program is, under the GPL v3. The optional Extension Pack is free for personal and educational use only.
Can I use it at work?
The base package, yes under the GPL. The Extension Pack needs a paid licence for commercial use, per the FAQ.
Does it work on Mac with Apple chips?
The Downloads page lists an Apple Silicon package, and the home page says version 7.1 added macOS on Arm.
Sources: Home, Downloads, Licensing FAQ, Manual: About Oracle VirtualBox. Checked 18 October 2026.
Independent guide, not affiliated.