The Best Virtual Machine Software for Windows 11 PCs

Summary

• Virtual machines allow safe testing of apps, run incompatible software, and optimize system resources effectively.
• Oracle VirtualBox is a popular free VM for Windows users, able to host multiple VMs simultaneously.
• Windows 11's Hyper-V native hypervisor supports multiple VMs, helps build local VM networks, and offers PowerShell support.

Have you ever wondered if you could play your favorite Android games on your Windows PC with all its processing power? Or do you want to try other operating systems without deleting Windows and all its precious data?

Luckily, virtual machines can help you achieve all of this and more. They provide a safe environment for testing other operating systems and their exclusive apps. And the best part? They require little system resources, allowing you to run multiple VMs without straining your PC.

What Is a Virtual Machine and Why Should You Use One?

A virtual machine is a software environment that enables you to emulate the operation of one computer on another physical computer. For the most part, VMs are indistinguishable from physical computers, given that they use the hardware resources of the host machine. However, it's key to note that they are software-based, sharing the host machine's resources, such as its CPU, memory, storage, and so on, with a specific allocation that enables the host device to continue running as normal.

The primary benefit of using a virtual machine is the ability to run software that is otherwise incompatible with the host computer. For example, an Android virtual machine lets you play mobile games on a Windows computer (virtual machines are available for all major operating systems).

Properly configured virtual machines provide a secure environment for testing dangerous software and other security vulnerabilities. They are isolated from the host machine and can not directly affect it, so there's little risk of malware from the virtual machine infecting the host.

Finally, virtual machines are one of the most popular methods of creating server networks, especially within cloud computing. They are cost-effective since you can run multiple VMs on a single physical device. What's more, some virtualization software or hypervisor environments provide communication channels between VMs, allowing them to share information quickly and securely. As they're software-based, virtual machines are also portable and can be moved between host devices.

So, what's the best virtual machine software for Windows 11?

Oracle Virtualbox

Oracle Virtualbox is arguably the most popular virtual machine among Windows users. Its appeal lies in its high performance, extensive features, and free and open-source design.

Virtualbox allows you to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously and automatically balances system resources between them. It also offers handy automatic network bridging options to get your "wired" Ethernet connection up and running, along with its extensive virtual network adapter support.

In addition, you can allocate RAM and ROM resources to each virtual machine and even set the number of CPU cores it can use. Furthermore, Virtual Box can take snapshots of any VM, allowing users to revert to the saved VM state when they choose.

Download: Virtualbox (Free)

VMWare Workstation Pro

If you're not using VirtualBox, you're going to want to use VMWare's Workstation Pro. The feature-rich Workstation Pro went free in May 2024, bringing its extensive range of free virtual machine options to regular folks.

Workstation Pro offers broad operating system support. Whether you want to run Windows, Linux, or even older versions of macOS, Workstation Pro has you covered. This broad support makes it a popular Windows 11 virtual machine tool. Furthermore, it has an easy-to-use interface, and installing guest operating systems is a simple process but can be more complex and advanced if required.

When it comes to virtual machines, more system hardware resources are better. Workstation Pro is economical with your hardware, meaning you can run guest operating systems even on lower-specced hardware. Of course, this has limitations, but Workstation Pro is a great option for almost any type of user. For example, I've used Workstation Player to install macOS on Windows (before Workstation Pro became free) on all kinds of different hardware configurations over the years, illustrating its broad support.

Furthermore, Workstation Pro brings a whole range of extra features previously locked behind a license. For example, you can now run multiple virtual machines using Workstation Pro and, as such, use its advanced networking tools to have those virtual machines communicate to create a network. The Pro version also enables virtual machine snapshots, which is super handy, along with making it easier to clone your virtual machines for use elsewhere.

One of the biggest changes is that you'll now need to create a Broadcom (VMWare owner) account before you can download Workstation Pro. It takes a moment to complete, but once you do, you can access the VMware Workstation Pro download page.

Microsoft Hyper-V

Hyper-V is Windows 11's native hypervisor, allowing you to run multiple virtual machines on your Windows PC. It allows you to create virtual hard drives, virtual USBs, and other virtual devices and attach them to a virtual machine, much like the physical equivalent.

Hyper-V lets you run software that is only compatible with older Windows versions (after installing the older operating system as a virtual machine) and has extensive support for non-Windows operating systems. You can also import and export virtual machines into other Hyper-V environments like Microsoft Azure or import virtual machines created with other tools into Hyper-V.

Hyper-V is built into all Windows 11 versions except Home—though you can enable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home with some extra steps. Moreover, it only takes a few steps to enable Hyper-V, though it doesn't always play nicely with other emulation software.

One advantage of Hyper-V is the ability to communicate between multiple VMs using virtual switches. These switches inspect data packets before sending them to the intended recipient and are useful for building a local VM network. Another key advantage of Hyper-V is its Windows PowerShell integration, which enables power users much greater control over the virtual machine and respective environments.

Also, like Virtualbox, Hyper-V supports snapshots, which are incredibly useful for testing, analysis, backups, and more. Not all major virtual machine software supports snapshots, so it really is a useful feature.

Bluestacks

The Bluestacks App Player allows you to run Android apps and games on Windows and macOS devices. This software emulates an Android operating system and even specific Android versions, depending on the Android app or game you want to use.

Bluestacks is specially designed to run mobile games. To that end, it provides preset game controls that map to your keyboard, mouse, and any connected gamepad. You can customize and share these controls for shooting, MOBA, RPG, and strategy games.

In addition to game controls, Bluestacks does exceptionally well emulating common Android controls on Windows. It provides one-click screen shakes, swipes, zooms, and even an accelerometer.

Few Android emulators perform as well as Bluestacks. It is hardly RAM intensive and efficiently utilizes your GPU for graphics-intensive applications. In fact, Bluestacks allows you to set the maximum amount of RAM it can use. Also, it lets you choose the graphics backend it uses for rendering.

Bluestacks' file system is reminiscent of any Android device and is separate from your PC's file system. However, it provides a shared folder to move files between your PC and the virtual machine easily, which is handy for moving Android game files from one machine to the other.

Now, here's the rub. Bluestacks requires Hyper-V to run properly on Windows 11. Unfortunately, that means it might not work on Windows 11 Home installations; unfortunately, I don't have Windows 11 Home to try, but there are more than a few Reddit posts detailing this exact problem. Don't panic, though, as there is also a Reddit post detailing the workaround posted by the Bluestacks team's Reddit account.

Download: Bluestacks (Free)

What's the Best Virtual Machine Software for Windows 11?

For most folks, VirtualBox or Workstation Player are the best virtual machine software for Windows 11. They're simple to use, have an extensive range of useful features, and have easily navigable user interfaces. Furthermore, they both come with integrated virtual network adapters that make connecting your VM to the internet an easier process. With the number of users worldwide for both tools, most problems you encounter are solved with a quick internet search.

Bluestacks is a little more niche in that it focuses on Android gaming on Windows 11, so it's not really in the same "virtual machine category" as the other options on this list. Still, it does its job well, and if you're struggling to find a way to run your favorite Android titles on your Windows 11 machine, Bluestacks is the way to go.