Handles both virtualization and emulation (dual-purpose).Now that you know what QEMU is, let’s jump into its pros and cons. QEMU is also a virtualization software you can use to run multiple VMs on a single machine. For example, you can run ARM software on an x86 PC.

You can use it to run non-compatible programs on operating systems. QEMU is an emulator and virtualization software. Sounds confusing? Read on as I lay out the differences between Quick EMUlator (QEMU) and VirtualBox.įirst, I’ll start with the basics of what each tool is before heading to a comparison between the two. For example, an emulator can run a Windows program on a Mac device.Īn emulator software can also double up as a virtualization tool. To clarify, an emulator is a tool used to run a specific program on a device. Now, virtualization software is often confused with an emulator. This software enables you to run many VMs on the same host. Get more out of your PC with virtualization. How is this virtualization implemented, though? The simple answer is to use virtualization software like VirtualBox or QEMU. In other words, every VM has its own copy of memory and resources, which differ from other VMs and even the host computer. All resources like memory and processors are shared across these VMs without overlapping with each other. Virtualization creates an abstraction layer over a computer’s hardware, allowing you to create and run several Virtual Machines (VMs) on the same physical computer.

Hyper v vs virtualbox benchmark