GNOME Boxes as a Linux alternative to VirtualBox
Updated
Our verdict
GNOME Boxes can replace VirtualBox for casual users who need a quick, GNOME‑centric VM setup and basic snapshotting. It is ideal for desktop developers or students who run a few VMs and want a simple interface. Advanced users who need fine‑grained networking, USB passthrough, or headless operation will find Boxes lacking. For most everyday Linux tasks, Boxes offers a lightweight alternative, but it does not fully match VirtualBox’s feature set.
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 50.0
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Both use QEMU/libvirt as the underlying hypervisor
- Support for creating VMs from ISO images
- Snapshot functionality
- Guest OS detection
- Integration with Linux package managers
What is different
- Boxes lacks full USB and advanced network passthrough
- No headless/CLI mode for server use
- Snapshot management is basic, no detailed state save
- Limited support for ARM guests
- No built‑in shared folders between host and guest
Opening your VirtualBox files
VirtualBox VMs are stored in .vbox and .vdi files. Boxes can import a VM by pointing to a libvirt XML or a disk image, but it does not directly open .vbox files. Exporting a Boxes VM to a format usable by VirtualBox is not supported; you would need to convert the disk image manually (e.g., qemu-img convert).
Switching from VirtualBox to GNOME Boxes, step by step
- 1. Export the VirtualBox VM’s disk image (VMDK or VDI).
- 2. Convert the image to a format Boxes accepts (qcow2 or raw) using qemu-img.
- 3. Create a new VM in Boxes and attach the converted disk.
- 4. Adjust settings (CPU, RAM) to match the original VM.
- 5. Start the VM and test functionality.
- 6. Optional: delete the old VirtualBox VM to free space.
Key features of GNOME Boxes
- Uses libvirt/QEMU backend
- Simple drag‑and‑drop VM creation
- Automatic guest OS detection
- Snapshot support (basic)
- Remote host access via SSH
- Integration with GNOME Shell
- Supports ISO, disk image, or network install
How to install GNOME Boxes on Linux
sudo apt install gnome-boxessudo apt install gnome-boxessudo dnf install gnome-boxessudo pacman -S gnome-boxessudo zypper install gnome-boxesFrequently asked questions
Can I run VirtualBox VMs directly in Boxes?
No, Boxes does not read .vbox files. You must convert the disk image and create a new VM in Boxes.
Does Boxes support USB devices?
Only limited USB support is available; many USB devices are not passed through.
Can I use Boxes in a headless server environment?
Boxes is designed for desktop use and does not provide a headless or CLI mode; use VirtualBox or other tools for server virtualization.
2 other alternatives to VirtualBox
Virtual Machine ManagerVirtual Machine Manager is a graphical front‑end for libvirt that lets you create, run, and monitor KVM, Xen…Open sourceFreeFlatpakVirtual Machine Manager vs VirtualBox