Applies to: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS as the host; QEMU 10.2.1 with libvirt 12.0.0, GNOME Boxes 49.1, VirtualBox 7.2, VMware Workstation Pro 26H1u1 and Multipass

Short answer: on Ubuntu, the native choice is KVM with QEMU and virt-manager. KVM is built into the Linux kernel, costs nothing and is the same technology that runs KVM VPS servers. Pick GNOME Boxes for the simplest desktop app, VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Pro if you share virtual machines with Windows or macOS users, and Multipass for quick Ubuntu test machines.

First, check hardware virtualisation

grep -Ec '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo
sudo apt install cpu-checker
kvm-ok

A result of 0 from grep means the CPU extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) are missing or switched off in the BIOS. On our test machine without them, kvm-ok printed:

INFO: Your CPU does not support KVM extensions
KVM acceleration can NOT be used

When everything is in place it prints INFO: /dev/kvm exists and KVM acceleration can be used. Without hardware virtualisation there is no KVM acceleration, and virtual machines run very slowly or not at all.

1. KVM, QEMU and virt-manager

Best for: Linux guests, servers, and anyone who wants the fastest option on Ubuntu.

sudo apt install qemu-system-x86 libvirt-daemon-system virt-manager
sudo usermod -aG libvirt,kvm $USER

Log out and in again so the group change applies, then open Virtual Machine Manager. Older guides say sudo apt install qemu-kvm. That still works on Ubuntu 24.04, but on 26.04 it fails, because two packages now provide qemu-kvm:

Package qemu-kvm is a virtual package provided by:
  qemu-system-x86-hwe 1:10.2.1+ds-1ubuntu4.3 (= 1:10.2.1+ds-1ubuntu4.3)
  qemu-system-x86 1:10.2.1+ds-1ubuntu3.2 (= 1:10.2.1+ds-1ubuntu3.2)

E: Package 'qemu-kvm' has no installation candidate

Name qemu-system-x86 directly, as above. To check the installation:

$ virsh -c qemu:///system version
Compiled against library: libvirt 12.0.0
Using library: libvirt 12.0.0
Using API: QEMU 12.0.0
Running hypervisor: QEMU 10.2.1
$ virt-host-validate qemu

virt-host-validate lists every requirement with PASS or FAIL. On our machine without hardware virtualisation, the first line was QEMU: Checking if device '/dev/kvm' exists : FAIL. On a server without a desktop, skip virt-manager and manage VMs with virsh and virt-install: see list KVM guests with virsh and set up a network bridge for KVM.

2. GNOME Boxes

Best for: trying another Linux distribution on your desktop with as few settings as possible.

sudo apt install gnome-boxes

Boxes uses the same libvirt and QEMU underneath, with a much simpler window. Ubuntu 26.04 ships version 49.1 and 24.04 version 46.0.

3. VirtualBox

Best for: VMs you also want to open on Windows or macOS, since Oracle provides VirtualBox for all three.

  • From Ubuntu: sudo apt install virtualbox gives version 7.2.6 on Ubuntu 26.04 and 7.0.16 on 24.04. The package is for x86 computers only; on ARM it isn’t offered.
  • From Oracle: the download page offers version 7.2.20 with packages for Linux distributions.
  • Licence: VirtualBox itself is GPL version 3. The optional Extension Pack has a separate Personal Use and Educational License, so check it before using the Extension Pack at work.

4. VMware Workstation Pro

According to Broadcom, Workstation Pro is free for commercial, educational and personal use and needs no licence key. The current release is 26H1u1, and Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 are listed as supported hosts. The catch: you download it from the Broadcom Support Portal after registering an account.

5. Multipass

Best for: a fresh Ubuntu VM in one command. Ubuntu’s documentation calls it the recommended way to create Ubuntu VMs on Ubuntu.

sudo snap install multipass
multipass launch 26.04
multipass list
multipass shell <instance-name>

Which one should you use?

  1. Linux server or headless machine: KVM with virsh and virt-install.
  2. Ubuntu desktop, mostly Linux guests: virt-manager, or Boxes if you want fewer options.
  3. Same VM on Linux, Windows and macOS: VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Pro.
  4. Quick throwaway Ubuntu machines: Multipass.

Running VMs on a hosted server

Your own VMs need hardware virtualisation inside the machine you rent. On a VPS, check with kvm-ok first, because nested virtualisation depends on the host. If you need to run several VMs of your own, an unmanaged dedicated server gives you the physical CPU, full root access and IPMI for BIOS settings. For how a KVM VPS itself works, read What Is KVM VPS Hosting?. Not sure whether you need a desktop at all? See Ubuntu Server vs Ubuntu Desktop.

Official documentation: VirtualBox downloads and Ubuntu Server: create a VM with Multipass.

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