Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, and different use cases where ones better than another.

Lets break down when each is best and for what.

Essentially, VirtualBox allows you to create a virtual machine thatll run Windows, and thats about it.

Now lets dig into some of the specifics of each.

Ease of Setup

Virtual machines arent like other apps.

Setup goes beyond just installing the app, so the ease of the process is pretty important.

Lets start with VirtualBox, since its the most hands-on of the bunch.

Thankfully, we have aguide to help you through the whole process.

That means youll need an installation disc, USB drive, or ISO file to install from.

Of course, you always can move past that screen and install Windows from scratch if you prefer.

In terms of user friendliness, Parallels was consistently the strongest of the three we tested.

That makes it a great solution for anyone not interested in screwing around with prefs.

All three apps feature some pop in of windowed mode support (see image above).

VMware calls thisUnity, Parallels calls thisCoherence, and VirtualBox calls itSeamless Mode.

The similarities dont stop there.

VirtualBox doesnt support any cool little tricks like this.

Instead, it merely performs the simple task of running Windows as a whole.

The feature differences between the Parallels and VMware are pretty subtle.

For example, Parallels supports OS Xs Quick Look feature in Windows, while VMware doesnt.

Conversely, if you happen to have a fancy new iMac, VMware supports 5K monitors natively.

Thankfully,TekRevue has benchmarked all three programsfor a variety of tasks.

Of course, theres more to it than just that.

In 18 different tests, VMware took top honors in 11, most notably in the graphics benchmarks.

The general trend of CPU versus graphics runs throughout their tests.

Parallels tends to boot faster than VMware, transfer files faster, and saves battery life better than VMware.

In turn, VMware benchmarks much higher for 3D graphics and for gaming, especially with OpenGL.

VirtualBox consistently lags behind in both CPU and 3D performance.

The Verdict: VirtualBox for a Free, Bare-Bones Experience.

All of this changes from year to year, too.

This is a bit tiresome, especiallywhen they lock out newer versions of Windows behind those paid upgrades.

We definitely recommend doing so before you drop the cash.