The State of Virtual Machines in 2024. Tools, Trends, and Best Practices Across All Platforms

Virtual machines (VMs) have become indispensable in modern IT infrastructure, software development, and personal computing. Their ability to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine enables everything from isolated testing environments to efficient cloud deployment and legacy application support. In 2024, virtualization technologies continue to evolve rapidly, adapting to new hardware capabilities and the increasingly heterogeneous software ecosystem spanning desktop, mobile, and cloud platforms.

This comprehensive article explores the current landscape of virtual machines, highlighting the top tools available for Linux, macOS, Windows desktops, and Android and iOS devices. We will examine trends shaping virtualization, emerging best practices, performance considerations, and cost implications—with currency conversions in both US dollars (USD) and euros (EUR).

1. Introduction to Virtual Machines: The Basics

A virtual machine is a software emulation of a computer system that runs an operating system and applications just like a physical computer. The software that creates and manages VMs is called a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM).

There are two main types of hypervisors:

• Type 1 (Bare-metal): Runs directly on the host hardware (e.g., VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V).
• Type 2 (Hosted): Runs on top of a host OS (e.g., VirtualBox, VMware Workstation).

VMs provide several benefits:

• Isolation: Each VM is sandboxed, protecting the host and other VMs.
• Resource optimization: Run multiple OS instances on one physical machine.
• Legacy support: Run outdated OS or software without dedicated hardware.
• Testing and development: Safe environments for code testing or security research.

2. Virtual Machine Tools on Desktop Platforms

2.1 Linux

Linux remains the most flexible platform for virtualization, offering native support and a rich ecosystem of tools.

• KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine): The de facto standard for Linux virtualization, integrated into the Linux kernel. It supports a wide range of guest OSes and leverages hardware virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x, AMD-V).
• QEMU: An emulator that works alongside KVM for full system emulation. It is extremely powerful, supporting various architectures beyond x86_64.
• Virt-Manager: A GUI frontend to manage KVM/QEMU VMs, simplifying creation, configuration, and monitoring.
• VMware Workstation Player/Pro: Offers a polished user experience on Linux with support for Windows, Linux, and other OS guests. VMware Workstation Pro licenses cost about $199 (≈ €185).
• Oracle VirtualBox: Free and open-source, VirtualBox is popular for desktop users. It supports snapshots, seamless mode, and USB device passthrough.

2.2 macOS

macOS virtualization is shaped by Apple’s hardware and software ecosystem, especially with the M1/M2 ARM-based chips now widespread.

• Parallels Desktop: The leading VM solution optimized for Apple Silicon. Parallels Desktop 18 (2024 version) supports Windows 11 ARM, Linux, and macOS guests. The cost is about $100/year (≈ €93), with perpetual licenses around $130 (≈ €120).
• VMware Fusion: Supports Intel Macs and recently added Apple Silicon support, though with some limitations. VMware Fusion Pro costs around $200 (≈ €185).
• UTM: An open-source VM app for macOS based on QEMU, optimized for Apple Silicon. Ideal for running ARM and x86 guests on Macs.
• VirtualBox: Official support on macOS is available but with limited performance compared to Parallels or VMware.

2.3 Windows

Windows remains a dominant desktop OS with strong support for virtualization.

• Hyper-V: Built into Windows 10/11 Pro and Enterprise editions. It offers enterprise-grade performance and integration, free with the OS. Note: Requires CPU virtualization support and BIOS configuration.
• VMware Workstation Player/Pro: Popular among developers and power users, costs similar to the Linux version.
• Oracle VirtualBox: Widely used free option supporting many guest OSes.

3. Virtual Machines on Mobile Platforms: Android and iOS

Virtualization on mobile is constrained by hardware and OS restrictions but remains a powerful tool for sandboxing and testing.

3.1 Android

• VMOS: A popular Android app allowing users to run a virtual Android system on their device. It supports installing Google Play Services and running multiple accounts, popular for app testing and gaming.
• Limbo PC Emulator: An app based on QEMU for running lightweight OS images on Android.
• Termux + QEMU: For advanced users, Termux allows installing QEMU for running lightweight Linux VMs on rooted or non-rooted devices.

3.2 iOS

Apple tightly controls virtualization on iOS. However, some options exist:

• UTM: An app available through sideloading or TestFlight, allowing users to run ARM and x86 VMs on iOS devices. It supports Linux and Windows ARM guests.
• Corellium: A cloud-based virtualization platform aimed at security researchers, enabling iOS VMs for testing and analysis (enterprise-level, high cost).

4. Trends Shaping Virtualization in 2024

4.1 Hardware Acceleration Advances

The latest CPUs from Intel, AMD, and Apple provide enhanced virtualization extensions, increasing performance and efficiency.

• Intel’s VT-x and VT-d continue to improve with more direct hardware passthrough.
• AMD’s SEV (Secure Encrypted Virtualization) is gaining traction for securing VMs.
• Apple’s M-series chips introduce new virtualization APIs optimized for ARM guests.

4.2 Cloud Integration and Hybrid Environments

Virtualization is increasingly blended with cloud infrastructure:

• Hybrid cloud deployments use VMs locally and on public cloud providers.
• Tools like Multipass (from Canonical) allow quick VM provisioning for cloud-like developer environments on the desktop.

4.3 Containerization vs Virtualization

Containers (Docker, Kubernetes) compete with VMs for application isolation but serve different use cases.

• Containers are lighter but share the host kernel.
• VMs provide full OS isolation, necessary for running different kernels or legacy systems.

4.4 Security Enhancements

VM isolation is vital for security, and advances include:

• Hardware-enforced isolation (Intel SGX, AMD SEV).
• Virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) support in VMs.
• Improved hypervisor security to prevent escape attacks.

5. Performance and Resource Considerations

Running VMs requires careful resource management:

• CPU: Allocate cores and enable hardware virtualization extensions.
• Memory: Balance guest OS needs with host capacity.
• Storage: Use fast SSDs or NVMe drives for VM disk images.
• Network: Configure bridged or NAT networking depending on use case.

For high-performance needs, consider GPU passthrough to allow VMs to directly access graphics hardware—a feature supported by KVM/QEMU, VMware, and Parallels.

6. Licensing and Cost Overview (2024)

7. How to Choose the Right Virtualization Tool in 2024

Consider your needs:

• For casual users: VirtualBox or VMware Player provide free or low-cost solutions.
• For Apple Silicon users: Parallels or UTM offer the best ARM support.
• For enterprise: Hyper-V or VMware Workstation Pro with advanced networking and management.
• For developers: KVM + QEMU on Linux, with Virt-Manager GUI.
• For mobile virtualization: VMOS (Android) or UTM (iOS).

8. Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Virtual Machine on Each Platform

8.1 Linux: KVM + Virt-Manager

1. Install packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils virt-manager

2. Add your user to the libvirt group:

sudo usermod -aG libvirt $(whoami)

3. Launch Virt-Manager and create a new VM by selecting an ISO image.

8.2 macOS: Parallels Desktop

1. Download and install Parallels Desktop from the official site.
2. Open Parallels, click “New,” and select your OS ISO.
3. Follow prompts to configure CPU, RAM, and disk size.
4. Start the VM and install the guest OS.

8.3 Windows: Hyper-V

1. Enable Hyper-V feature via Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
2. Open Hyper-V Manager.
3. Create a new Virtual Machine wizard: specify name, memory, network, and virtual hard disk.
4. Attach ISO and start the VM.

9. Emerging Use Cases of Virtual Machines in 2024

• AI & Machine Learning: VMs tailored with GPU passthrough for training models.
• Remote Work: Secure VMs for employees to separate corporate data.
• Edge Computing: Lightweight VMs deployed on edge devices for local processing.
• Security Sandboxing: Testing malware and exploits inside isolated VMs.

10. Conclusion

Virtual machines in 2024 remain a cornerstone technology across all computing platforms, continuously adapting to new hardware, security demands, and cloud integration. Whether you are a developer, IT professional, or power user, understanding the best tools and practices for your environment—Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, or iOS—is critical for leveraging the full potential of virtualization.

With hardware acceleration, enhanced security features, and cross-platform support, today’s virtualization landscape offers unprecedented flexibility. Choosing the right VM platform can optimize your workflow, improve security, and future-proof your computing setup.

References and Further Reading

• KVM Official Documentation
• Parallels Desktop for Mac
• VMware Workstation Pro
• Microsoft Hyper-V
• Oracle VirtualBox