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Tech riderRev. 5 Oct 2026

GNOME Boxes

Ch 117.1of 26 Virtual machine software
  1. 1Runs onLinux
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Host platformsLinux
  4. 4Management interfacedesktop
4 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: apps.gnome.org, flathub.org
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The GNOME Boxes homepage

Overview

GNOME Boxes is ranked #11 of 26 in virtual machine software on Specifiction. It runs on Linux. There is a free plan.

GNOME Boxes plans and pricing

All plans
Boxes Free Free application; desktop only flathub.org · 5 Oct 2026

Compared on virtual machine software

Free plan
Yesapps.gnome.org
Host platforms
Linuxapps.gnome.org
Management interface
desktopapps.gnome.org

Facts

VM snapshots
Yesapps.gnome.org · 20 Sept 2026
GPU acceleration
Yesapps.gnome.org · 20 Sept 2026
Purpose
Boxes lets users create and manage local virtual machines and install an operating system in one.apps.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Supported systems
The app lists automatic installation for CentOS Stream, Debian, Fedora, Microsoft Windows, OpenSUSE, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Ubuntu.apps.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Snapshots
Users can save a virtual machine state as a snapshot and restore it later.help.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Resource controls
Users can limit virtual machines’ memory and storage use.apps.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Host integration
Boxes supports shared clipboard, file drop, and shared folders between the host system and virtual machines.apps.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
USB access
USB redirection makes devices plugged into the local computer available inside a virtual machine.help.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Guest tools
Guest tools can improve input performance, screen resizing, clipboard sharing, and file transfer; Windows guests use spice-guest-tools and Linux guests commonly use spice-vdagent.help.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Virtualization stack
Boxes uses qemu-kvm, libvirt-glib, and spice-gtk to manage virtual machines.help.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Hardware requirements
Boxes performs best with processor virtualization extensions enabled; GNOME recommends at least 8 GB RAM and 20 GB free disk space for efficient use.help.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Local use
Boxes provides access to local virtual machines; GNOME directs users to Connections for remote virtual machines or remote computer displays.help.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
3D acceleration
3D acceleration is available for some supported operating systems.apps.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Distribution
GNOME directs users to install the latest version from Flathub; the Flathub listing labels it desktop-only and lists a 46 MiB download.flathub.org · 5 Oct 2026
Support and contributions
The app page links to online help, an issue tracker, translation contributions, and general app contributions.apps.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026
Project background
The GNOME Project was founded in 1997 by Miguel de Icaza and Federico Mena and is backed by the non-profit GNOME Foundation.gnome.org · 5 Oct 2026

Best GNOME Boxes alternatives

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All accessCh 01 Proxmox VE Free planAndroidAPI from €10/mo9.1 All accessCh 02 Oracle VirtualBox LinuxMac 8.3 All accessCh 03 VMware Workstation Pro Free planLinuxself-hosted Free to start8.2 All accessCh 04 QEMU Free planLinuxMac Free to start8.2 All accessCh 05 KVM Free planLinuxself-hosted Free to start7.9 All accessCh 06 Parallels Desktop LinuxMac 7.8

Where it ranks on Specifiction

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