How to download and install VirtualBox on Mac
VirtualBox is Oracle’s free virtual machine app, and it comes from the VirtualBox website in separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Here is which one to take, what each can run and how to install it.
VirtualBox
- macOS 13 or later
- Separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel
- Free, open source
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (virtualbox.org, download.virtualbox.org). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask virtualboxHomebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.
No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.
Which version to download
Under VirtualBox Platform Packages, the download page has one link for each kind of Mac. Check which chip yours has:
- Choose Apple menu › About This Mac.
- If you see Chip with Apple M1, M2 or later, take macOS / Apple Silicon hosts. If you see Processor with Intel, take macOS / Intel hosts.
What you can run depends on the chip. On Apple Silicon, VirtualBox runs Arm versions of systems, such as Arm Linux distributions and Windows 11 for Arm. It can’t run Intel versions of Windows or Linux. On an Intel Mac it runs the usual Intel versions.
Oracle lists macOS 13 Ventura through macOS 26 Tahoe as supported. Download VirtualBox only from virtualbox.org.
How to install VirtualBox
- Open the downloaded
VirtualBox-….dmgin your Downloads folder.
- In the window that opens, double-click VirtualBox.pkg.
- Click Continue, then Install, and enter your Mac password or use Touch ID.
- Click Close when the installation is complete. VirtualBox is now in Applications.
- Open VirtualBox, click New and follow the steps to create a virtual machine from the system’s installer image (ISO).
On an Intel Mac, macOS may block Oracle’s system software during installation. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security, click Allow next to the message about Oracle, and restart your Mac if asked.
What to set up after the first launch
- Disk space. Virtual machines live in the
VirtualBox VMsfolder in your home folder and grow as you use them. Delete the ones you no longer need in VirtualBox, with their files. - The system to install. VirtualBox doesn’t include Windows or Linux: download the installer image from Microsoft or the distribution. Windows needs its own license.
- Extension Pack. Some extra features come in the separate VirtualBox Extension Pack, which is free for personal and educational use only. You don’t need it to run virtual machines.
- The installer. Once VirtualBox runs, you can move the
.dmgfrom Downloads to the Trash.
If VirtualBox won’t install or a virtual machine won’t start
- The installer refuses to run. Check that you took the build for your chip and that your Mac runs macOS 13 or later, then download it again from the VirtualBox website.
- Virtual machines don’t start on an Intel Mac. Allow Oracle’s system software in System Settings › Privacy & Security and restart the Mac.
- Nothing helps. Remove VirtualBox completely and install it again. Your virtual machines can stay: see how to uninstall VirtualBox on Mac.
Alternatives to VirtualBox
Keep your Mac tidy
Virtual machines are often the biggest files on a Mac. System Junk in MacWashing finds the caches apps build up, and the Uninstaller removes VirtualBox with its files if you no longer need it.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Is VirtualBox free?
Yes. VirtualBox itself is free and open source. Only the optional Extension Pack has a separate license: free for personal and educational use, paid for business.
Is VirtualBox in the Mac App Store?
No. VirtualBox comes only from the VirtualBox website, or you can install it with Homebrew.
Can VirtualBox run Windows on an Apple Silicon Mac?
Only Windows 11 for Arm. Intel versions of Windows and Linux don’t run in VirtualBox on Apple Silicon.