# CentOS, VMware Workstation Pro, Windows 7 vs VirtualBox Comparison

| | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 425 | 138 | 894 | 292 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (38.5% of reviews) | Mid-Market (37.8% of reviews) | Small-Business (34.8% of reviews) | Small-Business (43.6% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### CentOS

Pros:
- Reliability (17 reviews)
- Stability (15 reviews)

Cons:
- Outdated Technology (7 reviews)
- Lack of Features (5 reviews)

### VMware Workstation Pro

Pros:
- Integrations (2 reviews)
- Snapshots (2 reviews)

Cons:
- Billing Issues (1 reviews)
- Difficult Configuration (1 reviews)

### Windows 7

Pros:
- User-Friendly (17 reviews)
- Ease of Use (14 reviews)

Cons:
- Outdated Technology (13 reviews)
- Security Issues (11 reviews)

### VirtualBox

Pros:
- Virtualization Management (4 reviews)
- Ease of Use (3 reviews)

Cons:
- Performance Issues (3 reviews)
- Communication Clarity (1 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.1 (341 reviews) | 9.4 (127 reviews) | 8.9 (711 reviews) | 9.1 (255 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.5 (342 reviews) | 8.9 (127 reviews) | 9.1 (724 reviews) | 9.0 (260 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.5 (219 reviews) | 8.6 (45 reviews) | 9.1 (270 reviews) | 9.0 (80 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.5 (204 reviews) | 9.0 (42 reviews) | 8.9 (215 reviews) | 8.4 (69 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.1 (285 reviews) | 8.7 (102 reviews) | 7.9 (648 reviews) | 7.9 (188 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.7 (161 reviews) | 8.8 (37 reviews) | 8.7 (198 reviews) | 8.3 (52 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.3 (320 reviews) | 8.7 (121 reviews) | 7.0 (676 reviews) | 8.7 (251 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### CentOS

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### VMware Workstation Pro

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Windows 7

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### VirtualBox

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CentOS** | N/A | N/A |
| **VMware Workstation Pro** | N/A | N/A |
| **Windows 7** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | 8.3/10 | 42 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Virtualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (39 reviews) | 
| **Application Virtualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (29 reviews) | 

#### Desktop Management

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Provisioning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (33 reviews) | 
| **Image Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (32 reviews) | 
| **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.3 (24 reviews) | 

#### Support

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Device Portability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.0 (27 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.4 (17 reviews) | 
| **Single Sign-On (SSO)** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.5 (19 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.8 (27 reviews) | 
| **Access Controls and Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (27 reviews) | 

### Server Virtualization

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CentOS** | N/A | N/A |
| **VMware Workstation Pro** | 9.2/10 | 31 |
| **Windows 7** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | 8.2/10 | 15 |

#### Performance

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | Not enough data | 9.4 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 
| **Portability** | Not enough data | 9.2 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (13 reviews) | 
| **Data Recovery** | Not enough data | 9.0 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.1 (11 reviews) | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **OS Integration** | Not enough data | 9.5 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (14 reviews) | 
| **Resource Saving** | Not enough data | 8.9 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 
| **Performance Management** | Not enough data | 9.2 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.6 (14 reviews) | 
| **Security** | Not enough data | 9.5 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Operating System

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CentOS** | 8.8/10 | 25 |
| **VMware Workstation Pro** | N/A | N/A |
| **Windows 7** | 8.5/10 | 55 |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |

#### Memory Management - Operating System

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **RAM management** | 9.2 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (44 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Device Management - Operating System

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **I/O management** | 9.0 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (43 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Backup and Recovery - Operating System

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Data backup** | 8.1 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (37 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Error Detection - Operating System

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **System operations monitoring** | 8.9 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.0 (40 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### AWS Marketplace

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CentOS** | N/A | N/A |
| **VMware Workstation Pro** | N/A | N/A |
| **Windows 7** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |

#### Agentic AI - AWS Marketplace

| Feature | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories

**Unique to CentOS (2):** [Operating Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/operating-system), [AWS Marketplace Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/aws-marketplace)

**Unique to VMware Workstation Pro (1):** [Server Virtualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization)

**Unique to Windows 7 (1):** [Operating Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/operating-system)

**Unique to VirtualBox (2):** [Server Virtualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization), [Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-vdi)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | CentOS | VMware Workstation Pro | Windows 7 | VirtualBox | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 31.5% | 33.3% | 34.8% | 43.6% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 38.5% | 37.8% | 33.1% | 34.6% | 
| **Enterprise** | 30.0% | 28.9% | 32.1% | 21.8% | 

### By Industry

#### CentOS

- **Information Technology and Services:** 30.3%
- **Computer Software:** 15.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 5.8%
- **Telecommunications:** 4.3%
- **Internet:** 3.8%
- **Higher Education:** 3.0%
- **Financial Services:** 2.8%
- **Research:** 1.8%
- **Program Development:** 1.5%
- **Education Management:** 1.3%
- **Other:** 30.3%

#### VMware Workstation Pro

- **Computer Software:** 23.7%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 23.7%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 8.1%
- **Higher Education:** 5.2%
- **Internet:** 3.7%
- **Computer Networking:** 3.0%
- **Semiconductors:** 2.2%
- **Information Services:** 2.2%
- **Financial Services:** 1.5%
- **Telecommunications:** 1.5%
- **Other:** 25.2%

#### Windows 7

- **Information Technology and Services:** 16.8%
- **Computer Software:** 10.3%
- **Higher Education:** 5.0%
- **Education Management:** 4.2%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.8%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 2.3%
- **Accounting:** 2.1%
- **Banking:** 2.0%
- **Financial Services:** 1.9%
- **Other:** 50.1%

#### VirtualBox

- **Information Technology and Services:** 23.5%
- **Computer Software:** 22.1%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 7.3%
- **Telecommunications:** 4.8%
- **Internet:** 4.5%
- **Education Management:** 3.8%
- **Higher Education:** 2.1%
- **Computer Networking:** 2.1%
- **Program Development:** 1.7%
- **Food & Beverages:** 1.4%
- **Other:** 26.6%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to CentOS

- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2385 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (974 reviews)
- [macOS Sierra](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-macos-sierra/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (482 reviews)
- [Oracle Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-linux/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (345 reviews)
- [Kali Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/kali-linux/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (240 reviews)
- [Android](https://www.g2.com/products/android/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1272 reviews)
- [Fedora](https://www.g2.com/products/fedora/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (211 reviews)
- [Linux Mint](https://www.g2.com/products/linux-mint/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (189 reviews)
- [Apple iOS](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-ios/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1557 reviews)
- [Debian](https://www.g2.com/products/debian/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (218 reviews)

### Alternatives to VMware Workstation Pro

- [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (392 reviews)
- [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2385 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (974 reviews)
- [Proxmox VE](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (36 reviews)
- [Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (324 reviews)
- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews)
- [Red Hat OpenShift](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-red-hat-openshift/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (303 reviews)
- [Scale Computing Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/scale-computing-platform/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (265 reviews)
- [Oracle VM](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-vm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (73 reviews)

### Alternatives to Windows 7

- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2385 reviews)
- [Apple iOS](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-ios/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1557 reviews)
- [Android](https://www.g2.com/products/android/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1272 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (974 reviews)
- [macOS Sierra](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-macos-sierra/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (482 reviews)
- [Oracle Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-linux/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (345 reviews)
- [Apple OS X El Capitan](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-os-x-el-capitan/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (262 reviews)
- [Apple OS X Mountain Lion](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-os-x-mountain-lion/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (220 reviews)
- [Fedora](https://www.g2.com/products/fedora/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (211 reviews)
- [Debian](https://www.g2.com/products/debian/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (218 reviews)

### Alternatives to VirtualBox

- [Citrix DaaS](https://www.g2.com/products/citrix-citrix-daas/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (546 reviews)
- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (761 reviews)
- [VMware Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-fusion/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (126 reviews)
- [Amazon WorkSpaces](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-workspaces/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (108 reviews)
- [Proxmox VE](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (36 reviews)
- [Vagrant](https://www.g2.com/products/vagrant/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (32 reviews)
- [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (392 reviews)
- [V2 Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/v2-cloud/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (247 reviews)
- [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2385 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### CentOS

- Title: [how can I install and use CentOS](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-can-i-install-and-use-centos) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "First download centos from the official repo. 
Later you can install by booting up your computer/laptop with centos iso image."
- Title: [How to install package?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-to-install-package) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "For install package use command : yum install <package_name>"
- Title: [Bolehkah ini digunakan untuk acara pembelajaran?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-this-be-used-for-learning-events) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Yes. You can run Moodle, or other learning management system (LMS) products on CentOS Linux, or event management software. There is a rich set of open source..."
- Title: [Where did you go to learn how to use CentOS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/51381-where-did-you-go-to-learn-how-to-use-centos) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "At my first job organization. 
Some learning forums like stackexchange, tldp, the Linux Foundation etc..., 
"
- Title: [How can I acheive client isolation ?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-can-i-acheive-client-isolation) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "When I was learning about client isolation I found this web article very helpful. I hope it will help you. 

..."

### VMware Workstation Pro

- Title: [Is Workstation Pro free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-workstation-pro-free) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Yes there is free plan for personal use"
- Title: [Is VMware a workstation pro?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-vmware-a-workstation-pro) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Yes, VMware Workstation Pro is a powerful virtualization tool that serves as a workstation platform for professionals working with multiple operating..."

### Windows 7

- Title: [What is Windows 7 used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-windows-7-used-for) — 3 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "its use for Personal and office Desktop "
- Title: [how to find computer specs windows 7](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-to-find-computer-specs-windows-7) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Hey Clara, there's a few ways you can do this on Windows 7! The fastest way you can find your computer specs is by pressing Windows+R (the "run" command),..."
- Title: [Do you think Microsoft will extend support for Windows 7 after January 14, 2020?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/do-you-think-microsoft-will-extend-support-for-windows-7-after-january-14-2020) — 3 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Hey, good question! It's difficult to say where Microsoft will draw a hard line on when they stop supporting Windows 7. Per their product lifecycle page..."
- Title: [Support for Windows 7](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12026-support-for-windows-7) — 3 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "In my opinion, I believe it will not affect the market even though many users use this operating system. The current technical support is quite..."
- Title: [I am using dell vostro 1550 laptop with windows 7 home basic version. can I upgrade my system to windows 10 version?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/windows-7-i-am-using-dell-vostro-1550-laptop-with-windows-7-home-basic-version-can-i-upgrade-my-system-to-wind) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Yes, you can use Windows 10."

### VirtualBox

- Title: [How do I create a virtual machine in VirtualBox?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-create-a-virtual-machine-in-virtualbox) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Install Virtual Box on virtual box site.
after installation click on #New option
then get a name what types of os you want to install like Centos
then..."
- Title: [Is VirtualBox free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-virtualbox-free) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Yes it is"
- Title: [How easy is it to install VirtualBox and what is it used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/10403-que-ta-facil-es-instalar-virtual-box-y-para-que-nos-sirve) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "It is relatively easy to install, you just need to run its installer and follow the quick installation steps. It helps us to simulate different operating..."
- Title: [What is VirtualBox software virtualization?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-virtualbox-software-virtualization) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "You can run an OS virtually inside the software (virtualbox) without affecting the local OS.
The services of the virtualized OS could be limited but you can..."
- Title: [How does virtual box work?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-does-virtual-box-work) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It uses the machine resources to allocate and run another machine. It's like having another pc, that shares your resources with the main one."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/centos-vs-vmware-workstation-pro-vs-windows-7-vs-virtualbox)