# OpenStack, VirtualBox vs Google Compute Engine Comparison

| | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.2 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 53 | 294 | 952 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (48.1% of reviews) | Small-Business (43.6% of reviews) | Small-Business (36.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | Pay As You Go Per Month | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### OpenStack

**Not enough data**

### VirtualBox

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

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

### Google Compute Engine

Pros:
- Ease of Use (65 reviews)
- Scalability (60 reviews)

Cons:
- Pricing Issues (42 reviews)
- Expensive (38 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.5 (47 reviews) | 9.1 (256 reviews) | 9.0 (506 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 6.8 (48 reviews) | 9.0 (261 reviews) | 8.7 (508 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 4.6 (33 reviews) | 9.0 (81 reviews) | 8.6 (333 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 6.2 (33 reviews) | 8.4 (69 reviews) | 8.6 (213 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 7.0 (46 reviews) | 7.9 (189 reviews) | 8.4 (467 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 7.0 (30 reviews) | 8.3 (52 reviews) | 8.8 (205 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.3 (48 reviews) | 8.7 (252 reviews) | 9.4 (483 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### OpenStack

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### VirtualBox

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Google Compute Engine

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Beyond Free Tier and Free Trial

Price: Pay As You Go Per Month

Description: Pricing for Compute Engine is based on per-second usage of the machine types, persistent disks, and other resources that you select for your virtual machines. 

Key Features:
- Compute Engine charges for usage based on the following price sheet: https://cloud.google.com/compute/all-pricing

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Cloud Management Platforms

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **OpenStack** | 8.7/10 | 7 |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 153 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Consolidation** | 8.6 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (136 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Orchestration** | 9.0 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (135 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Optimization** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (136 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Cost Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (135 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Security** | 8.1 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (136 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Resource Management** | 8.6 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (134 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Backup and Recovery** | 8.9 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (135 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Cloud Management Platforms

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.9 (14 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (14 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 

### Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **OpenStack** | 8.9/10 | 6 |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 204 |

#### Infrastructure Provision

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Public Cloud** | 7.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (174 reviews) | 
| **Private Cloud** | 9.4 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.4 (173 reviews) | 
| **Hybrid Cloud** | 8.3 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (164 reviews) | 
| **Bare Metal** | 9.2 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.9 (157 reviews) | 
| **High-Performance Computing (HPC)** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (165 reviews) | 
| **Virtual Machines (VMs)** | 9.2 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (179 reviews) | 
| **Edge Computing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (159 reviews) | 
| **Virtual Networks** | 9.3 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (176 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pay by Usage** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (174 reviews) | 
| **Usage Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (170 reviews) | 
| **Performance Tracking** | 8.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (176 reviews) | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Resource Auto-Scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (173 reviews) | 

### Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **OpenStack** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | 8.3/10 | 43 |
| **Google Compute Engine** | N/A | N/A |

#### Functionality

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Virtualization** | Not enough data | 9.1 (39 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Application Virtualization** | Not enough data | 8.3 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Desktop Management

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Provisioning** | Not enough data | 9.1 (33 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Image Management** | Not enough data | 8.8 (33 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | 7.3 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Support

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Device Portability** | Not enough data | 9.0 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | 7.4 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Single Sign-On (SSO)** | Not enough data | 7.5 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | 7.9 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls and Permissions** | Not enough data | 8.8 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Server Virtualization

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **OpenStack** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | 8.2/10 | 16 |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 125 |

#### Performance

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | Not enough data | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 9.0 (115 reviews) | 
| **Portability** | Not enough data | 8.5 (13 reviews) | 8.6 (110 reviews) | 
| **Data Recovery** | Not enough data | 7.1 (11 reviews) | 8.5 (109 reviews) | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **OS Integration** | Not enough data | 9.0 (15 reviews) | 8.7 (109 reviews) | 
| **Resource Saving** | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 8.6 (108 reviews) | 
| **Performance Management** | Not enough data | 7.8 (15 reviews) | 8.7 (110 reviews) | 
| **Security** | Not enough data | 8.2 (15 reviews) | 9.1 (114 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.1 (15 reviews) | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (14 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (14 reviews) | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (14 reviews) | 

### Auto Scaling

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **OpenStack** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.5/10 | 133 |

#### Automated resource scaling

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Automatic resource discovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (116 reviews) | 
| **Smart scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (118 reviews) | 

#### Scaling strategies

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pre-defined optimization strategies** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (117 reviews) | 
| **Predictive scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (116 reviews) | 

#### Visualization

| Feature | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Unified scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (115 reviews) | 
| **Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (116 reviews) | 

---
## Categories

**Unique to OpenStack (2):** [Cloud Management Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-management-platforms), [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas)

**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)

**Unique to Google Compute Engine (4):** [Cloud Management Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-management-platforms), [Server Virtualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization), [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas), [Auto Scaling Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/auto-scaling)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | OpenStack | VirtualBox | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 19.2% | 43.6% | 36.4% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 32.7% | 34.4% | 30.5% | 
| **Enterprise** | 48.1% | 22.0% | 33.1% | 

### By Industry

#### OpenStack

- **Information Technology and Services:** 34.6%
- **Computer Software:** 17.3%
- **Telecommunications:** 11.5%
- **Internet:** 9.6%
- **Research:** 7.7%
- **Retail:** 3.8%
- **Food & Beverages:** 3.8%
- **Renewables & Environment:** 1.9%
- **Furniture:** 1.9%
- **Computer Networking:** 1.9%
- **Other:** 5.8%

#### VirtualBox

- **Information Technology and Services:** 23.4%
- **Computer Software:** 22.1%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 7.2%
- **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:** 26.9%

#### Google Compute Engine

- **Information Technology and Services:** 20.7%
- **Computer Software:** 19.0%
- **Financial Services:** 6.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 4.2%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 3.2%
- **Retail:** 2.8%
- **Internet:** 2.2%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.1%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.1%
- **Consulting:** 2.0%
- **Other:** 35.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to OpenStack

- [Apache CloudStack](https://www.g2.com/products/apache-cloudstack/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (27 reviews)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (749 reviews)
- [Akamai Cloud Computing](https://www.g2.com/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (406 reviews)
- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1195 reviews)
- [OpenNebula](https://www.g2.com/products/opennebula/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (10 reviews)
- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (761 reviews)
- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews)
- [VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-cloud-foundation-vcf/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (654 reviews)
- [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews)
- [Hostwinds](https://www.g2.com/products/hostwinds/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (438 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 Workstation Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-workstation-pro/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (138 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) — 4.2/5 stars (109 reviews)
- [Proxmox VE](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (37 reviews)
- [Vagrant](https://www.g2.com/products/vagrant/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (33 reviews)
- [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews)
- [V2 Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/v2-cloud/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (247 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2393 reviews)

### Alternatives to Google Compute Engine

- [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews)
- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews)
- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1195 reviews)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (749 reviews)
- [Akamai Cloud Computing](https://www.g2.com/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (406 reviews)
- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (761 reviews)
- [Hostwinds](https://www.g2.com/products/hostwinds/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (438 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2393 reviews)
- [VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-cloud-foundation-vcf/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (654 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### OpenStack

No discussions available for this product.

### 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."

### Google Compute Engine

- Title: [What does Google Compute Engine do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-does-google-compute-engine-do) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "You can deploy a VM instance within minutes via the Google Compute Engine, connect to your instance via SSH, and monitor metrics like CPU, Network, Memory..."
- Title: [What is Google Compute Engine used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-google-compute-engine-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Virtual machine implementation in the Cloud"
- Title: [What is a compute instance?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-a-compute-instance) — 2 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "It is virtual machine offering from Google Cloud"
- Title: [Is Google Compute Engine PaaS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-google-compute-engine-paas) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "No"
- Title: [Can I get the manual to understand the different features of it ?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-i-get-the-manual-to-understand-the-different-features-of-it) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "This is the official documentation: https://cloud.google.com/docs
This might help you.
"

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/openstack-vs-virtualbox-vs-google-compute-engine)