# Windows 8, VirtualBox, VMware Fusion vs Amazon WorkSpaces Comparison

| | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 3.7 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 576 | 292 | 126 | 108 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (45.7% of reviews) | Small-Business (43.6% of reviews) | Enterprise (47.5% of reviews) | Enterprise (39.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | $79.99 | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Windows 8

Pros:
- Speed/Performance (18 reviews)
- Ease of Use (13 reviews)

Cons:
- Unfriendly Interface (14 reviews)
- Usage Difficulty (11 reviews)

### VirtualBox

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

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

### VMware Fusion

Pros:
- Deployment (1 reviews)
- Ease of Use (1 reviews)

Cons:
- Difficult Navigation (1 reviews)

### Amazon WorkSpaces

**Not enough data**

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 7.8 (429 reviews) | 9.1 (255 reviews) | 9.1 (113 reviews) | 8.6 (79 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 7.6 (439 reviews) | 9.0 (260 reviews) | 8.9 (112 reviews) | 8.6 (81 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.2 (176 reviews) | 9.0 (80 reviews) | 8.3 (23 reviews) | 8.7 (32 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 7.6 (114 reviews) | 8.4 (69 reviews) | 8.3 (20 reviews) | 8.3 (26 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 7.6 (391 reviews) | 7.9 (188 reviews) | 8.6 (72 reviews) | 8.0 (64 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 7.3 (98 reviews) | 8.3 (52 reviews) | 8.6 (19 reviews) | 8.1 (25 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 6.0 (419 reviews) | 8.7 (251 reviews) | 7.7 (113 reviews) | 8.3 (70 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Windows 8

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### VirtualBox

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### VMware Fusion

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Configure VMware Fusion 8

Price: $79.99

Key Features:
- Easily Switch from a PC to a Mac
- Designed for OS X El Capitan and ready for the latest releases of Windows 10
- Perfect complement to Boot Camp

[Learn more about VMware Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-fusion/reviews)

#### Free Trial

No

### Amazon WorkSpaces

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Windows 8** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | 8.3/10 | 42 |
| **VMware Fusion** | N/A | N/A |
| **Amazon WorkSpaces** | 8.7/10 | 20 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Virtualization** | Not enough data | 9.1 (39 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (17 reviews) | 
| **Application Virtualization** | Not enough data | 8.3 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.6 (14 reviews) | 

#### Desktop Management

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Provisioning** | Not enough data | 9.1 (33 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.0 (15 reviews) | 
| **Image Management** | Not enough data | 8.8 (32 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (13 reviews) | 
| **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | 7.3 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.3 (12 reviews) | 

#### Support

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Device Portability** | Not enough data | 9.0 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | 7.4 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.1 (17 reviews) | 
| **Single Sign-On (SSO)** | Not enough data | 7.5 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.0 (13 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | 7.8 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (14 reviews) | 
| **Access Controls and Permissions** | Not enough data | 8.7 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.6 (16 reviews) | 

### Server Virtualization

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Windows 8** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | 8.2/10 | 15 |
| **VMware Fusion** | 8.3/10 | 7 |
| **Amazon WorkSpaces** | N/A | N/A |

#### Performance

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | Not enough data | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 7.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Portability** | Not enough data | 8.5 (13 reviews) | 8.9 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Recovery** | Not enough data | 7.1 (11 reviews) | 7.2 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **OS Integration** | Not enough data | 8.9 (14 reviews) | 8.9 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Resource Saving** | Not enough data | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 9.4 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Performance Management** | Not enough data | 7.6 (14 reviews) | 8.3 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Security** | Not enough data | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 8.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **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 |
|---|---|---|
| **Windows 8** | 8.2/10 | 55 |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |
| **VMware Fusion** | N/A | N/A |
| **Amazon WorkSpaces** | N/A | N/A |

#### Memory Management - Operating System

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **RAM management** | 8.4 (42 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Device Management - Operating System

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **I/O management** | 8.1 (35 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Backup and Recovery - Operating System

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Data backup** | 8.5 (35 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Error Detection - Operating System

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **System operations monitoring** | 7.6 (34 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Windows 8** | N/A | N/A |
| **VirtualBox** | N/A | N/A |
| **VMware Fusion** | N/A | N/A |
| **Amazon WorkSpaces** | 8.3/10 | 23 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Desktop Virtualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (20 reviews) | 
| **Backend Hosting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (14 reviews) | 
| **Hybrid Desktop Hosting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (12 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Admin Console** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.7 (17 reviews) | 
| **Solution Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.5 (14 reviews) | 
| **OS Compatibility** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (15 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Infrastructure Selection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (15 reviews) | 

---
## Categories

**Unique to Windows 8 (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)

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

**Unique to Amazon WorkSpaces (2):** [Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-vdi), [Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/desktop-as-a-service-daas)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Windows 8 | VirtualBox | VMware Fusion | Amazon WorkSpaces | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 45.7% | 43.6% | 27.9% | 23.4% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 28.3% | 34.6% | 24.6% | 37.2% | 
| **Enterprise** | 26.0% | 21.8% | 47.5% | 39.4% | 

### By Industry

#### Windows 8

- **Information Technology and Services:** 20.0%
- **Computer Software:** 13.7%
- **Education Management:** 4.6%
- **Higher Education:** 4.1%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 3.5%
- **Telecommunications:** 3.0%
- **Accounting:** 2.6%
- **Banking:** 2.4%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.4%
- **Financial Services:** 2.2%
- **Other:** 41.4%

#### 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%

#### VMware Fusion

- **Computer Networking:** 24.2%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 17.5%
- **Computer Software:** 8.3%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 5.8%
- **Internet:** 5.0%
- **Higher Education:** 5.0%
- **Consumer Services:** 2.5%
- **Entertainment:** 2.5%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 2.5%
- **Human Resources:** 1.7%
- **Other:** 25.0%

#### Amazon WorkSpaces

- **Information Technology and Services:** 17.0%
- **Computer Software:** 8.5%
- **Financial Services:** 5.3%
- **Management Consulting:** 5.3%
- **Consumer Goods:** 4.3%
- **Higher Education:** 4.3%
- **Insurance:** 4.3%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 4.3%
- **Accounting:** 3.2%
- **Staffing and Recruiting:** 3.2%
- **Other:** 40.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Windows 8

- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2389 reviews)
- [Android](https://www.g2.com/products/android/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1272 reviews)
- [Oracle Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-linux/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (346 reviews)
- [Apple iOS](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-ios/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1563 reviews)
- [Apple OS X Mountain Lion](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-os-x-mountain-lion/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (220 reviews)
- [CentOS](https://www.g2.com/products/centos/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (426 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews)
- [Lubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/lubuntu/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (82 reviews)
- [Apple OS X El Capitan](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-os-x-el-capitan/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (262 reviews)
- [Fedora](https://www.g2.com/products/fedora/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (211 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)
- [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 (393 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 (2389 reviews)
- [Xen Project](https://www.g2.com/products/xen-project/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (5 reviews)

### Alternatives to VMware Fusion

- [Red Hat OpenShift](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-red-hat-openshift/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (303 reviews)
- [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 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 (2389 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 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)
- [SC//HyperCore](https://www.g2.com/products/sc-hypercore/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (265 reviews)
- [Vagrant](https://www.g2.com/products/vagrant/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (32 reviews)
- [Accops HyWorks](https://www.g2.com/products/accops-hyworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (13 reviews)

### Alternatives to Amazon WorkSpaces

- [Citrix DaaS](https://www.g2.com/products/citrix-citrix-daas/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (546 reviews)
- [V2 Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/v2-cloud/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (247 reviews)
- [Workspace ONE](https://www.g2.com/products/workspace-one/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (40 reviews)
- [Horizon Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/horizon-cloud/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (14 reviews)
- [Workspot - Enterprise Desktop Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/workspot-enterprise-desktop-cloud/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (19 reviews)
- [Azure Virtual Desktop](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-azure-virtual-desktop/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (29 reviews)
- [XTIUM Desktop as a Service](https://www.g2.com/products/xtium-desktop-as-a-service/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (31 reviews)
- [Nerdio Manager](https://www.g2.com/products/nerdio-manager/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (233 reviews)
- [BlackBerry UEM](https://www.g2.com/products/blackberry-uem/reviews) — 3.8/5 stars (376 reviews)
- [Kasm Workspaces](https://www.g2.com/products/kasm-workspaces/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (49 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Windows 8

- Title: [Is Windows 8 a good operating system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-windows-8-a-good-operating-system) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Yes"
- Title: [Many are curious about the advantages of Windows 8 compared to the previous Windows, namely Windows 7. Here is more information about the advantages of Windows 8 compared to Windows 7 that has been summarized.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/tak-sedikit-yang-penasaran-dengan-kelebihan-windows-8-jika-dibandingkan-dengan-windows-sebelumnya-yakni-windows-7-berikut-ini-lebih-lanjut-informasi-mengenai-kelebihan-windows-8-dibanding-windows-7-yang-telah-dirangkum) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Because Windows 8 is the best."
- Title: [Windows 8 recommended software](https://www.g2.com/discussions/windows-8-recommended-software) — 2 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "I recommend it 100%"
- Title: [What is Windows 8 used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-windows-8-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Windows 8 is an operating systems used on computers. we can use this for office use  / personal use. Depend on our requirement we can select the versions of..."
- Title: [What is Windows 8.1 and its features?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-windows-8-1-and-its-features) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Best windows i using all time for working
"

### 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."

### VMware Fusion

- Title: [What is VMware Fusion used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-vmware-fusion-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "This tool will avoid physical windows system for MAC user. You can use MAC OS and Windows OS simultaneously."

### Amazon WorkSpaces

No discussions available for this product.

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/windows-8-vs-virtualbox-vs-vmware-fusion-vs-amazon-workspaces)