Top 15 Best Linux Emulators for Windows

Microsoft’s current install guide recommends the WSL install command first. That command gives you a working Linux kernel running inside Windows without dual booting.

VirtualBox and VMware both changed recently. Older guides still show outdated information, so verify version numbers and pricing against their official pages before installing.

What running Linux on Windows actually means

WSL2 and a VM are the two popular choices. Cygwin is a niche option for users who only need a few Linux command-line tools and want zero virtualization overhead.

WSL2: The command-line path

WSL2 is the easiest way to get a working Linux environment on Windows. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the WSL install command.

wsl --install

Restart when prompted. After reboot, Ubuntu launches automatically and asks you to create a username and password.

To install a different distribution, add the distribution name flag. To see all available distributions, use the WSL list command.

GUI apps work with WSLg. Install Firefox or gedit and it appears in your Windows Start menu without any X server configuration.

Your Linux filesystem is accessible from Windows. WSL2 will not run Linux kernel modules. It will not run Docker containers natively.

Virtual machines: Full Linux desktop

A virtual machine gives you a complete Linux desktop in a window. Both tools work the same way: download, create a VM with 4GB RAM and 25GB disk, then boot an Ubuntu ISO and follow the installer.

VirtualBox is free under GPLv2 and cross-platform. Snapshot support lets you roll back mistakes in seconds. The downsides are no GPU passthrough for gaming and slower disk I/O than VMware.

VMware Workstation Pro is now free for personal use, though commercial use still requires a paid license. It offers better GPU support with DirectX 11 and smoother clipboard sharing. The tradeoff is a heavier installer and a license that requires registration.

When to pick which path

• WSL2: Developers who need Linux tools fast. Free, boots in seconds, integrates with VS Code. Tradeoff: runs in a terminal by default.
• VirtualBox: Desktop experimenters who need snapshots. Runs on Windows Home, fully open source. Tradeoff: slower disk I/O, no GPU gaming.
• VMware: Users who want smooth clipboard and file sharing. Personal use is free. Tradeoff: heavier installer, registration required.
• Hyper-V: Windows Pro/Enterprise server workloads. Built in, best raw performance. Tradeoff: conflicts with VirtualBox and VMware.
• Cygwin: Users who just need grep, sed, or ssh. Zero virtualization overhead. Tradeoff: no Linux kernel or GUI apps.

None of these will game well on Linux. For native GPU performance, you need a dual-boot setup or a cloud gaming service.

What you can do next

If you chose WSL2, open PowerShell as Administrator and run the install command. Then open Ubuntu from the Start menu, update packages, and install htop to see your system stats.

If you chose a VM, download the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS ISO. Create your first VM with 4GB RAM and take a snapshot the moment the desktop boots.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install htop

Frequently Asked Questions