virtual machine program · M2-Team

NanaBox

Free, open-source Windows app that runs Hyper-V virtual machines with a simple interface, GPU sharing and a JSON settings file.

74/100

#3 of 12 virtual machine programs
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

NanaBox is free and open source; the optional Sponsor Edition add-on costs $99.99 and only changes a toolbar button⁴.
It runs on Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows Server 2022 or later, on x86 and ARM, with no edition limit listed¹.
It documents TPM 2.0 (Windows 11 24H2 or later host), Secure Boot, GPU paravirtualization and nested virtualization^1,2.
Version 1.7 was released on September 20, 2026⁵.
The repository has no security policy and lists no security advisories⁶.

NanaBox suits Windows users who want Hyper-V machines with TPM, Secure Boot and GPU options without paying^1,2,4. The source is MIT-licensed and a release landed in September 2026^3,5. The catch: it runs on Windows only, documents no snapshots, and has no security policy^1,2,6.

Best for: Windows users who want a light Hyper-V front end with GPU and TPM options.

Where the points come from

Systems13 of 17

Virtual machines9 of 27

Devices24 of 24

Openness and upkeep10 of 14

Price18 of 18

Systems 13 of 17 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Guest systems	Windows, LinuxThe configuration reference lets the GuestType setting be Windows, Linux or Unknown².	8 / 8
Also runs on other hosts	NoneThe readme lists only Windows 10 and Windows Server 2022 or later as hosts¹.	0 / 4
Works on Windows Home	YesThe readme lists Windows 10 version 2004 or later and names no edition limit¹.	5 / 5

Virtual machines 9 of 27 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Snapshots	Not publishedNot published on the readme or configuration reference^1,2.	0 / 8
Virtual TPM and Secure Boot	YesConfiguration reference has Tpm (TPM 2.0, Windows 11 24H2 host) and SecureBoot options².	5 / 5
Network modes	Not publishedNot published on the readme or configuration reference: no NAT, bridged or host-only modes are named^1,2.	0 / 6
Nested virtualization	YesExposeVirtualizationExtensions exposes virtualization extensions to the VM; the readme says it supports nested virtualization^1,2.	4 / 4
Starts from a ready-made image	Not publishedNot published on the readme or configuration reference^1,2.	0 / 4

Devices 24 of 24 points

Rule	What is published	Points
3D graphics for guests	YesThe Gpu setting supports GPU-P partitioning and GPU-PV paravirtualization².	8 / 8
USB devices in the guest	YesEnhanced-session device redirection passes host devices to the guest; the documented example value is a USB device ID².	6 / 6
Shared folders	YesPlan9Shares and VirtualSmbShares share host paths with the guest, read-only or read/write².	6 / 6
Shared clipboard	YesEnhancedSession.RedirectClipboard redirects the host clipboard to the virtual machine².	4 / 4

Openness and upkeep 10 of 14 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Open source	YesApplication source code is under the MIT licence³.	6 / 6
Security advisories published	NoGitHub shows no security policy and no published security advisories⁶.	0 / 4
Updated in the last 12 months	YesNanaBox 1.7 (1.7.1633.0) was published on September 20, 2026⁵.	4 / 4

Price 18 of 18 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free edition	YesDescribed as a fully free and open source project⁴.	6 / 6
Cheapest licence for work use	$0Free app; the $99.99 Sponsor Edition add-on is optional⁴.	12 / 12

The rule behind each line: how we score virtual machine programs.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
NanaBox1 person	Free⁴	$0	Free and open source

A $99.99 Sponsor Edition add-on exists in the Microsoft Store, but it only changes a toolbar button, so the free app is the cheapest licence for work use⁴.

Strengths

Free with MIT-licensed application code^3,4.
Documents TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot switches, plus GPU-PV and GPU partitioning^1,2.
Shares host folders with the guest through Plan 9 or Virtual SMB².
Updated often: version 1.7 came out on September 20, 2026⁵.

Limits

Runs on Windows hosts only; no macOS or Linux release is listed¹.
The docs do not describe snapshots or checkpoints^1,2.
TPM needs a Windows 11 24H2 or later host, and does not work with only the Virtual Machine Platform feature¹.
The repository has no security policy and no published advisories⁶.
It needs elevated privileges through UAC¹.

Other virtual machine programs

1
Oracle VirtualBoxPeople who want a free, open-source virtual machine app on Windows
92/100
$0cheapest licence for work use
2
VMware Workstation ProWindows users who want a free hypervisor with snapshots and shared folders
79/100
$0cheapest licence for work use
4
Microsoft Hyper-VWindows Pro users who want virtual machines without extra software
73/100
$0cheapest licence for work use
5
Windows Subsystem for LinuxDevelopers who want Linux tools and distributions on a Windows PC
71/100
$0cheapest licence for work use

NanaBox vs Oracle VirtualBox · NanaBox vs VMware Workstation Pro · All 12 virtual machine programs

Sources

NanaBox ReadMe, GitHub (M2-Team). Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
NanaBox configuration reference, GitHub (M2-Team). Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
NanaBox licence, GitHub (M2-Team). Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
NanaBox Sponsor Edition, GitHub (M2-Team). Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
NanaBox releases, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
M2Team/NanaBox security, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: github.com/M2Team/NanaBox · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with M2-Team.