virtual machine program · Microsoft

Windows Sandbox

Disposable Windows desktop built into Windows Pro, Enterprise and Education, deleted when you close it.

48/100

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

In short

Windows Sandbox is included in Windows Pro, Enterprise, Pro Education/SE and Education, with no separate price¹.
It is not supported on Windows Home¹.
Closing the sandbox deletes all software, files and state; each launch is a fresh instance¹.
Virtual GPU, clipboard sharing and mapped host folders are available; networking is on by default^1,3.
It needs 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended), two CPU cores and virtualization turned on in BIOS².

Windows Sandbox suits people on Windows Pro or higher who want a clean, one-click Windows to try unknown files or apps^1,2. It adds no cost, shares the clipboard and folders, and supports a virtual GPU^1,3. The catch: it does not run on Windows Home, runs only Windows, and keeps nothing between sessions¹.

Best for: Opening untrusted files or apps in a clean, throwaway Windows.

Where the points come from

Systems4 of 17

Virtual machines4 of 27

Devices18 of 24

Openness and upkeep4 of 14

Price18 of 18

Systems 4 of 17 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Guest systems	WindowsEach run is a fresh instance of Windows; no Linux guest is documented¹.	4 / 8
Also runs on other hosts	NoneA Windows feature; no macOS or Linux host is listed¹.	0 / 4
Works on Windows Home	NoOverview says Windows Sandbox is not supported on Windows Home edition¹.	0 / 5

Virtual machines 4 of 27 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Snapshots	NoOverview says nothing persists and closing deletes all state; no save or restore of state is described¹.	0 / 8
Virtual TPM and Secure Boot	Not publishedNot published on the Windows Sandbox overview or configuration pages^1,3.	0 / 5
Network modes	NoneDocs say networking uses a virtual switch on the host; they name no NAT, bridged or host-only mode³.	0 / 6
Nested virtualization	Not publishedNot published on the Windows Sandbox install page, which covers running Sandbox inside a VM instead².	0 / 4
Starts from a ready-made image	YesOpens a fresh, clean Windows from the Start menu with no installer to find; the base is the host's own Windows^1,2.	4 / 4

Devices 18 of 24 points

Rule	What is published	Points
3D graphics for guests	YesvGPU is enabled by default on non-Arm64 devices³.	8 / 8
USB devices in the guest	Not publishedNot published on the configuration page, which lists audio, video, printer and folder sharing³.	0 / 6
Shared folders	YesMapped folders share host folders with read or write access³.	6 / 6
Shared clipboard	YesClipboard redirection is enabled by default so text and files paste both ways³.	4 / 4

Openness and upkeep 4 of 14 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Open source	Not publishedNot published on the Windows Sandbox overview¹.	0 / 6
Security advisories published	Not publishedNot published on the Windows Sandbox overview¹.	0 / 4
Updated in the last 12 months	YesWindows Sandbox ships inside Windows. Windows 11 release information, updated 2026-09-29, lists current updates⁴.	4 / 4

Price 18 of 18 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free edition	YesIncluded with supported Windows editions at no extra price; needs Pro or higher, not Home¹.	6 / 6
Cheapest licence for work use	$0Windows feature with no separate price; counted as $0 under our rule, though it needs Windows Pro or higher¹.	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
Windows Sandbox1 person	Included with Windows Pro, Enterprise and Education¹	$0	Windows feature; needs a Windows edition that supports it

The feature has no separate price but needs a Windows edition that supports it¹.

Strengths

Included with Windows Pro, Enterprise and Education at no extra price¹.
Opens from the Start menu once the feature is turned on in Windows Features².
Supports a virtual GPU, clipboard sharing and mapped host folders³.
Each launch is clean, and closing it removes everything¹.

Limits

Not supported on Windows Home¹.
Nothing persists after you close it, so there are no snapshots to return to¹.
Only one instance can run at a time¹.
Only a Windows guest is documented¹.

What Microsoft says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

Microsoft says Windows Sandbox takes a few seconds to launch¹.

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
3
NanaBoxWindows users who want a light Hyper-V front end with GPU and TPM options
74/100
$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

All 12 virtual machine programs

Sources

Windows Sandbox, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Install Windows Sandbox, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Use and configure Windows Sandbox, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Windows 11 - release information, Microsoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-isolation/windows-sandbox · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Microsoft.