Looking for a Multipass alternative
The usual trigger is needing a guest that is not Ubuntu, or discovering that the Apple Virtualization backend cannot snapshot. Both are real; neither means Multipass was the wrong choice for Ubuntu.
First: do not switch if this is you
You want Ubuntu, specifically, with cloud-init, using a command you can hand to anyone. It is also the right answer if you need the same CLI on a Linux workstation and a Mac.
1VMTool is an early product. It is deliberately narrower than Multipass, and a narrower tool is only an upgrade when the part it does well is the part you need.
What frustrates people about Multipass
- It is an Ubuntu product. Custom images exist, but the catalog, the documentation and the muscle memory are all Ubuntu.
- The native Apple backend cannot snapshot. Canonical's own driver documentation lists snapshots and suspend as unsupported on Apple Virtualization, so the default stays on QEMU.
- Shipping QEMU on the Mac has been a recurring maintenance tax, including an emergency fix for newer Apple silicon and a networking fix for macOS 26.
- First-run friction on macOS around the installer and the firewall is documented by Canonical themselves.
What you gain by moving
- You want guests other than Ubuntu without leaving the supported path.
- You want snapshots on the native Apple backend rather than only under QEMU.
- You want macOS or Windows guests.
- You want an app with nothing bundled and nothing to keep patched.
How they actually differ
| 1VMTool | Multipass | |
|---|---|---|
| Guest coverage | Linux, macOS, and Windows on the experimental engine. | Ubuntu, plus custom images as a secondary path. |
| Snapshot mechanism | APFS clone on the native backend. | QEMU backend only; unsupported on Apple Virtualization. |
| Price | One-time purchase. | Free. |
| Time to an Ubuntu shell | Create from a template or a prepared recipe — a full VM boot. | One command, with cloud-init. Hard to beat. |
| Bundled dependencies | None. | QEMU by default on macOS. |
| Cross-platform | macOS only. | macOS, Windows and Linux hosts. |
| Interface | GUI and CLI as peers. | CLI-centred with a small GUI. |
| Open source | Closed source. | GPLv3. |
Highlighted cells mark the stronger side of each row. Competitor details checked September 2026 against vendor documentation — pricing and features move, so verify anything decision-critical at the source.
Moving across
- Keep Multipass installed. There is no importer — machine formats do not transfer — so treat this as running both for a while rather than a migration.
- Recreate one machine you actually use in 1VMTool and work in it for a week. One real machine tells you more than a checklist.
- Take a safe point as soon as it is set up, then deliberately break something and restore it. That loop is the reason to switch; test it early.
- Only then decide. If the loop did not change how you work, the honest answer is to stay on Multipass.
Frequently asked questions
I only need Ubuntu. Should I leave Multipass?
Probably not. multipass launch is still the shortest path to a cloud-init Ubuntu machine and it is free. Switch if you need instant reset, non-Ubuntu guests, or a macOS virtual machine.
Does Multipass use Apple Virtualization?
It can, by setting the local driver. You then lose snapshots and suspend, according to Canonical's own driver table, which is why the default remains QEMU.
Can Multipass run Windows or macOS guests?
No. It is an Ubuntu tool. For Windows on ARM look at Parallels, Fusion, UTM or VirtualBox; for macOS guests look at 1VMTool, UTM, Parallels or Tart.
See whether the reset loop changes anything
Every screen states its limits before you commit, so it does not take long to find out.