# Multipass

A command-line tool from Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) that spins up disposable Ubuntu VMs in seconds — built for developers simulating cloud servers locally, not a general-purpose desktop VM app.

- **Category:** [Utilities](https://notchlist.vercel.app/category/utilities/)
- **Price:** Free
- **Open source:** yes
- **Official site:** https://canonical.com/multipass
- **Available via:** Homebrew, Direct
- **Requirements:** macOS 13 or newer (Homebrew cask requirement)
- **Maker:** Canonical Ltd

## Kitsmith's take

A different tool than the rest of this section: no GUI, no Windows or macOS guests — just fast, scriptable Ubuntu instances from the terminal, initialized with cloud-init the same way you’d configure an AWS or Azure server. The right pick if you want to test server-side setups locally rather than run a desktop OS in a window.

## Features

- **One-command Ubuntu VMs:** Launch a fresh Ubuntu instance with a single terminal command — no manual OS install.
- **cloud-init support:** Configure new instances with cloud-init the same way you would on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or Oracle Cloud, to simulate a real cloud deployment locally.
- **Native hypervisor per platform:** Uses QEMU on macOS (Hyper-V on Windows) for minimal overhead, with the option to switch to VirtualBox as the underlying hypervisor.

## FAQ

**Does Multipass have a graphical interface?**

No — it’s a command-line tool. For a GUI virtual machine app, see UTM, Parallels Desktop, or VirtualBox in this section instead.

**What operating systems can Multipass run as guests?**

Ubuntu only — it’s purpose-built by Canonical for spinning up Ubuntu instances, not a general-purpose VM app.

**Who makes Multipass?**

Canonical Ltd, the company behind Ubuntu.


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Hand-verified listing on Kitsmith: https://notchlist.vercel.app/apps/multipass/