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Online Virtual Machine – What Is It?
An online virtual machine (VM) is a cloud-based computer that you can access right from your web browser with no downloads or installs needed. It runs on a remote server with its own IP address, so your IP address isn't revealed. You can connect to an online Windows and Android VMs, and coming soon, also to macOS, Linux, and ReactOS VMs. Everything you do inside the VM stays there, making it great for testing software, running CI/CD pipelines, browsing privately, or testing different versions of operating systems.
How Does an Online Virtual Machine Work?
An online VM runs in the cloud on servers like OVH or Amazon EC2. It works right in your browser using JavaScript and WebSockets, so there's nothing to download or install. When you connect to one, it instantly spawns a new virtual computer from a base image with preinstalled software, making it useful for testing apps, playing games, or trying out old operating systems.
What Are Online Virtual Machine Use Cases?
Testing Software on Different Windows Versions
Need to see if your app runs on Windows XP, 7, 10, and 11? Online VMs let you quickly switch between versions without needing separate computers.
Checking if a File is a Virus
If you have a sketchy email attachment or a weird exe file, then you can open it in an online VM to see what happens. If it's malware, your main system stays safe as VMs run remotely on cloud servers, isolated from your network.
Running Old Software That Doesn't Work on New PCs
Some old programs won't run on modern Windows. You can use an online VM with Windows XP or 7 to keep using them without issues.
Debugging and Reverse Engineering
With tools like x64dbg, sysinternals suite, a hex editor, and network sniffer preinstalled, online VMs are great for analyzing software and finding vulnerabilities.
Opening Suspicious PDFs Safely
PDFs can have hidden malware, especially if they come from unknown sources. An online VM with a bundled PDF viewer lets you open them without risking your main computer.
Trying Out Sketchy Software Without Installing It
Want to check out a program but don't trust it? Run it in a virtual machine first. If it's bad, you can just reset the VM, and your real PC stays clean.
Teaching or Practicing IT Support
Online VMs are great for learning how to fix Windows issues. You can break and repair different OS versions without messing up your own computer.
Running Multiple Operating Systems at Once
Often you need multiple Windows versions at once. For example, you may need Windows 7 for one task and Windows 11 for another. With an online VMs you can switch between them instantly without rebooting your actual PC.
Experimenting with Registry Edits and System Tweaks
Have you ever wondered what happens if you modify or delete Windows registry settings? An online VM lets you experiment with registry without breaking your real OS.
Practicing Linux Command Line in Windows
Do you want to learn Linux without installing it? You can use an online Linux virtual machine to practice bash commands and shortcuts, install various packages via apt-get command, or just mess around. (PS. You can even run rm -rf /.)
Using Apps That Require Admin Privileges
Some software needs admin access, which you might not have on your work or school PC. An online VM solves this problem as it grants you full admin access and lets you run them freely.
Simulating a Slow or Old Computer for Testing
If you need to see how your website or app works on a slow and outdated PC, then you can launch an online VM with limited RAM and an old OS (such as Windows XP) for real-world testing.
What is Browserling?
Browserling is an online virtual machine platform that lets you test websites and software in different browsers and operating systems, such as Windows XP, 7, 10, and 11. It runs software on remote virtual machines, so you can check how your app functions without installing anything. It's also useful for security testing since you can open sketchy apps, downloads, and PDFs in an isolated environment.
Who Uses Browserling?
Browserling has now become the online virtual machine platform of choice for software developers, testers, and security researchers, and it's used by hundreds of thousands of users around the world every month. Browserling's customers include governments, states, cities, banks, stock exchanges, universities, newspapers, Fortune 100, Fortune 500 companies, and private multi-billion dollar companies.
Happy browsing!