It is free (compared to VMWare). It is easy to start with (compared to, say, Docker) It allows you to 'simulate' an architecture with multiple machines. Doing

It is free (compared to VMWare). It is easy to start with (compared to, say, Docker) It allows you to 'simulate' an architecture with multiple machines. Doing it all on one machine will have dependencies you didn't expect (eg shared env, everything localhost). It allows you to run a server application without cluttering your dev machine.