Hi I have a Windows PC, and want to ask a few questions about homelab setup.

1. Is it better to dual boot? Or would Windows + some VM solution with various Linux Distros be best?

2. If windows+ VM I'm guessing that's best for sandboxing reasons?

3. if I want to try multiple distros would I set up multiple VMs to turn on and off all set up with different distros and the tools for those separate distros installed separately per VM instance?

4. Which VM would you all recommend?

I have some knowledge (I'm a dev and have a couple of cybersec certs) but no homelab knowledge at all.

I heard VMWare isn't free for various things now. Is that true?

Which VMs would be best for cybersecurity testing, mix of offensive and defensive stuff?

Any help appreciated. I'm open to learn more complex tools and VMs too..