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KVM

175
225
+ 1
8
VirtualBox

30.2K
24.8K
+ 1
1.1K
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KVM vs VirtualBox: What are the differences?

Comparison between KVM and VirtualBox

KVM and VirtualBox are both popular options for virtualization, but they have some key differences.

  1. Performance: KVM, being a type 1 hypervisor, provides better performance compared to VirtualBox, which is a type 2 hypervisor. KVM has direct access to the host hardware, resulting in faster execution and better overall performance.

  2. Compatibility: VirtualBox offers compatibility with various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a popular choice for desktop virtualization. On the other hand, KVM is primarily used in Linux environments and is well-integrated with the Linux kernel.

  3. Management: KVM is managed through command-line tools and APIs, making it suitable for advanced users and system administrators. VirtualBox, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly graphical interface that makes it easier for beginners to manage virtual machines.

  4. Resource Allocation: KVM allows for dynamic allocation of resources like CPU and memory to virtual machines. It also provides better control over resource utilization and allocation. In contrast, VirtualBox has limitations in resource management, making it less suitable for resource-intensive applications.

  5. Hardware Support: KVM has better hardware support, including features like nested virtualization, which allows running virtual machines within virtual machines. VirtualBox, although it supports a wide range of hardware, doesn't have the same level of hardware compatibility as KVM.

  6. Community Support: VirtualBox has a larger user community and a vast amount of online resources available for support and troubleshooting. KVM, on the other hand, has a more niche user base, mostly consisting of Linux enthusiasts and developers.

In Summary, KVM excels in performance, hardware support, and resource allocation, while VirtualBox offers better compatibility, user-friendly management, and larger community support.

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Pros of KVM
Pros of VirtualBox
  • 4
    No license issues
  • 2
    Very fast
  • 2
    Flexible network options
  • 358
    Free
  • 231
    Easy
  • 169
    Default for vagrant
  • 110
    Fast
  • 73
    Starts quickly
  • 45
    Open-source
  • 42
    Running in background
  • 41
    Simple, yet comprehensive
  • 27
    Default for boot2docker
  • 22
    Extensive customization
  • 3
    Free to use
  • 2
    Mouse integration
  • 2
    Easy tool
  • 2
    Cross-platform

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What is KVM?

KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V).

What is VirtualBox?

VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.

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What companies use KVM?
What companies use VirtualBox?
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What tools integrate with KVM?
What tools integrate with VirtualBox?

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What are some alternatives to KVM and VirtualBox?
Qemu
When used as a machine emulator, it can run OSes and programs made for one machine (e.g. an ARM board) on a different machine (e.g. your own PC). By using dynamic translation, it achieves very good performance. When used as a virtualizer, it achieves near native performance by executing the guest code directly on the host CPU. it supports virtualization when executing under the Xen hypervisor or using the KVM kernel module in Linux. When using KVM, it can virtualize x86, server and embedded PowerPC, 64-bit POWER, S390, 32-bit and 64-bit ARM, and MIPS guests.
OpenVZ
Virtuozzo leverages OpenVZ as its core of a virtualization solution offered by Virtuozzo company. Virtuozzo is optimized for hosters and offers hypervisor (VMs in addition to containers), distributed cloud storage, dedicated support, management tools, and easy installation.
Xen
It is a hypervisor using a microkernel design, providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently. It was developed by the Linux Foundation and is supported by Intel.
Docker
The Docker Platform is the industry-leading container platform for continuous, high-velocity innovation, enabling organizations to seamlessly build and share any application — from legacy to what comes next — and securely run them anywhere
LXC
LXC is a userspace interface for the Linux kernel containment features. Through a powerful API and simple tools, it lets Linux users easily create and manage system or application containers.
See all alternatives