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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Infrastructure as a Service
  4. Virtualization Platform
  5. Proxmox VE vs VMware vSphere vs VirtualBox

Proxmox VE vs VMware vSphere vs VirtualBox

OverviewComparisonAlternatives

Overview

VirtualBox
VirtualBox
Stacks31.1K
Followers25.6K
Votes1.1K
VMware vSphere
VMware vSphere
Stacks608
Followers550
Votes30
Proxmox VE
Proxmox VE
Stacks353
Followers334
Votes41

Proxmox VE vs VMware vSphere vs VirtualBox: What are the differences?

Introduction

Proxmox VE, VMware vSphere, and VirtualBox are popular virtualization platforms used for creating and managing virtual machines. Each platform has its own set of features and capabilities which distinguish them from each other.

  1. Licensing Costs: Proxmox VE is open-source and free to use, while VMware vSphere requires a paid license for certain advanced features and functionalities. VirtualBox, on the other hand, is free for personal use but may require a commercial license for enterprise use.

  2. Clustering and High Availability: Proxmox VE includes built-in clustering and high availability features, making it easier to set up and manage a cluster of servers. VMware vSphere also offers robust clustering and high availability options, but they are more advanced and may require additional licensing. VirtualBox lacks native clustering and high availability support.

  3. Management Interface: Proxmox VE provides a web-based management interface that is user-friendly and suitable for both beginners and experienced users. VMware vSphere offers a more comprehensive management interface with a wide range of features and customization options. VirtualBox has a simpler interface compared to Proxmox VE and VMware vSphere.

  4. Hypervisor Type: Proxmox VE and VMware vSphere are Type 1 hypervisors, meaning they run directly on the host hardware without the need for a separate operating system. VirtualBox, on the other hand, is a Type 2 hypervisor that runs on top of an existing operating system. This difference can impact performance and resource utilization.

  5. Supported Guest Operating Systems: VMware vSphere supports a wider range of guest operating systems compared to Proxmox VE and VirtualBox. This is important for users who require compatibility with specific operating systems for their virtual machines.

  6. Community and Support: Proxmox VE has a vibrant community of users and developers who actively contribute to the platform. VMware vSphere has strong enterprise support and a large user base, while VirtualBox has a dedicated community but may not offer the same level of support as the other two platforms.

In Summary, the key differences between Proxmox VE, VMware vSphere, and VirtualBox lie in licensing costs, clustering capabilities, management interfaces, hypervisor types, supported guest operating systems, and community support.

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Detailed Comparison

VirtualBox
VirtualBox
VMware vSphere
VMware vSphere
Proxmox VE
Proxmox VE

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.

vSphere is the world’s leading server virtualization platform. Run fewer servers and reduce capital and operating costs using VMware vSphere to build a cloud computing infrastructure.

It is a complete open-source platform for all-inclusive enterprise virtualization that tightly integrates KVM hypervisor and LXC containers, software-defined storage and networking functionality on a single platform, and easily manages high availability clusters and disaster recovery tools with the built-in web management interface.

Portability;No hardware virtualization required;Guest Additions: shared folders, seamless windows, 3D virtualization;Great hardware support;Multigeneration branched snapshots;VM groups;Clean architecture; unprecedented modularity;Remote machine display
Powerful Server Virtualization;Network Services;Efficient Storage;Consistent Automation;High Availability;Robust Security
-
Statistics
Stacks
31.1K
Stacks
608
Stacks
353
Followers
25.6K
Followers
550
Followers
334
Votes
1.1K
Votes
30
Votes
41
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 358
    Free
  • 231
    Easy
  • 169
    Default for vagrant
  • 110
    Fast
  • 73
    Starts quickly
Pros
  • 8
    Strong host isolation
  • 6
    Industry leader
  • 5
    Great VM management (HA,FT,...)
  • 4
    Easy to use
  • 2
    Feature rich
Cons
  • 9
    Price
Pros
  • 9
    HA VM & LXC devices
  • 8
    Ease of use
  • 7
    Robust architecture
  • 6
    Avoid vendor lock-in
  • 6
    Free

What are some alternatives to VirtualBox, VMware vSphere, Proxmox VE?

KVM

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).

Qemu

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.

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop for Mac allows you to seamlessly run both Windows and MacOS applications side-by-side with speed, control and confidence.

Parallels

Parallels

It is an application and desktop virtualization software vendor that offers management and delivery platforms for Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows desktop deployments.

VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion

It gives Mac users the power to run Windows on Mac along with hundreds of other operating systems side by side with Mac applications, without rebooting. It is simple enough for home users and powerful enough for IT professionals, developers and businesses.

Xen

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.

VMware vSAN

VMware vSAN

It is enterprise-class, storage virtualization software that, when combined with vSphere, allows you to manage compute and storage with a single platform. You can reduce the cost and complexity of traditional storage and take the easiest path to hyperconverged infrastructure and hybrid cloud. Evolve to an integrated hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution with vSAN to improve business agility, all while speeding operations and lowering costs.

Oracle VM Server

Oracle VM Server

It is a zero license cost server virtualization and management solution that makes enterprise applications easier to deploy, manage, and support. Backed worldwide by affordable enterprise-quality support for both Oracle and non-Oracle environments, it reduces operations and support costs while increasing IT efficiency and agility.

Virtuozzo

Virtuozzo

It is an operating system-level server virtualization solution designed to centralize server management and consolidate workloads, which reduces overhead by reducing the number of physical servers required. Organizations use it for server consolidation, disaster recovery, and server workload agility.

Citrix DaaS

Citrix DaaS

Enable secure, flexible work with the leader in virtual apps and desktops. Provide a familiar, high-performance digital workspace experience to your users with Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service).

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