KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) vs VMware vSphere Hypervisor

Struggling to choose between KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and VMware vSphere Hypervisor? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a System & Hardware solution with tags like virtualization, vm, linux, open-source.

It boasts features such as Kernel-level virtualization, Supports live migration of VMs between hosts, Built into Linux kernel, Leverages hardware-assisted virtualization, Open source and free and pros including Good performance, Leverages hardware virtualization, Integrated into Linux, Active development community, Free and open source.

On the other hand, VMware vSphere Hypervisor is a System & Hardware product tagged with hypervisor, virtualization, vsphere, vmware, server, baremetal.

Its standout features include Bare-metal hypervisor architecture, Supports 64-bit guest operating systems, Built-in VMware Tools, Distributed Resource Scheduler, High Availability, vMotion, Storage vMotion, Fault Tolerance, and it shines with pros like Free and open-source, Easy to install and configure, Good performance, Wide ecosystem support, Centralized management, Live migration of VMs, High availability features.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is an open-source virtualization technology that allows you to create and run virtual machines (VMs) on Linux. It makes use of hardware virtualization capabilities of modern CPUs for efficient virtualization.

Categories:
virtualization vm linux open-source

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) Features

  1. Kernel-level virtualization
  2. Supports live migration of VMs between hosts
  3. Built into Linux kernel
  4. Leverages hardware-assisted virtualization
  5. Open source and free

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Good performance

Leverages hardware virtualization

Integrated into Linux

Active development community

Free and open source

Cons

Linux-only

Less features than proprietary solutions

Steeper learning curve than alternatives

No centralized management


VMware vSphere Hypervisor

VMware vSphere Hypervisor

VMware vSphere Hypervisor is a free bare-metal hypervisor that virtualizes servers to enable the running of multiple operating systems on a single physical server. It provides a simple, reliable and secure foundation for business-critical applications.

Categories:
hypervisor virtualization vsphere vmware server baremetal

VMware vSphere Hypervisor Features

  1. Bare-metal hypervisor architecture
  2. Supports 64-bit guest operating systems
  3. Built-in VMware Tools
  4. Distributed Resource Scheduler
  5. High Availability
  6. vMotion
  7. Storage vMotion
  8. Fault Tolerance

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Free and open-source

Easy to install and configure

Good performance

Wide ecosystem support

Centralized management

Live migration of VMs

High availability features

Cons

Limited features compared to paid ESXi

No official support services

Less scalability than paid versions

Limited to 8 vCPUs per VM