Multipass vs KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

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

Multipass is a Development solution with tags like virtualization, ubuntu, linux, docker.

It boasts features such as Create Ubuntu VMs with a single command, CLI and GUI available, Built-in SSH access to VMs, Suspend and restart VMs while maintaining state, Share folders between host and VMs, Customizable CPU and memory allocation, VM image caching to speed up launches and pros including Simple and easy to use, Lightweight and fast VM launches, Reproducible dev environments, Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows, Active development and maintenance.

On the other hand, KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a System & Hardware product tagged with virtualization, vm, linux, open-source.

Its standout features include Kernel-level virtualization, Supports live migration of VMs between hosts, Built into Linux kernel, Leverages hardware-assisted virtualization, Open source and free, and it shines with pros like Good performance, Leverages hardware virtualization, Integrated into Linux, Active development community, Free and open source.

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.

Multipass

Multipass

Multipass is a lightweight virtual machine manager for Linux, Windows and macOS. It simplifies setting up virtual Ubuntu instances in just a few clicks, allowing developers to easily create reproducible development environments.

Categories:
virtualization ubuntu linux docker

Multipass Features

  1. Create Ubuntu VMs with a single command
  2. CLI and GUI available
  3. Built-in SSH access to VMs
  4. Suspend and restart VMs while maintaining state
  5. Share folders between host and VMs
  6. Customizable CPU and memory allocation
  7. VM image caching to speed up launches

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Simple and easy to use

Lightweight and fast VM launches

Reproducible dev environments

Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows

Active development and maintenance

Cons

Only supports Ubuntu VMs currently

Limited configuration options compared to other VM managers

No snapshot or cloning support yet

No built-in orchestration features


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