virt-manager vs Multipass

Struggling to choose between virt-manager and Multipass? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

virt-manager is a Network & Admin solution with tags like virtualization, kvm, xen, libvirt, open-source.

It boasts features such as Graphical interface to manage virtual machines, Supports KVM and Xen hypervisors, Create, start, pause, and stop VMs, Live migration of VMs between hosts, Remote connection via SSH/TLS, VM console access, Storage and network management, VM snapshots and pros including Open source and free, Simple and easy to use GUI, Good for managing multiple VMs, Active development and community support.

On the other hand, Multipass is a Development product tagged with virtualization, ubuntu, linux, docker.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like Simple and easy to use, Lightweight and fast VM launches, Reproducible dev environments, Native clients for Linux, macOS and Windows, Active development and maintenance.

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.

virt-manager

virt-manager

virt-manager is an open-source graphical tool for managing virtual machines using libvirt. It provides a simple way to view, control, and manage guest virtual machines running on the KVM and Xen hypervisors.

Categories:
virtualization kvm xen libvirt open-source

Virt-manager Features

  1. Graphical interface to manage virtual machines
  2. Supports KVM and Xen hypervisors
  3. Create, start, pause, and stop VMs
  4. Live migration of VMs between hosts
  5. Remote connection via SSH/TLS
  6. VM console access
  7. Storage and network management
  8. VM snapshots

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Open source and free

Simple and easy to use GUI

Good for managing multiple VMs

Active development and community support

Cons

Limited features compared to paid solutions

Steep learning curve for beginners

No native support for other hypervisors like VMware

Buggy release sometimes


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