KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) icon

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.

What is KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)?

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is an open-source virtualization technology built into Linux. It allows you to create and run virtual machines (VMs) on any Linux server or desktop with hardware virtualization capabilities.

KVM is implemented as a kernel module that leverages the virtualization extensions of modern CPUs like Intel VT or AMD-V. This allows KVM to provide near native performance for virtualized workloads. KVM separates the physical hardware from the virtual machines, allowing you to run multiple VMs in isolation.

Some key capabilities and benefits of KVM include:

  • Very efficient and near native VM performance due to hardware acceleration support
  • Supports live migration of VMs between hosts for high availability
  • Allows overcommitting of resources for higher density
  • Open source and included by default in most Linux distributions
  • Backed by a wide community and support from companies like Red Hat

KVM is a core part of many enterprise grade virtualization platforms like OpenStack and is a popular choice for infrastructure virtualization, cloud computing and VPS hosting providers due to its performance and cost. It can also be managed through virtualization management platforms.

The Best KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) Alternatives

Top Apps like KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

VirtualBox, QEMU, VMware Workstation Pro, VMware vSphere Hypervisor, Limbo PC Emulator, Anbox, Windows Sandbox, Portable Virtualbox, VMware Workstation Player, PlayCover, QEMU Manager, VMware Fusion, Multipass, Bochs, UCS Virtual Machine Manager, Danube Cloud, Distrobox, LXC Linux Containers, JPCSIM, VMLite Workstation, VMLite VBoot, bhyve, VirtualBuddy, xhypervisor, FAUMachine, SmartOS, Virtual PC, Parallels Workstation, VMLite XP Mode, OpenVZ, SysInfoTools Virtual Disk Machine Recovery Tool are some alternatives to KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine).

VirtualBox

Oracle VM VirtualBox, commonly referred to as VirtualBox, is a powerful and open-source virtualization platform developed by Oracle. It allows users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on a host machine, enabling the simultaneous execution of multiple operating systems on a single physical system. Key Features: Cross-Platform Support: VirtualBox...

QEMU

QEMU is a free and open source hypervisor and machine emulator. It emulates a complete computer system, including the processor, memory, storage, network interfaces and peripherals. This allows you to run software and operating systems written for one machine on a different machine.Some key features of QEMU include:Full...

VMware Workstation Pro

VMware Workstation Pro is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for desktop virtualization on x64 versions of Windows and Linux. It allows users to set up multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine and run different operating systems and applications in each VM without rebooting.Key features include:Ability...

VMware vSphere Hypervisor

VMware vSphere Hypervisor is a free bare-metal hypervisor that enables server virtualization, allowing multiple operating systems to run on the same physical server. It provides a robust, production-grade hypervisor layer that allows for greater hardware consolidation, improved availability and simplified management.Some key features of vSphere Hypervisor include:Workload optimization...

Limbo PC Emulator

Limbo PC Emulator is an open-source emulator that allows you to run Windows software on Linux, macOS, and other platforms. It uses Wine and QEMU virtualization to provide compatibility with Windows applications.Some key features of Limbo include:Full compatibility with most Windows software without needing an actual Windows license...

Anbox

Anbox is an open source project that allows Android apps to run on regular Linux distributions. It uses Linux containers (LXC) to bootstrap a full Android system on a GNU/Linux operating system such as Ubuntu.The key advantages of Anbox over traditional Android emulators like Bluestacks are:It has...

Windows Sandbox

Windows Sandbox is a virtualized desktop environment included in recent versions of the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. It allows users to run untrusted or unreliable software applications in an isolated environment without risking damage to the host device or operating system.Sandbox provides a lightweight virtual machine that shares...

Portable Virtualbox

Portable Virtualbox is a free, open-source virtualization software that allows you to run multiple guest operating systems on your Windows host computer without needing to go through a lengthy install process. It runs directly off a USB thumb drive, making it easy to take your virtual machines with you wherever...

VMware Workstation Player

VMware Workstation Player is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for desktop virtualization. It allows users to set up multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical machine and run them simultaneously.Key features of VMware Workstation Player include:Ability to run production environments and test software on different operating...

PlayCover

PlayCover is a free and open-source video editing application for Windows. It provides a simple and intuitive interface that allows users to perform basic video editing tasks like trimming clips, splitting, stitching multiple clips, adding transitions, titles, effects, background music, and more.Some of the key features of PlayCover include...

QEMU Manager

QEMU Manager is an open-source graphical front-end application for managing QEMU virtual machines. It provides an intuitive interface for creating, running, stopping, deleting, and monitoring QEMU VMs without needing to use the QEMU command line.Key features of QEMU Manager include:Create new QEMU VMs with customizable hardware configurations such...

VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for Mac users. It allows you to create and run virtual machines that emulate other operating systems on your Mac hardware. Fusion provides a simple user interface to set up, manage, and use virtual machines.Some key features and capabilities of...

Multipass

Multipass is an open source virtual machine manager developed by Canonical for Linux, Windows and macOS operating systems. It allows users to easily create, manage and run Ubuntu virtual machines.Some key features of Multipass include:Simple command line interface to launch, delete and manage Ubuntu VMsLightweight and fast VM...

Bochs

Bochs is an open source emulator for the x86 architecture, allowing you to run operating systems like Windows, Linux, BSD and others on your computer without needing virtualization support from the CPU. It emulates common x86 hardware, including the CPU, memory, disks, network cards, graphics and more.Some key features...

UCS Virtual Machine Manager

UCS Virtual Machine Manager (UCS VMM) is a comprehensive virtualization management platform designed specifically for Cisco UCS environments. It enables IT administrators to centrally manage their entire virtual infrastructure from one simple web-based interface.Key capabilities and benefits of UCS VMM include:Automated provisioning of virtual machines on UCS serversMonitoring...

Danube Cloud

Danube Cloud is an open source, multi-cloud platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solution developed by EuroLDAP and designed to make life easier for developers. With Danube Cloud, developers can quickly build, deploy and efficiently scale applications without having to manage the underlying infrastructure.Some key features and benefits of Danube Cloud include:Supports...

Distrobox

Distrobox is an open-source container-based application that enables users to run various Linux distributions and software natively on their host Linux system without requiring dual booting or virtual machines. It works by leveraging container technology to isolate distros and software into containers that operate using the host's Linux kernel.With...

LXC Linux Containers

LXC (Linux Containers) is an operating-system-level virtualization technology that allows multiple isolated Linux systems to run on a single Linux host. LXC relies on cgroups and namespaces functionality in the Linux kernel to provide strong isolation of resources like CPU, memory, block I/O and network between containers.Some key...

JPCSIM

JPCSIM is an open-source, Java-based, discrete event simulation software designed specifically for modeling manufacturing systems like production lines, assembly operations, supply chains, and more. It provides a graphical modeling interface that allows users to quickly build simulations by adding and connecting functional blocks that represent individual processes or operations.Some...

VMLite Workstation

VMLite Workstation is a powerful, free system virtualization platform for desktop computers. It allows you to simultaneously run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a single physical host system. VMLite Workstation works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X host operating systems.Some key features of VMLite Workstation include...

VMLite VBoot

VMLite VBoot is a fast and lightweight virtual machine manager for Windows designed for simplicity and ease-of-use. It allows you to easily create, run, and manage virtual machines on your Windows desktop or laptop without slowdowns or bloat.Some key features of VMLite VBoot include:Intuitive and straightforward user interface...

Bhyve

Bhyve is an open-source Type 2 hypervisor that runs on FreeBSD. It allows users to run multiple guest operating systems (called virtual machines or VMs) simultaneously on a single FreeBSD host system. Bhyve supports hardware virtualization features like Intel VT-x and AMD-V to improve the performance of guest VMs.Some key...

VirtualBuddy

VirtualBuddy is an advanced virtual assistant software powered by artificial intelligence and natural language processing. It is designed to help individuals and teams improve productivity and efficiency by automating administrative tasks and providing useful information on demand.Users can interact with VirtualBuddy completely hands-free using natural voice commands. It can...

Xhypervisor

XHypervisor is an open-source, lightweight Type-1 hypervisor designed for enterprise virtualization. As a bare-metal hypervisor, XHypervisor installs directly onto server hardware to control the hardware and manage guest operating systems.Some key features of XHypervisor include:Efficient resource management using dynamic memory and storage allocationLive migration of virtual machines between...

FAUMachine

FAUMachine is an open-source, cross-platform application for designing, visualizing, and simulating finite automata. It allows users to create nondeterministic and deterministic finite automata (NFAs and DFAs), convert them into state diagrams, minimize DFAs, and test them with input strings.Some key features of FAUMachine include:Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating...

SmartOS

SmartOS is an open-source server operating system based on the Illumos kernel, a derivative of Solaris. It was originally developed by Joyent and focuses on security, virtualization, and cloud computing features.Some key features of SmartOS include:Built-in hypervisor for virtualization using KVM or zonesZFS file system for storage with...

Virtual PC

Virtual PC is virtualization software from Microsoft that allows you to run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a Windows host computer. It provides an easy way to set up isolated environments for testing software, running alternate operating systems, or compartmentalizing different tasks.Some key features of Virtual PC...

Parallels Workstation

Parallels Workstation is a desktop virtualization software that enables users to run multiple operating systems on a single physical computer. It utilizes hypervisor technology to create isolated virtual machines where different operating systems can be installed and used simultaneously.Some key features of Parallels Workstation include:Ability to run Windows...

VMLite XP Mode

VMLite XP Mode is a free virtualization software that allows users to run Windows XP as a virtual machine on modern Windows operating systems. It utilizes lightweight virtualization technology to provide an integrated XP virtual machine without slowing down the host system.Some key features of VMLite XP Mode include...

OpenVZ

OpenVZ is an open source container-based virtualization platform for Linux operating systems. It provides operating system-level virtualization that allows multiple isolated virtual containers, called Virtual Private Servers (VPSs), to run on a single physical server.With OpenVZ, each VPS runs its own operating system and applications separate from the other...

SysInfoTools Virtual Disk Machine Recovery Tool

SysInfoTools Virtual Disk Machine Recovery Tool is a comprehensive utility designed to recover deleted, corrupted, or inaccessible virtual machine disk files. It supports recovering data from major virtual disk formats such as VMDK, VHD, and VHDX used in VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, and other virtualization platforms.The tool provides an intuitive...