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Microsoft Hyper-V Server Alternatives for Linux

Looking for Microsoft Hyper-V Server alternatives? We've curated 11 top alternatives that offer similar functionality. Whether you need Linux options, free plans, or open source solutions, explore our comprehensive list to find the perfect fit for your needs.

VirtualBox

VirtualBox

Open Source

VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. As an open-source, freely available software, it allows users to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single physical machine. This enables diverse use cases, from software development and testing to creating isolated environments for everyday tasks.

Key Features

  • Free and Open Source
  • Wide range of supported host and guest operating systems
  • Easy to install and use interface

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Free and Open Source compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
VMware Workstation

VMware Workstation

Commercial

VMware Workstation Pro is a powerful desktop virtualization software that enables IT professionals, developers, and businesses to run multiple operating systems on a single PC. It provides a robust environment for developing, testing, and demonstrating software, delivering a seamless experience for creating complex virtual networks and replicating cloud environments.

Key Features

  • Highly stable and reliable platform.
  • Extensive feature set including snapshots, cloning, and advanced networking.
  • Strong performance with hardware acceleration.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Highly stable and reliable platform. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
Xen

Xen

Open Source

Xen Project is a widely adopted open-source hypervisor known for its performance and robust security features. Utilizing a microkernel design, it enables multiple operating systems to run concurrently on the same hardware, making it ideal for cloud computing and server virtualization.

Key Features

  • High performance through paravirtualization.
  • Enhanced security due to microkernel architecture.
  • Supports live migration for high availability.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

High performance through paravirtualization. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
VMware vSphere Hypervisor

VMware vSphere Hypervisor, also known as ESXi, is a free, bare-metal hypervisor that allows users to virtualize their server hardware, consolidating applications and improving resource utilization. It provides a robust foundation for building virtualized IT environments.

Key Features

  • Free to use for basic virtualization.
  • Bare-metal architecture for performance and security.
  • Robust and stable platform based on enterprise technology.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Free to use for basic virtualization. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
Proxmox Virtual Environment

Proxmox VE is a leading open-source platform for enterprise virtualization. It integrates KVM and LXC, offering a unified solution for managing virtual machines and containers via a central web interface.

Key Features

  • Open source and free to use, reducing licensing costs.
  • Unified management of KVM VMs and LXC containers.
  • Integrated clustering and high availability features.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Open source and free to use, reducing licensing costs. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
XCP-ng

XCP-ng

Open Source

XCP-ng is an open-source, enterprise-grade hypervisor based on Xen Project, offering a robust and secure virtualization platform for small to large infrastructures. It is designed to be a viable alternative to commercial virtualization solutions, providing high performance, scalability, and flexibility without licensing costs.

Key Features

  • Completely open-source with no licensing fees.
  • Enterprise-grade features (HA, Live Migration) comparable to commercial solutions.
  • Strong performance and stability backed by the Xen Project.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Completely open-source with no licensing fees. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
virt-manager

virt-manager

Open Source

virt-manager is a lightweight desktop user interface for managing virtual machines through libvirt, supporting various hypervisors including KVM, Xen, and LXC. It offers essential features for guest installation, control, and monitoring.

Key Features

  • Intuitive graphical interface for easy VM management.
  • Supports multiple hypervisors via libvirt.
  • Provides detailed performance monitoring.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Intuitive graphical interface for easy VM management. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
Citrix XenServer

Citrix XenServer

Open Source

Citrix XenServer is a powerful, open-source virtualization platform designed for managing virtualized server infrastructures. It provides robust features for creating, deploying, and managing virtual machines and containers, making it a popular choice for data centers and cloud environments. XenServer offers high availability, live migration capabilities, and integration with various storage and networking solutions.

Key Features

  • Strong performance due to bare-metal architecture.
  • Open source and cost-effective.
  • Live migration feature for zero-downtime maintenance.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Strong performance due to bare-metal architecture. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
Apache Mesos

Apache Mesos

Open Source

Apache Mesos is an open-source cluster manager that abstracts CPU, memory, storage, and other compute resources away from machines, enabling fault-tolerant and elastic distributed systems.

Key Features

  • Efficient resource utilization through fine-grained sharing.
  • Highly scalable to thousands of nodes.
  • Fault-tolerant architecture for high availability.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Efficient resource utilization through fine-grained sharing. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
oVirt

oVirt

Open Source

oVirt is a robust, free, and open-source virtualization management platform for managing virtual machines, networks, and storage, offering a comprehensive solution for enterprise virtualization needs.

Key Features

  • Free and open-source, no licensing costs for the core platform.
  • Robust feature set including High Availability and Live Migration.
  • Centralized web-based management interface.

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Free and open-source, no licensing costs for the core platform. compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server
unRAID Server

unRAID Server

Commercial

unRAID Server is a powerful network-attached storage (NAS) operating system that also functions as a robust application server and hypervisor. It's designed for home and small business users who need flexible storage, media serving, and the ability to run various applications and virtual machines from a single platform.

Key Features

  • Flexible storage expansion with drives of different sizes
  • Integrated hypervisor and Docker support for running applications and VMs
  • Energy efficient due to individual drive spin-down

vs Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Flexible storage expansion with drives of different sizes compared to Microsoft Hyper-V Server

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