We performed a comparison between KVM and Oracle VM VirtualBox based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Both KVM and Oracle VM VirtualBox have their strengths and weaknesses. Oracle VM VirtualBox seems to be the more favorable choice of the two, since it offers good scalability whereas scalability seems to be an ongoing issue for KVM users.
"The initial setup was simple."
"The performance is great."
"What I like most about KVM is that it's very easy to use. Everything is built-in, even when writing command lines."
"I like that this is an open-source solution. It is very powerful, and it's easy."
"I appreciate the network passcode feature in KVM, as it provides a convenient way to manage DNS and cloud hosting."
"I think nine out of the ten supercomputers in the world use Linux KVM, so I think that attests to the fact that it is a scalable product."
"The key aspect is that the KVM directly interacts with the Kronos. There's no clear indication of indirect communication with Kronos. It is not linked to Kronos, and interaction is straightforward without any intermediaries."
"There is a strong emphasis on availability, and they have numerous API interfaces for distributed storage and the solution is quite known for its openness."
"Oracle VM VirtualBox is easy to use."
"The product gives us the flexibility to try different machines."
"I think VirtualBox has good stability because I use it in an environment with several resolutions."
"It's very simple to use."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that there is no cost because it is open source."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its stability."
"This solution can be used on many different platforms including Windows and Linux."
"The solution has high performance and is easy to use."
"The solution should be more user friendly. We are struggling with the command lines."
"KVM is very difficult to manage and run on daily operations."
"Technical support is not top-notch."
"I have encountered difficulties in getting the tool's documentation."
"The only negative aspect of needing hardware support is a fully functional KVM can be dropped. It would be nice if the support for other platforms, like ARM or Risk, were as good as the x86 one. However, with the democratization of Chromebooks based on these chips and mobile devices, it will not take long for that to happen."
"The grid interface of KVM needs improvement. It could be more beautiful, especially when compared to VMware."
"We would like to have a software lifecycle solution included in this solution. We can handle the software needed for KVM, but also the software that we provide. A lifecycle component would be very beneficial."
"Support for VF is needed, where you can, for example, export from VMware to KVM."
"The user interface needs to be improved."
"The solution needs to improve its flexibility. It's not as flexible as VMware."
"The installation is difficult and could be improved."
"The product lacks scalability since it is for desktops and not for servers."
"The user interface needs to be improved."
"One valuable feature would be for it to work right the first time but it doesn't necessarily do that."
"Basically, the GUI and command-line interface need improvement."
"It could improve slightly with enhanced reporting capabilities that show the current status of the network."
KVM is ranked 4th in Server Virtualization Software with 39 reviews while Oracle VM VirtualBox is ranked 5th in Server Virtualization Software with 61 reviews. KVM is rated 8.0, while Oracle VM VirtualBox is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of KVM writes "Delivers good performance because of kernel-based virtualization". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Oracle VM VirtualBox writes "The solution is versatile, simple to use, and stable". KVM is most compared with Proxmox VE, Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, VMware Workstation and Oracle VM, whereas Oracle VM VirtualBox is most compared with Proxmox VE, Hyper-V, Oracle VM, VMware Workstation and VMware vSphere. See our KVM vs. Oracle VM VirtualBox report.
See our list of best Server Virtualization Software vendors.
We monitor all Server Virtualization Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.