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Read 37 KVM reviews
36,025 views|26,719 comparisons
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15,794 views|11,217 comparisons
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Mar 31, 2022

We performed a comparison between KVM and Oracle VM based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of both of these solutions feel that setup is very straightforward and easy to complete.
  • Features: KVM users like that the solution is open source, very cost-effective, and easy to use. The GUI consistently gets high praise, as it makes overall management of KVM easier than ever before to get workflows completed on time. They also say that KVM is very flexible, stable, and super fast. Some users feel that technical support could be improved, as could monitoring and resolution.

    Oracle VM users tell us that they appreciate that the solution is very easy to use and offers very high performance. Oracle VM offers a great failover and an outstanding restore of virtual machines. The solution is very flexible and you have all the commands to do everything yourself. Users say it is a “set it and forget it solution.” Many users feel the solution is a bit heavy, though, and that the CPU usage should be lower. Reviewers feel that Oracle VM has not done a very good job keeping up with technology and that the solution is at the end of its life cycle and is about to be discontinued.
  • Pricing: Both of these solutions offer very flexible pricing plans. Users are satisfied with the pricing and licensing options.
  • Service and Support: KVM users were split on their experience with tech support and service. Although a few were satisfied, the overall consensus was that tech support could be better. Oracle VM users praise the huge online community that is available to assist with issues and that, when needed, Oracle’s dedicated technical support is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful.

Comparison Results: Based on the parameters we compared, KVM comes out ahead. It has the speed, stability, and flexibility that make it a very desirable solution for today’s rapidly-changing, ever-growing tech environment. This particular Oracle product, although very mature, has not done enough to stay competitive.

To learn more, read our detailed KVM vs. Oracle VM Report (Updated: March 2024).
763,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It offers a high-availability environment.""I like that it's easy to manage. It's also more powerful when it comes to security than others. That point of view is the one consideration. The other consideration is that it's cost-effective.""Scaling the solution is easy. You just have to add more hardware.""The most valuable feature of KVM is its stability.""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.""It is easy to use, stable, and flexible. It is a pretty mature product, and it is faster than VirtualBox.""KVM is stable.""It is an easily scalable solution."

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"The stability of the product is fine.""The product is simple and easy to use.""The solution is very stable. I don't recall any bugs or glitches. It's reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze.""It is very useful for the project management of our company.""Its technical support is quite good.""What I like best about this product is that it's free.""The ability to live migrate VMs on the fly from one hypervisor to another has been very useful.""It is simple and straightforward, and it will only require you one system integrator to do the job."

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Cons
"The solution should be more user friendly. We are struggling with the command lines.""The grid interface of KVM needs improvement. It could be more beautiful, especially when compared to VMware.""One thing that maybe could be improved is making it easier to scale. It needs to be more clear on how to scale the storage space for virtual machines.""Some things are pretty basic, and they could be more robust with more detail.""The networking with wireless devices needs improvement.""I have previously used VMware and KVM is easier to use. However, they both have their strengths depending on their use cases. They are mostly equal. One of VMware's advantages is it has better support.""The KVM tech support is really bad. They are not very responsive.""We still occasionally build Interlaced Wireless Protection within our environment. The ecosystem entails areas, where we support agents, and release backup and security solutions. Collaboration with independent software vendors (ITOLs or ITOLED) is necessary to offer these solutions to customers. However, the scope of the ecosystem in KVM is not as extensive as that of VMware's. In contrast, VMware boasts a robust partner network, allowing for comprehensive customer solutions. On the other hand, KVM’s ecosystem is comparatively limited in comparison. I would like to see FT features in KVM."

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"Oracle's VM VirtualBox is a powerful, free, and open-source virtualization tool. However, you'll have to read a lot of documents and perform experiments in test environments to make it work for you.""If you do a gap analysis between VMware and Oracle VM, you can't do VM Snapshot. That's one thing you can't do. It's a sort of a snapshot, but it's not really Snapshot technology. It requires that you're running on CFS-2.""The management can be improved more, and become more agile. It would be nice for it to become more rich in terms of UI. In addition, the replication to disaster recovery needs improvement.""Oracle VM should have centralized storage, without which you can't clone or move one VM to another.""I would say third-party plugins to other storage vendors. There are a lot of converged infrastructure setups; one that we have, multiple different hardware vendors. So that would be something we could definitely be looking for.""There are issues with the solution's stability since it crashes.""You need to have a model for documentation available for the users. Right now, if you have to search for some troubleshooting, you need to have Oracle login. Many personnel might not have that login. The reach, the availability of information to the end-user, is not there.""Something that could be improved are the snapshots that go in the ZFS Storage. If you want to enjoy Oracle VM, you will definitely want it to go together with ZFS Storage to maximize on the snapshot facility."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "​It is free and can be run from your laptop, if needed, unlike VMware.​"
  • "It is cheaper than other competitors like VMware or Hyper-V."
  • "It is cheaper than other solutions out there on the market."
  • "This solution came with the Linux license."
  • "This solution is an open-source, free platform with paid support."
  • "It is free for everyone."
  • "The price is fair compared to others. But in our local market, it's a problem to get budget approval from management. That's why they are trying to get those products so we can give them the price benefit. But if you consider the international market or other products, it's sometimes better than their price."
  • "We had some problems with the licensing."
  • More KVM Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Oracle's VM VirtualBox is a powerful, free, and open-source virtualization tool."
  • "The cost of scalability. You pay for what you use. It's free to download, free to install, and the support side has been very helpful."
  • "The price of this product is high."
  • "If you buy an Oracle server, this solution is free. You have to only pay for support."
  • "The cost of this solution is cheap. It is one of the reasons we chose Oracle VM. It is truly "pocket- friendly.""
  • "Pricing and licensing is one of the main decision making reasons for going to Oracle VM because it was cost effective."
  • "Oracle VM is free if you are running it on Oracle infrastructure hardware, otherwise, it is subscription-based."
  • "Licensing costs are less for Oracle Linux and for clients moving to the Oracle Cloud, as it is included in the price of the subscription."
  • More Oracle VM Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:KVM scales better, orchestration better, performs better and supports a wider range of hardware and, also, you can implement at ZERO cost and with a very powerful web interface for management, from… more »
    Top Answer:Small support team, small cluster, low core count, use VMware products Large support team, large clusters with many cores, use KVM KVM scales better, orchestration better, performs better and… more »
    Top Answer:Far from being an expert, my opinion is that the positive sides of KVM are: Lower costs and open-source which gives the abilities to customize it according to the specific needs of each customer.
    Top Answer:I would prefer if KVM was easier to scale and not so limited. Overall the product has been helpful. It is easy to use, and was quite straight-forward to set up. Since I have been using KVM, I have not… more »
    Top Answer:Oracle VM seems to me to be kind of outdated. Nevertheless, it is fairly straightforward to use and maintain. The solution can just be set and you can forget about it, and the scalability is… more »
    Top Answer:I rate Oracle VM's scalability a ten out of ten.
    Ranking
    Views
    36,025
    Comparisons
    26,719
    Reviews
    13
    Average Words per Review
    444
    Rating
    8.5
    Views
    15,794
    Comparisons
    11,217
    Reviews
    17
    Average Words per Review
    380
    Rating
    8.3
    Comparisons
    Proxmox VE logo
    Compared 29% of the time.
    Oracle VM VirtualBox logo
    Compared 13% of the time.
    Hyper-V logo
    Compared 11% of the time.
    VMware vSphere logo
    Compared 11% of the time.
    Nutanix AHV Virtualization logo
    Compared 8% of the time.
    Learn More
    KVM
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    Overview

    KVM stands for Kernel-based Virtual Machine, which is an open-source virtualization technology that is embedded in Linux. KVM allows users to seamlessly transform their Linux system into a hypervisor that, in turn, will enable a host machine to run numerous, isolated virtual environments or virtual machines (VMs).

    KVM is part of Linux. Users with Linux 2.6.20 or newer already have KVM. As KVM is already a component of the current Linux code, it automatically improves with every new Linux fix, feature, or upgrade. So KVM users are always current and up to date.

    KVM automatically transforms Linux to a type -1 (bare-metal) hypervisor. All hypervisors need operating system components, such as a process scheduler, I/O stack, device drivers, memory manager, and more, to run a VM. KVM already has these components embedded, as it is part of the Linux kernel. Each VM is generated as a basic Linux proces,s which is maintained by the standard Linux scheduler, with dedicated hardware such as a graphics adapter, memory, disks, network card, and CPUs.

    KVM Key Features:

    KVM has many valuable key features. Some of its most useful features include:

    • Storage: KVM has the ability to use any storage protocol supported by Linux, including network-attached storage (NAS) and some local disks. Multipath I/O can be utilized to provide redundancy and improve storage. Disk images use thin provisioning, ensuring storage is used on demand. KVM is also able to use shared file systems, enabling VM images to be shared on multiple hosts.
    • Hardware: KVM is able to use a vast number of Linux-certified supported hardware platforms. As hardware vendors routinely contribute to kernel improvement, the most up-to-date hardware features are generally quickly added to the Linux kernel.
    • Memory: KVM effectively utilizes the memory management features of Linux, such as kernel same-page emerging and non-uniform memory access. The memory of a VM can easily be switched, supported by large volumes for improved performance, then backed by a disk file or shared.
    • Migration: KVM actively supports live migration so users have the ability to move any running VM between physical hosts with no downtime.
    • Security: KVM uses a blend of secure virtualization (SVirt) and security-enhanced Linux (SELinux) for improved VM security and isolation. SELinux determines security boundaries surrounding VMs. sVirt expands SELinux’s processes, permitting Mandatory Access Control (MAC) security to be used for guest VMs and preventing any manual labeling issues.

    Reviews from Real Users

    “The most helpful aspect of KVM is the fact that the interface is so minimal. It includes just what you need to set up the VMs and manage them, and it's very simple to do so. KVM, as a native virtualization solution, is a complete and fully adequate system for small businesses that need to reduce costs, and also to make maintenance easier. “ - Georges E., Business Engineer and Consultant at All-Tech

    “The most valuable feature of KVM is the hypervisor environment and how we can configure it with ease. Additionally, the interface is intuitive.” Sonu S., Senior Solution Architect at Micro Focus

    Oracle VM for x86

    Oracle VM for x86 is a Xen based server virtualization platform for public and private cloud and traditional on premise deployment. Oracle VM offers full lifecycle and application deployment from disk to cloud.

    Designed and optimized for security, efficiency and performance Oracle VM supports major hardware vendors x86 and storage platforms and can run workloads on Linux, Windows and Oracle Solaris. Uniquely for our virtualization platform it offers live patching via Ksplice enhancing security and minimizing service disruption. Oracle VM supports hard partitioning which can significantly reduce software applications licensing costs.

    Oracle VM for SPARC

    Oracle VM for SPARC is a firmware based virtualization platform for Oracle and Fujitsu SPARC based servers running Solaris. Oracle VM supports hard partitioning which can significantly reduce software applications licensing costs.

    Sample Customers
    MediaWiki, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Wikidata, Wikiversity, Commons
    Ambulance Victoria, Australian Finance Group (AFG), Avnet Technology Solutions, CERN, cloudKleyer, Danish Tax Authority (SKAT), Data Intensity, Dubai World, Engineers Australia, Enkitec, Groupe FLO, Guerra S.A. Implemento, s Rodovišrios, Interactive One, IT Convergence, Jesta Digital, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, KT, Kyoto Prefecture, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory / National Ignition Facility, Multinet Pakistan, National Australia Bank (NAB), Navis LLC, Overhead Door, Overstock.com, Paragon Data, Parks Victoria, Pella, Sunway Shared Services, St. Louis Metro, Terminales Ro de la Plata S.A., University of Massachusetts, Versace,
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company27%
    Energy/Utilities Company13%
    Aerospace/Defense Firm13%
    Manufacturing Company13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Government8%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Consumer Goods Company8%
    Retailer8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization45%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    Government5%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business53%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise33%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise56%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business33%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business14%
    Midsize Enterprise52%
    Large Enterprise34%
    Buyer's Guide
    KVM vs. Oracle VM
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about KVM vs. Oracle VM and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    763,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    KVM is ranked 4th in Server Virtualization Software with 15 reviews while Oracle VM is ranked 7th in Server Virtualization Software with 18 reviews. KVM is rated 8.0, while Oracle VM is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of KVM writes "Reduces OpEx and is easy to maintain, along with low memory usage and a minimal interface". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Oracle VM writes "Flexible solution with extensive features like OVM Manager, enabling you to avoid hard coding". KVM is most compared with Proxmox VE, Oracle VM VirtualBox, Hyper-V, VMware vSphere and Nutanix AHV Virtualization, whereas Oracle VM is most compared with VMware vSphere, Oracle VM VirtualBox, Proxmox VE, Hyper-V and RHEV. See our KVM vs. Oracle VM 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.