Hyper-V Reviews

Name: Hyper-V
Brand: Microsoft
Rating: 4.0 (142 reviews)

Vendor: Microsoft

4.0 out of 5

142 reviews
86% willing to recommend

5,495 followers

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What is Hyper-V?

Hyper-V is a hardware virtualization tool that allows users to create virtual computer environments with multiple operating systems on a single physical server. Each virtual machine has computer parts, such as memory, processor, storage, and networking, and acts like a standard computer - running its own operating system and software programs. Each component of the virtual machine can be configured to meet your specific requirements.

Get the Hyper-V Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Hyper-V, Proxmox VE, VMware vSphere and more!

Hyper-V is the #3 ranked solution in best Server Virtualization Software. PeerSpot users give Hyper-V an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. Hyper-V is most commonly compared to Proxmox VE: Hyper-V vs Proxmox VE. Hyper-V is popular among the midsize enterprise segment, accounting for 46% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 38% of all views.

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Featured reviews

Ananth Narayana Rao

Vice President Hybrid Cloud Operations at Accenture

I use Azure Monitor and other monitoring solutions to support clients in Accenture's managed services. We support multiple environments, primarily on cloud platforms like Azure and AWS, and also on-premises environments with operating systems like Windows, Linux, and Solaris, among others…

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NagendraC

Head it at Ace Designers Limited

I use Hyper-V primarily to create virtual machines (VMs) I find the quick provision feature in Hyper-V to be extremely helpful. Additionally, the ease of setup since we have been using it for a long time also adds value. Hyper-V supports the creation of VMs efficiently. Today, most backup tools…

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Jawed Iqbal

Manager of Systems at Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology

I am using Hyper-V because it is easy, user-friendly, and offers high availability options. I use it to manage virtual machines and demonstrate Microsoft products to students. In my organization, Hyper-V is used on-premises rather than on the cloud Hyper-V is used on-premises, not in the cloud,…

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Hyper-V mindshare

As of February 2025, the mindshare of Hyper-V in the Server Virtualization Software category stands at 14.5%, down from 16.2% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Virtualization Software

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Server Virtualization Software	Feb 18, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Feb 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Hyper-V vs Proxmox VE	Feb 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Hyper-V vs VMware vSphere	Feb 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Hyper-V vs KVM	Feb 18, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Proxmox VE	4.3	18.5%	98%	62 interviews Add to research
VMware vSphere	4.4	18.1%	94%	452 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Hyper-V's valuable features include cost-effectiveness compared to VMware, dynamic memory management, VM portability, ease of use, robust virtualization capabilities, integrated PowerShell scripting, efficient live migration, and extensive scalability. Users praise Hyper-V for its high availability, seamless integration with Microsoft environments, replica service, intuitive interface, strong performance, and virtual networking capabilities. It offers a reliable platform for managing virtual machines with minimal downtime, making upgrades and maintenance straightforward.

"Technical support from Microsoft is excellent, rated ten out of ten."
"Hyper-V is completely free, which is a significant advantage."
"The technical support for Hyper-V is excellent, and I rate it as nine out of ten."

Room for Improvement

Hyper-V users cite missing built-in cloning, complex initial setup, and limited virtualization features compared to VMware. Licensing costs and CPU consumption are concerns. Networking configuration is seen as complex and incompatible with some third-party applications. Users desire improved management tools, more intuitive VM configuration, and better integration with cloud services. There are security vulnerabilities and limited live migration capabilities, as well as a need for advanced disaster recovery and monitoring enhancements.

"For critical workloads and more stable environments, I would recommend VMware over Hyper-V."
"All the actions are manual, and if customization is needed, it is difficult with Hyper-V."
"Today, most backup tools and others prefer VMware. Hyper-V should ensure the features of VMware are covered within its platform."

ROI

Multiple users find Hyper-V cost-effective, noting it keeps IT spending low compared to VMware. Some users cite it as free with Windows servers, reducing costs for hardware, electricity, and maintenance. Its value is enhanced by allowing multiple virtual machines. Many organizations report a good return on investment, with some claiming it is 3x the cost. A few users note no direct ROI since Hyper-V is included with other purchases or because it's used in a not-for-profit.

Pricing

Hyper-V is often perceived as cost-effective, especially for enterprises with Microsoft agreements, as it is included in Windows Server at no extra charge. However, advanced features like Storage Spaces Direct may require additional licensing. While some find it affordable compared to competitors like VMware, others note potential hidden costs with management tools. Datacenter editions allow unlimited virtual machines, making it attractive for larger deployments. Licensing complexity can increase costs for mixed environments.

"I would not say that it is a totally reasonably priced product as it is merged with our overall costs associated with Microsoft products. We bought some enterprise licenses for our company's data center for Windows Server 2019."
"It's not expensive."
"The tool's pricing is cheap."

Popular Use Cases

Hyper-V is primarily used for virtualization and hosting critical workloads. Organizations deploy it for server virtualization, data center management, and private cloud implementation. It supports production servers, development environments, and testing scenarios. Hyper-V also aids in cost-effective resource management, reducing licensing and administration expenses. Many use it to migrate physical servers to virtual environments and handle various applications such as SQL, Exchange, and ERP systems, supporting diverse operating systems and enhancing infrastructure flexibility.

Service and Support

Hyper-V support experiences vary widely. Many users find Microsoft's service responsive, though initial interactions can be inconsistent. Users often manage issues independently, utilizing documentation and public forums. Some rate support highly, citing expertise and efficiency, while others face regional and complexity-related delays. Companies appreciate Microsoft's accessible support yet note it can be costly. Despite mixed experiences, some users emphasize the effectiveness of Microsoft's support for resolving complex issues.

Deployment

Many describe Hyper-V's initial setup as straightforward and easy, though some found networking complex. Online MSFT documentation aided smooth deployment. Unlike VMware, Hyper-V is simpler, with most tasks integrated within Windows Server. Initial deployment times varied, typically taking from minutes to a few days depending on specific configurations or company requirements. Expertise in Windows Server facilitated Hyper-V’s setup, with minimal issues noted during implementation. Maintenance generally required limited resources.

Scalability

Hyper-V is largely seen as scalable, with ease of scaling depending on the organization’s needs and version used. Most users find it easy to expand, especially with proper planning. However, there are different opinions on its scalability compared to VMware, though many rate it highly. Some users mention version limitations and licensing constraints, indicating that scaling can be more effective with specific editions or when expectations and infrastructure align appropriately.

Stability

Many users find Hyper-V stable and reliable, experiencing minimal downtime and strong performance with proper management. However, some encounter issues with updates, storage, and network, requiring careful setup and maintenance. While many report no bugs or crashes, others note performance could improve and some stability concerns persist, especially with heavy I/O or clustered environments. Hyper-V compares variably to VMware, with both strengths in stability and areas for enhancement.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Hyper-V Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

38%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

University

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Retailer

Hospitality Company

Construction Company

Media Company

Insurance Company

Non Profit

Wholesaler/Distributor

Legal Firm

Outsourcing Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Performing Arts

Transportation Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Compare Hyper-V with alternative products

Learn more about Hyper-V

Hyper-V creates a cost-effective, stable, and productive server virtualization environment by running multiple operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, and more, in parallel on one machine or server. Each virtual machine runs in its own isolated space, which means you can run many virtual machines simultaneously but independently of each other. This helps prevent problems such as a crash affecting the other workloads and enables different users to separately access various systems.

Benefits of Hyper-V

Simplify application testing: With Hyper-V you can easily add and remove operating systems from your virtual machines, enabling you to run and test your applications on each of them all from one single computer.
Minimize resource usage and scalability: Virtual machines are easier to manage than physical hardware and less expensive. You can also maximize your server use by allocating its resources more efficiently than you can with physical hardware alone.

Hyper-V key features:.

Replication and migration: Hyper-V can replicate virtual machines for backups onto different sites. Hyper-V also provides a migration tool for moving a virtual machine from one Hyper-V host to another without causing any downtime.
Remote connection: Hyper-V’s remote connectivity tool allows administrators to remotely access a virtual machine.
Security: Hyper-V keeps virtual machines secure from malware attacks, unauthorized access, and data breaching attempts.

Reviews from Real Users

Hyper-V stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Several major ones are its flexibility, its replication capabilities, and the fact that its virtual machines utilize a small amount of resources..

Liam L., the owner of a tech services company, writes, “It is actually very low on resources. It doesn't use many resources. It is also very easy to tailor. You can change things like the amount of memory and storage on the fly. It is very stable and reliable. I like its replication feature, which is very good. It is also very easy to move the virtual machines across push servers without any difficulty. Its performance is also very good. Now with this pandemic, a lot of workers are working from home. A lot of workers have been using laptops as their desktop computers, and they would remote into a virtual PC. There is no difficulty, and they can't tell the difference between this and the real one. It is much easier to manage.”

Kevin E. an IT director at Homeland Technology Group, LLC, notes, “We've probably seen a 50 percent speed increase on our SQL server. Hyper-V has also significantly reduced our downtimes with faster boot-up and reboot. If we have to reboot a server, there is maybe two or three minutes of downtime. When we were on a bare-metal server, it could be five to ten minutes due to the total boot time.”