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Hyper-V vs Proxmox VE vs RHEV comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Server Virtualization Software category, the mindshare of Hyper-V is 14.1%, down from 14.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Proxmox VE is 17.5%, down from 20.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of RHEV is 3.6%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Virtualization Software
 

Featured Reviews

Ananth Narayana Rao - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective and good for small workloads while addressing update-driven challenges is needed
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…
Albert Lacerda - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages clusters across sites and has an easy setup and integrations
It is very easy to set up. It is a robust virtual environment and can be deployed within a few days. Typically, an environment can be set up in two, or three days. The most complicated part is migration from VMware. However, the new virtual Proxmox offers a built-in tool to directly connect to the VMware environment and convert the virtual machines to Proxmox. You need to have one person with expertise in network components and configuration for that part of the physical environment. The most important aspect is working with the vendors who supply your standard software. This is often the most challenging part. You need to contact support to help set up the new environment if something changes. This process usually involves more time and effort to get the vendors to ensure compatibility with Proxmox. Many people, including those at Zendesk, are often reluctant to assure that Proxmox will work with other unfamiliar systems. I rate the initial setup an eight to nine out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
Sujeet-Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is scalable and affordable, but it lacks features, and it is not easy to manage
Management of RHEV is not as easy as VMware. Some features do not work. The product does not provide features similar to VMware’s VMotion. After creating the cluster, the VM is moved to another node if we move down. However, the VM does not move the parent node automatically. It has to be moved manually. VMware moves it automatically. RHEV moves it to the parent node only if we restart. Everything can be handled in VMware through the GUI. However, in RHEV, some things can be managed through UI, and others cannot. We have to troubleshoot and use CLI. A few features of the product do not work as well as those in VMware.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"I like that it's easy to use."
"It utilizes the hardware so there are multiple applications running on one hypervisor."
"One of the most valuable features of Hyper-V is ease to use."
"There are two very good things about this product including licensing and stability."
"It makes it easier to deploy service. All service tends to migrate onto the server house without having problems now. It is hardware independent."
"Hyper-V can expand storage. For instance, if I have a VM running on NetApp or another platform, I can expand the storage without interrupting operations. It is useful when I need to quickly allocate more storage without causing downtime or performing maintenance tasks."
"Hyper-V integrates well with other Microsoft solutions."
"This solution helps us with production of our office business needs."
"You can easily migrate VMs between hosts."
"It has a good performance and you can cluster it."
"We are happy with Proxmox VE. We use it as part of a cluster."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"Proxmox VE has many containers. You need to download the image and do basic configuration, after which it is operational within a few minutes. The solution provides many containers that are light in use and don't use a lot of memory. You don't have to spend a lot of resources."
"The most valuable feature of Proxmox VE is the linked clone."
"The setup is very easy."
"KVM hypervisor is a valuable part of the solution."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the support portal."
"The price is the solution's most valuable aspect. It's much cheaper than, for example, VMware."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is the popularity of the OS."
"The initial setup is fairly straightforward and well-documented. The process is very similar to its competitors. The success of your setup depends on how well you plan."
"The platform is scalable, allowing for the installation of multiple nodes."
"The solution makes migration easy."
"Technically, the main reason why I'm using Red Hat is because of its stability."
"RHEV’s cost is much less compared to VMware."
 

Cons

"We have our scientific network, and it's run off the university sever, and we need two servers to optimize our scientific work, such as the mathematics work. Then you have to work with Python and Java, and Microsoft isn't the best option for this kind of work"
"There are bugs, and this should be resolved by Microsoft."
"The only issues we have had recently are with Windows updates that are built into the Windows server with Hyper-V."
"I would like Microsoft to put more effort into the Admin Center interface and make it much easier. It is customizable, but you have to be a PowerShell expert to customize these things. That is a limitation."
"When one server or one virtual machine fails, or one is turned off, the virtualization stops, and we have to initiate again with human intervention."
"The weak point I see in Hyper-V is related to the licensing part. If we create a new VM, we have to get a new license, which I see as not good for Hyper-V."
"The only negative thing I heard was that the baseline price is very, very attractive relative to VMware, however, the vCenter counterpart, the thing that brings it all together, is quite pricey."
"The solution is lacking in numerous features and lacks flexibility."
"I don't have enough experience to say what can be improved."
"The virtualizer in Proxmox VE could improve."
"The product is still a little young so it is maturing, but new features are coming out all the time."
"The solution is not good at upgrading and this is why I using version 6.2 and not version 7. There is no easy way to implement the upgrade. I don't have enough experience to do it safely."
"I would like to see more monitoring in the next release of this solution."
"We find it difficult to find the root cause of the issues."
"The solution needs a better billing system."
"Some of the more advanced features and options required for setup still need to use the console and hand edit config files."
"Configuring the network interfaces is much better in Ubuntu and should be improved."
"This solution could be more secure."
"My teammates and I often complain that VMware is well-documented and has a large community since it is the de facto standard. I would love to see better documentation and ease of use."
"I would love to see better documentation and ease of use."
"The support is tricky in a few places. We're facing some challenges within Malaysia where we don't really have the system integrators available who can provide extended support. When we need personnel on-site, we can't get them."
"We'd like it if it would be possible on Red Hat Virtualization to possibly connect two or three VMs to the same disk."
"We would like the dashboard feature of this solution to be improved, as it is not very detailed at present."
"In comparison to VMware, this solution isn't as stable. We're testing it right now, and we're not trusting the stability of the product."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I do not have any comments about pricing or licensing of the product."
"We did not have to pay extra money for the Failover Clustering feature."
"Hyper-V is free when you buy Windows Server. You only have to pay for engaging in the management aspect in System Center."
"Hyper-V is cost-effective and is a one-time purchase. Microsoft has multiple licensing options available, such as a subscription model and an outside purchase model that customers can choose as per their requirements."
"The product comes with Windows Server."
"Licensing cost depends on the edition you choose. There are two main options: Standard and Datacenter. With a Datacenter license, you can only create two virtual machines that are covered by the license itself. You can create more VMs, but they won't be licensed and could result in charges during an audit."
"Because we're an NGO or a charity, we get discount rates from Microsoft. The costs are not astronomical for us. To give you an example, Office 2019 would only cost 30 or 45 for us. We tend to use the on-premises version rather than the cloud version. The reason is that the subscription service works out more expensive after a few years than the on-premise version. We're not worried about having the bleeding edge stuff. We just want it to be functional."
"We rent our licenses for this solution, which means that we also have access to premium-level support. The rental cost is payable annually and includes a number of products that work with this solution. It also allows us to run unlimited virtual machines without needing a license for each one."
"It's an open-source solution that can be used free of cost."
"It is an open-source platform."
"It's very cheap."
"The solution’s pricing is very fair."
"An excellent choice for budget sensitive operations.​"
"The way the licensing of Proxmox is structured, you can use it for free. It is an open-source solution, and you can use it for free, but if you do need support, then you have to pay for the support. So, you can use it in a way that you don't have to pay anything, which is a plus point for me. For people or users who have huge and more intense use cases, the advice or the recommendation is to always pay for support. In case something goes wrong, you can fall back on the team that will attend to your request. For me, at the moment, the cost is zero."
"The product is open-source and I rate its pricing an eight out of ten. You need to pay for support and it is costly."
"Since Proxmox is open-source, it's freely available."
"Price-wise, RHEV is okay, in my opinion."
"Its price depends on the use cases."
"We have to pay extra for vulnerability and fault tolerance."
"This is an open-source solution."
"I believe we pay on a yearly basis."
"We buy a license for commercial use, and we also use the free editions."
"RHEV offers pricing based on a per-physical-machine licensing model."
"We are using the free version of Red Hat."
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Comparison Review

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Jan 13, 2015
vSphere vs. RHEV vs. Hyper-V vs. XenServer
We have used the following functions: 1. Hypervisor: to ensure that the virtual server provide web and email services to the company, thus providing a stable operation a with single sign-on integration of an AD server and vCenter. 2. Network and Storage: centralized data server…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
18%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
18%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does KVM compare with Hyper-V?
KVM is better. But let's just look at the software instead of judging. Hyper-V was a free solution from Microsoft to ...
How does Proxmox VE compare with Hyper-V?
One of the best things about Proxmox VE is that it is open-source and very inexpensive. You get all of the same featu...
What do you like most about Hyper-V?
The initial setup is not difficult at all. It is very easy.
Proxmox vs ESXi/vSphere: What is your experience?
For me the biggest impact is the cost of licensing in the case of VMware despite its overall intuitiveness and ease o...
Proxmox VE or KVM?
I use Proxmox VE and have been very happy with it. In my opinion, it is a complete and stable solution with excellent...
What do you like most about RHEV?
The initial setup is fairly straightforward and well-documented. The process is very similar to its competitors. The...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for RHEV?
It's the open source. There's not much cost. It's very minimal comparably. Compared to what I am paying for VMware, i...
What needs improvement with RHEV?
My teammates and I often complain that VMware is well-documented and has a large community since it is the de facto s...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

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Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Large customer base from all industries, all over the world. Two major Hyper-V customers are Telefonica and EmpireCLS.
Municipality of Trento, SwitchMIA, inDenova, Valmeita City Council, Alpha IT AS, Grupo Inversor Veracruzano S.A.P.I. de C.V. (GRIVER), Laut und Schoen, IT-Services - Hamburg e.K., KMI Learning, Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd., Serwise AG
Qualcomm and Bonham's Auction House.
Find out what your peers are saying about Proxmox, VMware, Microsoft and others in Server Virtualization Software. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.