Oracle VM VirtualBox and VMware ESXi compete in the virtualization software category. VMware ESXi appears to have the upper hand due to its enterprise-grade features and robust performance, which are ideal for large data center environments.
Features: Oracle VM VirtualBox is a free and open-source solution valued for its versatility and multi-platform support. It allows seamless integration with different VM images and provides flexibility for budget-conscious users. VMware ESXi offers high performance with advanced resource optimization and extensive integration capabilities, making it desirable for enterprise environments. Its clustering features and disaster recovery options are particularly noteworthy.
Room for Improvement: Oracle VM VirtualBox users seek enhancements in seamless file transfer and user interface, as well as better support for enterprise-grade features. Improved networking options and management stability are also desired. VMware ESXi users point out concerns such as high pricing and complex licensing post-Broadcom acquisition, along with a challenging setup process for advanced features. Suggested improvements include pricing strategy adjustments and quicker support response times.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle VM VirtualBox is known for its simple installation process, commonly supported by an engaged user community with limited direct support. VMware ESXi, although technically complex during deployment, benefits from robust customer support. However, users report mixed experiences, citing the need for better response times and clearer documentation.
Pricing and ROI: Oracle VM VirtualBox offers significant ROI due to its free availability, eliminating costs associated with licensing and server needs, which is particularly advantageous in non-commercial settings. VMware ESXi, though perceived as expensive, justifies its price with its advanced features, appealing to enterprises that prioritize high performance and virtualization robustness.
I did not perform any long-term stress tests, just for a couple of hours or days on every application.
Their forum and documentation is more than enough for technical support.
In the last three or four years, we did not require any support from VMware engineers, indicating its high reliability.
I rate the technical support from VMware as nine or ten out of ten.
Customer service and support are good; they are reachable, and at times remote support suffices.
vCenter Server can manage up to 1,000 ESXi servers within a single UI interface, allowing extensive deployment and management capabilities.
The solution is scalable, allowing us to scale up or down regardless of infrastructure size.
My customers are highly satisfied with its scalability.
The snapshot functionality in Oracle VM VirtualBox is effective for management purposes.
Stability rates a perfect 10.
ESXi is stable, and our business operations depend on it year after year.
Having some kind of API to maintain Oracle VM VirtualBox would be beneficial.
They have dropped all the support services for small partners and cut all small partners.
It's not cost-effective for small users and creates a gap for alternatives, while favoring larger clients.
The cost of VMware ESXi is very high, especially after the acquisition by Broadcom, which led to price increases.
In the enterprise scenario, all software solutions, including Oracle VM VirtualBox, are expensive.
The product is very cost-effective, though not fixed, as pricing tends to fluctuate over time.
The solution is moderately priced, not exactly cheap yet not overly expensive either.
VMware is shifting to Broadcom, and their prices are becoming more expensive nowadays.
Its snapshot functionality helps with backup management.
The guest OS compatibility was tremendous because I used Oracle VM VirtualBox on Linux and ran Windows applications on top of that, working seamlessly.
vMotion is a daily used technology that allows us to have machines distributed across different sites while maintaining redundancy between the sites.
Its capability to move virtual machines to physical machines is very efficient for our live environment.
As a level one or bare metal hypervisor, its unmatched scalability depends on underlying hardware, capable of managing large numbers of physical servers with one management platform.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| VMware ESXi | 1.7% |
| Oracle VM VirtualBox | 6.0% |
| Other | 92.3% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 32 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 17 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 12 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 5 |
| Large Enterprise | 14 |
Oracle VM VirtualBox is a robust AMD64/Intel64 and x86 next-generation virtualization solution that functions well for home use and is also powerful enough to handle the needs of a busy enterprise organization. This professional solution is open source and provides super-fast high performance in addition to many outstanding value-added features. VirtualBox functions effectively on Windows, macOS, Solaris, Linux, and more. Users can benefit from VirtualBox's dedication to continually developing the product and providing continual progressive updates and releases. The solution is supported by a trusted dedicated professional community and is backed by Oracle, which guarantees that the product is able to consistently meet and exceed quality controls and protocols at all times.
Oracle VM VirtualBox Features
Oracle VM Virtual Box provides many value-added features. Some of these features include:
Reviews from Real Users
“Oracle VM VirtualBox is easy to use and does not require much training. It uses fewer resources. Teams using new operating system releases can quickly test and implement. This would make the development of new software releases faster and easier. It also helps users to write the program, test, and support it on multiple platforms. It has a good community as it is open-source.” - Satishbabu G., Oracle ACE
“It is easy to use and does not require complex knowledge. It uses less resources, which is a requirement as it is used to onboard hardware with very little resources available.” - A PeerSpot user who is an IT Architect - AI at CGI
VMware ESXi serves as a hypervisor enabling virtualization by transforming physical servers into virtual infrastructures, supporting efficient server management, development, and production environments.
Organizations utilize VMware ESXi for its high availability and ability to host diverse workloads effectively. Known for stability and maturity, it efficiently handles server, networking, and storage demands, with integral features like vMotion and memory compression. ESXi integrates well with data center operations, allowing seamless resource allocation and virtual machine migration. Despite impressive capabilities, users encounter challenges with setup complexity, licensing costs, and technical support delays, leading some to explore different solutions.
What are the main features of VMware ESXi?
What benefits and ROI do organizations see with VMware ESXi?
Industries deploying VMware ESXi benefit in sectors requiring robust IT infrastructure, including finance, healthcare, and education. Its capability to support high availability and diverse workloads proves essential for critical applications, enhancing productivity and agility in dynamic environments.
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