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Oracle VM VirtualBox vs VMware vSphere Foundation comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 6, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
4.0
Oracle VM VirtualBox boosts ROI by virtualizing servers, enhancing efficiency, and providing quick setups with significant financial returns.
Sentiment score
7.3
VMware vSphere Foundation enhances server consolidation, recoverability, and scalability, offering significant returns on investment without increasing personnel.
In an environment where the infrastructure has to be up for monitoring and controlling physical infrastructure like water plants, it has absolutely returned on its investment.
Server consolidation is one return on investment where we can use one server for multiple workloads.
While the return on investment is not clearly defined, the manageability of multiple servers without needing additional personnel or specialists is beneficial.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.7
Many users find community support and comprehensive documentation sufficient, reducing the need for Oracle VM VirtualBox's customer service.
Sentiment score
6.6
VMware vSphere Foundation's customer service saw a ratings drop post-acquisition, cited for slower response times despite stable performance.
There is nonstop support available around the world, which allows issues to be resolved continuously without interruption, regardless of whether the problem occurs in the USA, India, or another location.
Now, with Broadcom's management, I would rate it a three out of ten.
Most of the time, VMware operates smoothly without requiring support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Oracle VM VirtualBox offers moderate to high scalability, efficiently supporting various environments despite some hardware limitation concerns.
Sentiment score
8.8
VMware vSphere Foundation is praised for its seamless scalability, efficient integration, and ability to handle multiple workloads.
The return on investment is high because we can maximize the use of one server for multiple workloads.
It's straightforward to procure additional licenses, install them on the host and add them to the same cluster.
You can simply add more hosts to your VMware stack seamlessly, scaling up vertically or horizontally.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Oracle VM VirtualBox is stable for most users but can have issues with Windows, snapshots, and multiple monitors.
Sentiment score
8.5
VMware vSphere Foundation is praised for stability and low management needs, though it requires regular updates for security.
The snapshot functionality in Oracle VM VirtualBox is effective for management purposes.
Stability is optimal.
Frequent updates are required due to constant security challenges and attacks.
It is a standard tool and is considered very stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Users desire improved network options, better integration, enhanced usability, stability, compatibility, and remote management features for virtual machines.
Post-Broadcom, VMware vSphere Foundation struggles with pricing, language, and licensing issues, causing delays and customer dissatisfaction.
I highly recommend that continuous support for perpetual licenses be provided.
VMware needs to improve cost efficiency, especially in Pakistan, as customers often seek more affordable solutions.
Recently, VMware shifted its licensing models, and they should streamline it.
 

Setup Cost

Oracle VM VirtualBox is cost-effective and available for free, but licensing issues require careful enterprise evaluation.
VMware vSphere Foundation faces high costs and complexity, driving users towards cheaper cloud options and open-source alternatives.
In the enterprise scenario, all software solutions, including Oracle VM VirtualBox, are expensive.
It's expensive, however, the stability it offers is optimal.
In Brazil, we are increasingly using open-source alternatives like Proxmox due to their lower prices in comparison.
During one project, the price doubled or even tripled before implementation, causing issues with clients.
 

Valuable Features

Oracle VM VirtualBox is a versatile, user-friendly, open-source virtualization solution offering cross-platform support and advanced management features.
VMware vSphere Foundation offers scalable virtualization, efficient infrastructure management, and user-friendly tools, enhancing server utilization and cost-effectiveness.
Its snapshot functionality helps with backup management.
vSphere Foundation is valuable due to its scalability, reliability, and ease of management.
VMware provides the tools needed to move environments between private and public clouds seamlessly.
The virtual stack of vCenter, its distributed resources system, high availability engines, and the ability to move VM workloads from one host to another are outstanding.
 

Categories and Ranking

Oracle VM VirtualBox
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
64
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware vSphere Foundation
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Kopano  Ramaphoi - PeerSpot reviewer
A flexible and easy-to-deploy product that provides a great user experience
The product should improve its scalability. It should be more flexible to be used with desktops with different capacities. We do not have much storage on our desktops, and we must allocate a certain amount of memory to install the product. When we install a virtual machine, we have a limit that we cannot exceed 80% of RAM.
ErmiasGirma - PeerSpot reviewer
Virtualization enhances management and utilization in enterprise environments
In the past, we faced challenges with VMware's transition to Broadcom, which caused a lot of frustration. Issues like not being able to upgrade to version eight without support and the end-of-life of perpetual licenses were concerning. Pricing fluctuation and increased licensing costs were also significant challenges. I highly recommend that continuous support for perpetual licenses be provided.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does KVM compare to Oracle VM VirtualBox?
KVM is easy to use, stable and flexible. It is mature and very fast. It is an affordable open-source solution that is easy to set up and manage. It offers very good security. It has a virtual manag...
What do you like most about Oracle VM VirtualBox?
The product’s most valuable feature is the ability to manage multiple operating systems through one application.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle VM VirtualBox?
In the enterprise scenario, all software solutions, including Oracle VM VirtualBox, are expensive. It is important to evaluate all options to choose the best one.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware vSphere Foundation?
There's definitely room for improvement on the pricing of VMware vSphere Foundation. Recently, the cost has increased for various organizations, depending on their licensing post-Broadcom acquisition.
What needs improvement with VMware vSphere Foundation?
I can't really say because I don't have much experience with other platforms in the commercial space. Recently, the pricing has gone up a lot for different organizations depending on what licensing...
What is your primary use case for VMware vSphere Foundation?
We are hosting our internal infrastructure with VMware vSphere Foundation ( /products/vmware-vsphere-foundation-reviews ).
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Airbus, Colorado State University, SCS Africa, Wolf Medical Systems.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle VM VirtualBox vs. VMware vSphere Foundation and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.