Oracle VM vs VMware vSphere comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Apr 5, 2022

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

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of Oracle VM say deployment was easy. Most VMware VSphere reviewers also feel it was straightforward, with the exception of a few users who mention that the initial setup was complex for them.
  • Features: Users of both solutions praise the products for their stability, scalability, and ease of use. Oracle VM users like the product’s high performance and its Pause and Snapshot features. Reviewers say that the solution should be more user-friendly, and that the AI and UI could be better.

    VMware VSphere users say it is user-friendly, flexible, has good virtualization, and great data recovery speed time. VMware VSphere users feel that the solution needs to be more secure, and that the monitoring and reporting could be improved.
  • Pricing: Oracle VM reviewers say that it is reasonably priced. The majority of VMware VSphere reviewers consider the solution to be expensive.
  • Service and Support: Most Oracle VM users have not needed to contact technical support. For the few that needed to, they report that their experience has been good. VMware VSphere users say the service they receive is excellent.
  • ROI: Both Oracle VM and VMware VSphere users are pleased with the ROI.

Comparison Results: Based on the parameters we compared, VMware VSphere got better user reviews. One major difference between the two solutions is that users say VMware VSphere is more user-friendly than Oracle VM.

To learn more, read our detailed Oracle VM vs. VMware vSphere Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 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
"What I like the most is the failover and the quick restore of virtual machines.""The biggest advantage of Oracle VM is that you can separate your clusters to get your licenses agreement in scope.""I don't need to create a repository to allocate storage to my virtual machine, rather I can just use store locally.""The ability to live migrate VMs on the fly from one hypervisor to another has been very useful.""The stability of the product is fine.""Its technical support is quite good.""Virtualization platform that's easy to set up, and has good scalability and stability.""Its ease of management and simplicity are most valuable. It is free, and you can provision an unlimited number of VMs at no cost for clients. They also provide perfect support."

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"VMware vSphere has very good applications and services.""The main benefit of the version 6.7 is that it makes end-users able to use the interface much more effectively. They don't have to install a client on their machine, they can do it from their phone, their laptop, their tablet, any OS, anytime. It's a better experience for the end-user.""Stability and scalability are the most valuable features of this solution.""We are able to create virtual machines and move them from one host to another, controlling the resources.""It cuts down on hardware costs by being able to virtualize multiple hardware and multiple machines on a single piece of hardware.""This product is useful for running multiple virtual machines from a single server so that people can utilize the hardware resources in their organization. Its ability for backups is also valuable. In case of a disaster, you can recover the entire server from the images. It is easy to use. In terms of features, whatever they are providing is more than sufficient for us. We are not exploiting this product up to a hundred percent.""The roadmap for the product itself covers all of the features that we are looking for.""Server consolidation. Getting rid of our physical servers and going virtual is saving us some money in overall rack space."

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Cons
"The only improvement needed for Oracle VM is the look and feel of the interface.""We do have a little trepidation with systemd, as it does have a learning curve.""The tool's price and stability could be better.""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.""Its database management features could be better.""The automatic start of the product to work as a background process has shortcomings and needs improvement.""I think more Command-Line options for the product, for deployments.""Integration with cloud products would be beneficial."

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"The solution is stable. It has some small bugs which are not influencing the main functions but every software has some bugs.""An improvement could be in terms of keeping up with the upgrades. The upgrades could be set in an automated way so that the newer features don't require you to manually update, or you get an option to update automatically. This would be a useful enhancement.""The initial setup is quite complex.""The reporting could be improved.""It would be great if VMware could have a consolidated way of delivering this as software rather than pieces and several add-ons so that you could enjoy the product in its entirety.""The UI of VMware could use some improvements, especially in dark mode.""There should be more stability in the updates. They had an issue with the last release.""I met with the lead solutions architect for vSphere, and one of the things that I really kind of sat him down on was, "What's the deal between these Custom Attributes and these Tags? What are you trying to do with that?" He said, "So here's the deal. I know that they're halfway done and we have a vision of where they're all going, but we'll get it there." That that would be a great ability, to keep all that metadata about your virtual machines inside the solution and staying with the machines."

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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 →

  • "My advice when it comes to pricing is that pricing is a bummer, especially when it comes to SnS coverage."
  • "Purchase only the cheaper solution with support. I don’t recommend high-end licenses."
  • "Pricing needs to be competitive since Microsoft Hyper-V has come a long way; they are both around the same price range."
  • "VMware is consistently expensive and their pricing arrogance is what will drive us and other customers away."
  • "Start with the lowest and upgrade if, and only if, absolutely necessary."
  • "Compared with other vendors’ products, the pricing of the license is slightly lower. The annual S&S price is very affordable."
  • "The product is worth what you pay for it. I definitely feel like I"m getting good value."
  • "​The only issue with vSphere might be with the cost of the tools and the software.​"
  • More VMware vSphere Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Comparison Review
    Answers from the Community
    Netanya Carmi
    Fredrick-Massawe - PeerSpot reviewerFredrick-Massawe
    Real User

    VMware VSphere is better than Oracle VM because on Oracle Virtual machine migration is not an easy task as in VSphere due to complications existing in Oracle VM. 


    Also, Oracle VM is limited in features compared to VMware.


    Oracle VM is limited also in communicating with other virtualization platforms like VMware.

    Syed Abid Hussain - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Abid Hussain
    Real User

    If you need performance then Oracle OVM is more reliable.  


    Otherwise, VMWare is good enough. We are using 4 virtualization platforms in the production, development and test environments.


    Technically, Oracle OVM is the best for Oracle products apps/databases. VMware is for Linux guest OS.

    And hyper-v is for a Windows guest OS  but hyper-v lacks network security and configuration. 

    Questions from the Community
    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.
    Top Answer:DEEPEN DHULLA did explain well IOMMU. IOMMU has to be activated at the bios level. It exists on Intel and AMD platforms. It is used a lot inside virtualization platforms like VMware VSphere. It… more »
    Top Answer:We use VMware and KVM. We find that KVM is a lot simpler to use and it provides the virtualization we need for Linux and Windows. For us, VMware does not offer any advantage. Moreover, KVM is free.
    Top Answer:We found the reduced power consumption with Nutanix Acropolis AOS a very attractive feature. We also like the interface that allows you to talk directly to your VM from the present software. We found… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    15,794
    Comparisons
    11,217
    Reviews
    17
    Average Words per Review
    380
    Rating
    8.3
    Views
    44,230
    Comparisons
    36,500
    Reviews
    17
    Average Words per Review
    366
    Rating
    8.9
    Comparisons
    KVM logo
    Compared 21% of the time.
    Oracle VM VirtualBox logo
    Compared 19% of the time.
    Proxmox VE logo
    Compared 12% of the time.
    Hyper-V logo
    Compared 5% of the time.
    RHEV logo
    Compared 4% of the time.
    Learn More
    Overview

    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.

    VMware vSphere is a powerful and complete server virtualization platform that allows its users to create and manage virtual data centers and machines. VMware vSphere is designed to help IT departments set up and run applications using the most cost-effective computer resources. By using vSphere, organizations save the time and energy necessary for purchasing infrastructure and software and reduce ongoing maintenance and operational burdens on IT teams.

    Infrastructure administrators and network operators can access and manage the vSphere server by using a web-based cross-platform client application or via the vSphere client tool provided with vSphere. 

    VMware vSphere provides visibility into VMs and enables its users to carry out operations to manage VMs. This includes tasks such as:

    • Powering VMs on and off
    • Launching the VM console
    • Shutting down guest operating systems
    • Settings configurations
    • Taking system snapshots

    VMware vSphere Benefits

    Some of the benefits of using VMware vSphere include: 

    • Reduced costs: Since VMware applications are run on a server, it is not necessary to spend large amounts of your organization’s money on hardware, software, and infrastructure.
    • Increased productivity and customer satisfaction: VMware is able to operate multiple complex processes simultaneously. With all your applications being managed and run on the cloud, downtime, failures, and application errors are rare. VMware easily scales up and down to meet your computing needs. The high availability that VMware provides allows your IT staff to focus on other issues and keeps your customers satisfied with the service they receive.
    • Unlimited access to your VMs: VMware’s user-friendly cloud-based interface allows any employee to work from any location at any time.
    • Enhanced security: VMware’s security tools deliver full visibility into your entire system. This keeps your applications and data more secure, in any type of environment. VMware provides multiple protective tools including antiviruses and anti-malware, as well as backup and recovery services.

    VMware vSphere Features

    Below is a list of some of VMware vSphere’s key features:

    • Transferable virtual machine images: Export and import virtual machine images from your local environment. This gives users the ability to set up and configure their systems locally and only upload them to the server once everything is working properly. VM images can be moved back and forth between vendors, ensuring that your company is never tied up to a specific cloud vendor.
    • User-friendly interface: Using VMware’s intuitive console, you can easily create, manage, share, and deploy virtual machines.
    • API integration: VMware’s APIs support integration with third-party applications for data protection, multipathing, and disk array solutions.
    • Distributed power management: Automate efficiency by continuously optimizing server power consumption within each cluster.

    Reviews from Real Users

    VMware vSphere stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. A few major ones are its virtualization abilities, its flexibility and availability, and its user-friendly interface.

    Felix D., an Automation project administrator, DCS, I&E at Centennial Cayman Corp, writes, “The connectivity is fantastic, and many functions can run together in one server. If you need to scale, we can continue to add components or modules. It's a beautiful virtual solution that has many advantages over physical hardware, where you have to use devices and wiring to connect all your projects.”

    Sample Customers
    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,
    Abu Dhabi Ports Company, ACS, AIA New Zealand, Consona, Corporate Express, CS Energy, and Digiweb.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Consumer Goods Company8%
    Retailer8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization45%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    Government5%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Energy/Utilities Company10%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Computer Software Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization26%
    Computer Software Company12%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    Government7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business33%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business14%
    Midsize Enterprise52%
    Large Enterprise34%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise25%
    Large Enterprise45%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business20%
    Midsize Enterprise34%
    Large Enterprise46%
    Buyer's Guide
    Oracle VM vs. VMware vSphere
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle VM vs. VMware vSphere and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Oracle VM is ranked 7th in Server Virtualization Software with 75 reviews while VMware vSphere is ranked 2nd in Server Virtualization Software with 443 reviews. Oracle VM is rated 7.8, while VMware vSphere is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Oracle VM writes "A cheap option available for Linux environments which is useful for many workloads". On the other hand, the top reviewer of VMware vSphere writes "Allows for easy management of snapshots for virtual machines and good web console ". Oracle VM is most compared with KVM, Oracle VM VirtualBox, Proxmox VE, Hyper-V and RHEV, whereas VMware vSphere is most compared with Hyper-V, Proxmox VE, VMware Workstation, KVM and Nutanix AHV Virtualization. See our Oracle VM vs. VMware vSphere 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.