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 2023).
687,256 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
"Virtualization platform that's easy to set up, and has good scalability and stability.""The cloning is a great feature and live migration is very easy.""It's a very flexible solution because you have all the commands that you can do yourself.""The solution is easy to use. You can spin one up when you need to and then shut it down.""It's quite stable.""The stability is rock solid.""It's a very mature product.""The biggest advantage of Oracle VM is that you can separate your clusters to get your licenses agreement in scope."

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"The solution is scalable.""VMware vSphere is user-friendly and simple.""I like that it's like a distributed rescheduler. You can move to and use VMotion as well. You can move the server and move the virtual machines around different physical servers. This makes it easier when it comes to redundancy.""The ability to monitor resource utilization.""The most valuable features are the virtualization and the performance on the virtualization platform.""The most valuable feature of this solution is vMotion.""The most valuable features of VMware vSphere are backup and recovery.""The most valuable feature of VMware vSphere is the ability to work in a big system infrastructure."

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Cons
"There have been some security issues in the past.""I would like to be able to ship all of our logs. This feature could exist and I am just not aware of it.""Something that could be improved are the snapshots that go in the ZFS Storage. If you want to enjoy Oracle VM, you will definitely want it to go together with ZFS Storage to maximize on the snapshot facility.""The user interface of the version that we have requires improvement. They have already improved the user interface in the latest version, but we are yet to migrate to that. The new UI is much better. I would like it to be simple. It is serving all of our needs, and I don't think it is necessary to keep adding. We are able to provision a VM in ten minutes, and provisioning it in five minutes will not have any added benefit.""Productivity in Oracle VM could still be improved, and an additional feature to make the product better is compatibility with Kubernetes and other modern technologies.""The pricing could be cheaper. It is very pricey.""The performance could be better because I need to purchase a lot of CPUs to perform in the workbench.""The solution is at its end of life and is about to be discontinued."

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"They must work on the price, as well as the technical support.""VMware vSphere needs to increase the datastore volume.""The solution could be more stable.""The support for the latest version could be improved.""NSX is a product of VMware vSphere and it would be nice to see the solution have full integration capabilities with it.""The integration with containers should be addressed.""The installation can take a long time, they need to improve on the simplicity and length of the installation.""The UI of VMware could use some improvements, especially in dark mode."

More VMware vSphere Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "All other vendors are selling their licenses to use the VM, but Oracle isn't doing that, which is its biggest advantage. It is free. All you have to do is get the hardware. You can create an unlimited number of VMs for free. With VMware, you have to purchase licenses for the number of VMs that you want to create. You only pay for their premium support, and even that is optional. I am now learning this product, and we can even do without the support."
  • "Oracle is free of charge, although you have to have a subscription for the support."
  • "The price compares well with other solutions."
  • "The licensing for Oracle VM solution is very nice because you license the box."
  • "The price of the license is expensive."
  • "Oracle VM pricing is expensive."
  • "The solution as a standalone product can not be purchased."
  • More Oracle VM Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "A customer can buy a license and support on a yearly basis."
  • "I currently use the yearly licensing option, and I think that the pricing is fine for this solution."
  • "Once you pay for the standard license, that's it unless you want another feature to be activated. That's a different thing."
  • "The price is reasonable."
  • "Our licensing fees on paid on a yearly basis and the pricing is fine."
  • "It's a pricey solution."
  • "The price could improve for the enterprise versions."
  • "The licensing price is fair compared to other similar solutions."
  • More VMware vSphere Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    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: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
    13,948
    Comparisons
    11,099
    Reviews
    9
    Average Words per Review
    538
    Rating
    9.2
    Views
    46,810
    Comparisons
    37,198
    Reviews
    101
    Average Words per Review
    408
    Rating
    8.9
    Comparisons
    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.”

    Offer
    Learn more about Oracle VM
    Learn more about VMware vSphere
    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
    Financial Services Firm16%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Comms Service Provider9%
    Consumer Goods Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company22%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Government9%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm14%
    Energy/Utilities Company10%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Comms Service Provider6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Comms Service Provider11%
    Government9%
    Educational Organization7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise25%
    Large Enterprise45%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise59%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise24%
    Large Enterprise46%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise58%
    Buyer's Guide
    Oracle VM vs. VMware vSphere
    March 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle VM vs. VMware vSphere and other solutions. Updated: March 2023.
    687,256 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Oracle VM is ranked 9th in Server Virtualization Software with 11 reviews while VMware vSphere is ranked 1st in Server Virtualization Software with 95 reviews. Oracle VM is rated 9.4, while VMware vSphere is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Oracle VM writes "Robust, mature, and easy to set up". On the other hand, the top reviewer of VMware vSphere writes "Strong performance, works well with large infrastructures but it is quite expensive". 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, Nutanix AHV Virtualization and Citrix Hypervisor. 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.