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Proxmox VE 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
7.5
Proxmox VE offers cost savings, enhanced server capabilities, and improved efficiency, with benefits outweighing its learning curve challenges.
Sentiment score
7.5
Organizations anticipate value from VMware vSphere Foundation through enhanced scalability, manageability, optimization, and flexibility, despite initial ROI not being evident.
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.
There is flexibility and interoperability with multi-mode architectures that accommodate both on-prem and cloud realities.
Server consolidation is one return on investment where we can use one server for multiple workloads.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Proxmox VE users often utilize community resources and documentation over paid support, though improved direct communication is desired.
Sentiment score
6.8
Customers previously praised VMware, but Broadcom's management leads to mixed reviews, highlighting response time and regional support.
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
Proxmox VE is praised for its scalability, ease of resource addition, and seamless migrations, though vertical scaling could improve.
Sentiment score
8.6
VMware vSphere Foundation is highly scalable, easy to integrate, and supports varied environments, though some users seek more exploration.
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
8.1
Proxmox VE is highly stable and reliable, performing well on older hardware with minimal performance issues.
Sentiment score
8.4
VMware vSphere Foundation is highly rated for stability and requires minimal management but frequent security updates are necessary.
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

Proxmox VE faces challenges with performance, interface complexity, support, and lacks effective monitoring, documentation, and scalability features.
VMware vSphere Foundation struggles with pricing, licensing, support challenges, impacting user experience, especially post-Broadcom acquisition in Latin America.
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

Proxmox VE is an open-source, cost-effective virtualization solution with optional support, valued for its affordability against competitors.
VMware vSphere Foundation's high costs and limited support post-Broadcom merger frustrate enterprise buyers, despite its reliable performance.
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

Proxmox VE provides a user-friendly, scalable, and affordable virtualization solution with strong community support and feature-rich environment.
VMware vSphere Foundation enhances scalability, reliability, and management, offering tools for efficient resource use, cloud integration, and uptime.
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

Proxmox VE
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
62
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware vSphere Foundation
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
13th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

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.
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
15%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 of handling and management. However, KVM-based Open Source solutions are becoming...
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 features as with the more well-known products. Proxmox VE is very easy to deploy - it...
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 tools for managing servers. It has a lot of different features, and I also love...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware vSphere Foundation?
I don't know the exact pricing for the VMware vSphere Foundation, but I think the last license model to upgrade is three or four times more expensive.
What needs improvement with VMware vSphere Foundation?
Other than the price being expensive, there are no other areas that could be improved with the VMware vSphere Foundation.
What is your primary use case for VMware vSphere Foundation?
Our use case for the VMware vSphere Foundation is in a true data center where we have vSphere on an HP Synergy with a storage device, and it's utilized in both the production environment and the QA...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Proxmox VE vs. VMware vSphere Foundation and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.