RHEV vs VMware ESXi comparison

Red Hat and VMware are both solutions in the Server Virtualization Software category. Red Hat is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.7, while VMware is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.5. Red Hat holds a 3.7% mindshare in SVS, compared to VMware’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 78% of Red Hat users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of VMware users who would recommend it.

RHEV

Read 35 RHEV reviews

4,696 Views
3,623 Comparison Views

78% willing to recommend

VMware ESXi

Read 31 VMware ESXi reviews

610 Views
326 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

RHEV

VMware ESXi

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 6, 2024

RHEV and VMware ESXi compete in the virtualization market. VMware ESXi has an edge due to its rich feature set, offsetting its higher costs.

Features: RHEV is known for strong integration with Red Hat products, efficient cloud management, and significant cost savings. VMware ESXi shines with advanced management capabilities, high scalability, and robust security features.

Room for Improvement: RHEV could enhance its scalability, diversify its management tools, and improve integration with non-Red Hat environments. VMware ESXi could benefit from a simpler deployment process, streamlined documentation, and more supportive open-source integrations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: RHEV offers streamlined deployment, especially within Red Hat ecosystems, along with responsive customer service. VMware ESXi presents a more complex deployment process but benefits from extensive documentation and community support, making it suitable for integration at scale.

Pricing and ROI: RHEV is competitively priced with a focus on reducing initial setup costs, appealing to budget-conscious businesses. VMware ESXi, although pricier, offers excellent ROI through superior scalability and comprehensive management tools, making it a valuable long-term investment for organizations prioritizing functionality.

To learn more, read our detailed RHEV vs. VMware ESXi Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

RHEV vs. VMware ESXi

June 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

RHEV

Ranking in Server Virtualization Software

12th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

VMware ESXi

Ranking in Server Virtualization Software

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Server Virtualization Software category, the mindshare of RHEV is 3.7%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware ESXi is 1.0%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Virtualization Software

Featured Reviews

Sujeet-Kumar

Project Manager Cloud Infrastructure at Path Infotech ltd

The solution is scalable and affordable, but it lacks features, and it is not easy to manage

Management of RHEV is not as easy as VMware. Some features do not work. The product does not provide features similar to VMware’s VMotion. After creating the cluster, the VM is moved to another node if we move down. However, the VM does not move the parent node automatically. It has to be moved manually. VMware moves it automatically. RHEV moves it to the parent node only if we restart. Everything can be handled in VMware through the GUI. However, in RHEV, some things can be managed through UI, and others cannot. We have to troubleshoot and use CLI. A few features of the product do not work as well as those in VMware.

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Syed Ali Waqas

Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions

Efficiently manages development environments with robust network integration

I recommend new users download and evaluate the free version from VMware's website. Once satisfied, they should purchase the professional version for a smooth and secure IT infrastructure. The professional version is cost-effective, allowing one to create multiple servers on a single server. I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"There aren't any bugs on the solution."

"It is very stable."

"The most valuable features of RHEV are all the tools, such as virtualization, management of cloud platforms, and integration of container environments. The solution has good compatibility between virtualization, content management, and cloud management. Having the full set of these tools is the advantage of it."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."

"When you purchase RHEV, you are essentially buying a subscription license. This license can be integrated with various client types, including these integrations with the subscription."

"Technically, the main reason why I'm using Red Hat is because of its stability."

"It is a scalable solution."

"The solution is a great all-round product. The virtualization is especially good."

More RHEV pros

"The setup was relatively easy for me."

"The solution brings monetary savings for our company because we utilize a single server"

"The main function of ESXi is the ability to consolidate multiple machines onto a single server, saving space and energy."

"ESXi stands out for its simplicity in setup, management, and monitoring."

"I am not sure about cost savings, but efficiency-wise, it has improved our company."

"The most valuable features are the integration with networking and virtual network switches."

"VMware ESXi's most proven and beneficial area for our virtualization needs revolves around clustering."

"The platform's most valuable features include its role within the vSphere suite, requiring a vCenter Server for management."

More VMware ESXi pros

Cons

"The Administration of the Oracle database and the SAP ERP needs improvement."

"When we do a direct comparison, then obviously VMware does better in terms of having Fault Tolerance and doing active disaster recovery and these kind of things. This is something that can be improved within Red Hat."

"Configuring the network interfaces is much better in Ubuntu and should be improved."

"The UI should be more interactive with additional features."

"The biggest improvement would be more third-party direct support for things like backups and provisioning through third-party portals."

"While everything needs improvement in some way, I have no specifics."

"The availability of technical expertise with the solution may be limited in some areas."

"The documentation is not as good as it should be."

More RHEV cons

"The licensing model currently presents challenges. It's not cost-effective for small users and creates a gap for alternatives, while favoring larger clients."

"Licensing now needs improvement."

"There have been issues with the tool's technical support and pricing of licenses, making them areas where improvements are required."

"There are concerns about VMware changing their licensing model from perpetual to a subscription model."

"The pricing strategy could be improved."

"The license model has recently changed, which is a bit worrying for customers."

"We often face issues with ESXi that require us to change resources by shutting down the VMs."

"The solution needs to improve its patching process."

More VMware ESXi cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are using the free version of Red Hat."

"This product has a variety of licensing options available. However, the level of licensing, and therefore the cost of licensing, is dependent on the number of servers being utilized."

"I would say the price is acceptable."

"We have to pay extra for vulnerability and fault tolerance."

"Price-wise, RHEV is okay, in my opinion."

"The solution does not require licencing but a subscription is necessary, which is very affordable."

"The price of RHEV is high. It is an open-source solution, the price should be less. The price should not be on par with a solution, such as VMware. It's not more or equal to VMware, it's less, but the difference should be more substantial."

"It's a budget product as far as I'm concerned. It's way cheaper than any of its competitors. The only thing cheaper than Red Hat is that the people who take the Red Hat code clone it and then self-support it."

More RHEV pricing and cost advice

"If one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."

"Since Broadcom's acquisition, the solution's price has been adjusted, and perpetual licenses are no longer offered."

"I rate the product price as one on a scale of one to ten, where one is high price and ten is low price."

"VMware ESXi is a costly solution in Africa and other developing countries."

"The product pricing was reasonable before, but recent changes, including bundling, have complicated the cost structure."

"I rate the solution's pricing a five out of ten."

"The solution is expensive."

"The pricing is expensive, with the cost for customers ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 yearly."

More VMware ESXi pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

Thang Le Toan (Victory Lee)

CIO at Robusta Technology & Training

Jan 13, 2015

vSphere vs. RHEV vs. Hyper-V vs. XenServer

We have used the following functions: 1. Hypervisor: to ensure that the virtual server provide web and email services to the company, thus providing a stable operation a with single sign-on integration of an AD server and vCenter. 2. Network and Storage: centralized data server…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

23%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about RHEV?

The initial setup is fairly straightforward and well-documented. The process is very similar to its competitors. The success of your setup depends on how well you plan.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for RHEV?

It's the open source. There's not much cost. It's very minimal comparably. Compared to what I am paying for VMware, it's negligible.

See all answers

What needs improvement with RHEV?

My teammates and I often complain that VMware is well-documented and has a large community since it is the de facto standard. I would love to see better documentation and ease of use. For newcomers...

See all answers

What do you like most about VMware ESXi?

My customers are satisfied with the solution’s performance.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware ESXi?

VMware is shifting to Broadcom, and their prices are becoming more expensive nowadays. The management is considering whether to continue with VMware or switch to other products. I am not sure exact...

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware ESXi?

Pricing is a major issue with VMware ESXi as it is becoming more expensive. Many financial companies use VMware, so they should consider working on their pricing model to make it more affordable.

See all answers

Comparisons

VMware vSphere vs RHEV

Compared 48% of the time

Proxmox VE vs RHEV

Compared 22% of the time

Hyper-V vs RHEV

Compared 10% of the time

KVM vs RHEV

Compared 9% of the time

Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs RHEV

Compared 7% of the time

More RHEV Competitors

Red Hat OpenShift vs VMware ESXi

Compared 32% of the time

KVM vs VMware ESXi

Compared 17% of the time

Proxmox VE vs VMware ESXi

Compared 12% of the time

Hyper-V vs VMware ESXi

Compared 9% of the time

Virtuozzo Hybrid Server vs VMware ESXi

Compared 6% of the time

More VMware ESXi Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

RHEV

June 2025

Download RHEV product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware ESXi

May 2025

Download VMware ESXi product report

Also Known As

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization

No data available

Overview

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, or RHEV, is a leading open standard enterprise virtualization management solution. This solution supports virtualization of servers and desktops using the same infrastructure and a single easy-to-use interface.

Because RHEV is based on open standards, it is vendor-independent and a lot more cost effective and flexible than proprietary solutions.

Red Hat

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?

High Availability: Ensures continuous operation of virtual machines.
vMotion Capabilities: Facilitates easy virtual machine migration.
Clustering: Enhances resource management and efficiency.
Server Management: Offers efficient management with third-party integration.
Resource Optimization: Utilizes memory compression technologies.

What benefits and ROI do organizations see with VMware ESXi?

Cost Savings: Reduces expenses by consolidating servers.
User-friendliness: Offers a stable and manageable interface.
Multi-OS Support: Enables running Linux and Windows environments.
High Performance: Recognized for speed and efficiency.

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.

VMware

Sample Customers

Qualcomm and Bonham's Auction House.

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

RHEV vs. VMware ESXi

June 2025

Free Report: RHEV vs. VMware ESXi

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