RHEV vs VMware vSphere Foundation 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 #13 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 78% of Red Hat users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of VMware users who would recommend it.

RHEV

Read 35 RHEV reviews

4,696 Views
3,623 Comparison Views

78% willing to recommend

VMware vSphere Foundation

Read 13 VMware vSphere Foundation reviews

160 Views
68 Comparison Views

81% willing to recommend

RHEV

VMware vSphere Foundation

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 6, 2024

RHEV and VMware vSphere Foundation compete in the virtualization market. Data comparisons indicate VMware vSphere Foundation has the upper hand with its advanced features, outweighing its cost compared to RHEV, which is perceived favorably in pricing and support.

Features: RHEV offers open-source flexibility, integration capabilities, and customization, appealing to smaller or open-source-focused operations. VMware vSphere Foundation provides scalability, advanced virtualization capabilities, and a robust feature set suitable for complex IT infrastructures and enterprise-level deployments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VMware vSphere Foundation is recognized for its structured deployment model and comprehensive support network, which aids smoother installations in larger organizations. RHEV features a more straightforward deployment process that suits teams with specific open-source expertise, though its support framework often relies on community resources compared to VMware's vendor-driven assistance.

Pricing and ROI: RHEV is known for its cost-effective setup and potential for higher ROI, especially when leveraging its open-source nature to reduce expenses. VMware vSphere Foundation's initial setup costs are higher, but its powerful toolset is viewed as a valuable investment for fully integrated and scalable virtualization solutions.

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

Buyer's Guide

RHEV vs. VMware vSphere Foundation

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 vSphere Foundation

Ranking in Server Virtualization Software

13th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

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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ErmiasGirma

System and Cloud Deployment Engineer at Safaricom Ethiopia plc

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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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."

"Customers are moving to open source and Red Hat is the leader in this particular space. I think customers feel more confident running Red Hat Virtualization than VMware."

"The most valuable feature of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization is its pricing."

"The price is the solution's most valuable aspect. It's much cheaper than, for example, VMware."

"I can control and manage everything. I know everything that's cooking inside. This is the best part for me."

"I advise keeping an open mind. It's an excellent solution."

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

"The solution makes migration easy."

More RHEV pros

"vSphere Foundation is valuable due to its scalability, reliability, and ease of management."

"Overall, it is an excellent solution, and I rate it a ten out of ten."

"VMware provides the best features."

"VMware vSphere ensures high resilience in the data center."

"The most beneficial features of VMware vSphere Foundation for IT infrastructure are its licensing, scalability features, and user-friendliness."

"What is most valuable about VMware vSphere Foundation is the reliability of the platform."

"The features are easy to manage, and the user experience is excellent."

"Even after Broadcom's acquisition, VMware vSphere Foundation remains a ten out of ten in terms of product quality."

More VMware vSphere Foundation pros

Cons

"The solution could use network virtualization."

"Specifically, enhancements in managing virtual machine migrations, cloning, and the creation of different VMs could further optimize its functionality."

"I would love to see better documentation and ease of use."

"It lags behind in that you need to go to something like Fedora to get all the extra bells and whistles."

"The solution should be made more user-friendly."

"In comparison to VMware, this solution isn't as stable. We're testing it right now, and we're not trusting the stability of the product."

"I heard that there are big differences between Red Hat eight and seven, but it's still quite difficult for me to judge it. I found it a bit more difficult to manage than version seven, which was much easier. In term of features, though, it is still not yet clear which is better. I have no clear idea of which features need to be changed at the moment."

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

More RHEV cons

"In the past, we faced challenges with VMware's transition to Broadcom, which caused a lot of frustration."

"You can have the best product in the world, but if it’s not accessible to customers, it doesn’t matter. That’s my main concern."

"Some customers in Latin America and Mexico, including myself, face challenges due to the lack of language support from engineers."

"Recently, the pricing has gone up a lot for different organizations depending on what licensing they have had since the acquisition by Broadcom, so there is room for improvement on the pricing."

"The licensing model is an area for improvement."

"The area where VMware vSphere Foundation has room for improvement is in its licensing."

"The biggest issue is pricing due to the Broadcom acquisition."

"I have concerns regarding VMware's strategy, particularly about how it manages multiple cloud environments since clients and my company need to navigate multiple clouds."

More VMware vSphere Foundation cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"We buy a license for commercial use, and we also use the free editions."

"Its price depends on the use cases."

"RHEV offers pricing based on a per-physical-machine licensing model."

"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."

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

More RHEV pricing and cost advice

"It is expensive."

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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

No data available

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 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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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...

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 vSphere Foundation

Compared 44% of the time

VMware vSphere vs VMware vSphere Foundation

Compared 30% of the time

Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs VMware vSphere Foundation

Compared 26% of the time

More VMware vSphere Foundation Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

RHEV

June 2025

Download RHEV product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware vSphere Foundation

May 2025

Download VMware vSphere Foundation 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 vSphere Foundation is designed for businesses seeking virtualization management capabilities. It offers essential features to optimize IT operations and improve server utilization, providing a solid infrastructure for managing virtual environments.

VMware vSphere Foundation supports efficient resource management in virtual environments, delivering a robust platform for businesses to streamline their IT processes. It enhances system reliability and offers scalable options for growing business needs. By leveraging virtualization, it reduces hardware dependency while ensuring consistent system performance.

What are the key features of VMware vSphere Foundation?

VMware vCenter Server: Centralized platform for managing VMs and hosts.
High Availability: Ensures minimal downtime for critical applications.
Data Recovery: Provides backup and restore options for enhanced data protection.
Resource Manager: Allocates resources efficiently between VMs to maximize performance.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Cost Reduction: Decreases hardware expenses by maximizing server usage.
Improved Scalability: Facilitates easy expansion of IT infrastructure.
Enhanced Reliability: Offers consistent uptime and minimized outages.
Efficiency Gains: Streamlines operations, reducing manual IT management tasks.

VMware vSphere Foundation is implemented effectively across industries like healthcare, finance, and retail. It supports crucial workloads, allowing these sectors to maintain operational efficiency while handling sensitive data. Its flexibility and robust capabilities make it suitable for diverse operational demands.

VMware

Sample Customers

Qualcomm and Bonham's Auction House.

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

RHEV vs. VMware vSphere Foundation

June 2025

Free Report: RHEV vs. VMware vSphere Foundation

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