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RHEV Reviews

Vendor: Red Hat
3.9 out of 5
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What is RHEV?

RHEV offers a cost-effective virtualization platform with support for up to 160 cores and 2 TB of RAM per host, emphasizing open-source accessibility and integration with applications like OpenStack.

Get the RHEV Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about RHEV, VMware vSphere, Hyper-V and more!
RHEV is the #13 ranked solution in best Server Virtualization Software. PeerSpot users give RHEV an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. RHEV is most commonly compared to VMware vSphere: RHEV vs VMware vSphere. RHEV is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 53% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 12% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
RHEV
April 2026
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Helped 892,678 peers since 2012

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RHEV mindshare

As of May 2026, the mindshare of RHEV in the Server Virtualization Software category stands at 2.4%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Virtualization Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
RHEV2.4%
Hyper-V19.5%
VMware vSphere19.2%
Other58.900000000000006%
Server Virtualization Software

PeerResearch reports based on RHEV reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryServer Virtualization SoftwareMay 4, 2026Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersMay 4, 2026Download
ComparisonRHEV vs VMware vSphereMay 4, 2026Download
ComparisonRHEV vs Hyper-VMay 4, 2026Download
ComparisonRHEV vs Nutanix AHV VirtualizationMay 4, 2026Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
VMware vSphere4.419.2%94%459 interviewsAdd to research
Hyper-V4.019.5%86%145 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

RHEV offers valuable features like KVM virtualization technology, memory page sharing, NIC bonding, multipath I/O, and high availability. Users benefit from open source flexibility, robust security from SELinux, and transparent huge pages for better performance. It supports live migration, provides excellent application compatibility, cloud integration, and efficient guest consolidation. RHEV is praised for affordability compared to VMware, stability, ease of use, and strong customer support, making it a preferred choice for scalability and management.
  • "It's a very good platform to build your virtual machines on and highly integrated with Red Hat itself and its satellites."
  • "When any organization needs end-to-end infrastructure deployment, configuration management, and automation, then RHEV is the best fit."
  • "We are very satisfied with it."

Room for Improvement

RHEV requires enhancements in areas such as security, GUI usability, and live-patching without reboots. Better documentation and integration with third-party tools are necessary. Improvements in load balancing, clustering, and network configuration are important. Pricing and support need attention, particularly in locations lacking immediate on-site assistance. Users seek a more streamlined management interface, similar to popular platforms like VMware or Amazon, to improve ease of use and management efficiency.
  • "RHEV can improve by keeping pace with new features and new enhancements."
  • "Its scalability can be improved. It is not easy to scale, and we hope that Red Hat can provide a more scalable system."
  • "Customers are not aware of this solution, they can improve by providing more awareness and solution availability."

Pricing

RHEV pricing varies, with many finding it affordable and some noting it higher than expected. It is often cheaper compared to competitors like VMware. Users appreciate the flexibility of licensing options, noting that costs can depend on server usage or subscription level. Although open-source, additional costs arise for support and licensing when needed. A few users mentioned substantial savings with comparative products from Canonical, SUSE, and occasional competitive pricing from Oracle.
  • "RHEV offers pricing based on a per-physical-machine licensing model."
  • "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."
  • "Price-wise, RHEV is okay, in my opinion."

Popular Use Cases

RHEV is primarily used for hosting virtual machines, supporting ERP, and integrating Linux environments for businesses transitioning from physical to virtual setups. Companies deploy RHEV for high-volume computing, including AI and big data analytics. It is utilized to consolidate workloads, manage virtual environments, and create privacy clouds. Organizations see cost savings and performance enhancements by migrating legacy systems and workloads to RHEV, which assists in diverse computing and operational needs.

Service and Support

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization's customer service receives mixed feedback. Their technical support is generally praised for being responsive, cooperative, and satisfactory. Users appreciate the automatic updates through their subscription model. However, challenges include difficulty obtaining on-site support in Malaysia, slow response times in certain situations, and offshore support issues. Some rely on their own engineering teams. Compared to other vendors, Red Hat's support quality varies, with some users rating it highly while others find it average.

Deployment

Initial setup experiences with RHEV vary. Some found it straightforward, with installation times as short as 20 minutes, while others encountered complexities requiring experienced personnel. Complexity increases with advanced features. Although comparisons with VMware highlight RHEV's greater technical requirements, the system's reliability and functionality are praised. Documentation quality and good planning significantly impact ease. Users typically deploy RHEV with one to two staff, though extensive customization may extend setup time.

Scalability

RHEV demonstrates strong scalability with flexibility across various organizational settings. Users manage varying workloads effectively, often requiring minimal personnel for operation. Some report no issues when scaling, while others enhance scalability through additional components. Multiple nodes can be easily added, accommodating a wide range of company sizes. Although some note challenges with specific applications, RHEV generally aligns with other platforms in capacity planning and management. Access to resources and budgets can further influence scalability outcomes.

Stability

RHEV demonstrates high stability, with many noting it as reliable and free from bugs and glitches. While it often outperforms competitors, some express concerns related to upgrade cycles. In-memory updates are anticipated in future versions to ease these concerns. Some users compare RHEV favorably against other systems, while others find VMware slightly superior. Most assessments rate its stability highly, with scores typically around nine out of ten, indicating user satisfaction with its performance and reliability.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our RHEV Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business163
Midsize Enterprise100
Large Enterprise294
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
University
6%
Government
5%
Educational Organization
5%
Healthcare Company
4%
Construction Company
4%
Energy/Utilities Company
4%
Retailer
3%
Transportation Company
3%
Outsourcing Company
2%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Media Company
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
2%
Insurance Company
2%
Marketing Services Firm
2%
Non Profit
2%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
1%
Hospitality Company
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Museum Or Institution
1%
Logistics Company
1%
Performing Arts
1%
Recruiting/Hr Firm
1%
Engineering Company
1%
Leisure / Travel Company
1%
Renewables & Environment Company
1%

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Learn more about RHEV

RHEV stands out with features such as high performance, stability, ease of migration, and robust security. Its integration capabilities with diverse applications and the self-service Power user portal enhance its appeal for IT environments. While the platform's affordability compared to VMware is noted, areas for improvement include the GUI, user-friendliness, network virtualization, and the need for enhanced pricing and support in regions lacking system integrators. RHEV's ability to facilitate seamless migration from legacy systems to virtual environments is widely adopted in sectors such as government, banking, and IT services.

What are the key features of RHEV?
  • Open-Source Accessibility: Offers flexibility and customization options.
  • High Performance: Supports up to 160 cores and 2 TB of RAM per host.
  • Seamless Integration: Integrates well with applications like OpenStack.
  • Live VM Migration: Enables continuous operations without downtime.
  • Power User Portal: Provides self-service capabilities for users.
What benefits and ROI can users expect?
  • Cost Optimization: Provides a cost-effective alternative to VMware.
  • Scalable Computing: Allows flexible resource allocation and scaling.
  • Migration Efficiency: Facilitates moving from legacy systems smoothly.
  • Robust Security: Enhances data protection and privacy management.

RHEV is widely used in high-computing tasks like AI and big data analytics within data centers, supporting cloud solutions, AI, and ERP systems. It's implemented in privacy clouds for industries such as government, banking, and IT services to migrate workloads from physical to virtual environments and optimize operational costs.

RHEV was previously known as Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.

RHEV customers

Qualcomm and Bonham's Auction House.

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RHEV Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Linux Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees3.5I used RHEV for consulting and lab work, valuing its free, high-performance hypervisor and live migration features, but since it's discontinued and incompatible with cloud platforms, its relevance and support have significantly declined.
Sales Director at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees4.0We've used RHEV mainly for container workloads, achieving significant cost savings and stability, though the outdated management interface needs improvement. Support is strong, and overall, we've benefited from standardization and efficiency across our Red Hat environment.
CTO at Oic4.5I transitioned to Red Hat's ecosystem, using their virtualization and Syslog to shift from VMware due to rising costs. While disk usage and deployment improved, documentation and usability need work. The main advantage I've seen is cost-effectiveness.
Linux Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees4.5RHEV is a solid virtualization platform, easy to use and comparable to VMware but lacks strong third-party support. The main advantage is its cost-effectiveness, although integration options are limited. ROI primarily comes from reduced deployment and maintenance costs.
Project Manager Cloud Infrastructure at Path Infotech ltd3.0RHEV offers a good price advantage over VMware but lacks ease of management and some features like VMotion. While VMware simplifies management through its GUI, RHEV requires a mix of UI and CLI, often necessitating manual interventions.
Technical Architect at Linux on Support4.5We use RHEV for various servers, including small Oracle and Postgres databases. Improvements are needed in managing storage domains, enhancing the REST API's control, and addressing bugs. Version 4.4 is decent but lacks VMware's control level.
Cloud Architect at Nokia Solutions3.0I found this solution easy to use and integrate for privacy clouds. Yet, the dashboard lacks detail, customer support is slow, and restarting issues are complex. Advanced setup also needs specific knowledge.
CEO at Technofirm Solutions LLP3.5My company uses RHEV for our CRM tool, but I feel it needs better protection against cyberattacks. We're considering switching to Hyper-V due to its scalability, easy management for mid-sized organizations, and attractive pricing.