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SPECIFICTION
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ACRN Hypervisor

projectacrn.org

Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.0 #7 of 22 in Server Virtualization Software

What it is

ACRN Hypervisor is a free, open-source Type 1 hypervisor stack for embedded IoT development. It runs directly on Intel x86 bare-metal hardware and supports Linux, Windows and RTOS guests such as Zephyr; the project also lists VxWorks, Xenomai, Celadon and Android. CPU, I/O and networking virtualization are included, with I/O mediators for sharing graphics and audio across virtual machines. Resource partitioning is designed for safety-critical and non-safety-critical domains to coexist on one system-on-chip. The ACRN Device Model provides virtual device emulation. The project describes a codebase under 40K lines and reports low latency, fast boot times and responsive hardware communication. ACRN uses the BSD 3-Clause license, offers a command-line management interface and supports nested virtualization. Source code is maintained in a public GitHub repository with online documentation. Community help is available through mailing lists, IRC channels and monthly technical meetings.

Spec sheet

Purpose
ACRN is an open source reference hypervisor designed for embedded IoT development.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org
Support
The project offers community support through mailing lists and IRC channels, and holds monthly technical community meetings.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
License
The source code is provided under the BSD 3-Clause license.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.github.io
Founded
2018Read 28 Sep 2026 · projectacrn.org
Architecture
It is a Type 1 hypervisor stack that runs directly on bare-metal hardware.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org
Device emulation
ACRN defines a virtual device emulation framework called the ACRN Device Model.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
Download and documentation
The source code is maintained in a public GitHub repository, with project documentation available online.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.github.io
Guest operating systems
The site says guest VMs can run Linux, Windows, or an RTOS such as Zephyr.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org
Performance
The site says ACRN delivers low latency, fast boot times, and responsive hardware communication.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org
Safety and isolation
Its system architecture uses resource partitioning to support coexisting safety-critical and non-safety-critical domains on one SoC.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org
Security reporting
The project directs people who find a potential ACRN security vulnerability to [email protected].Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
Small footprint
The project describes its codebase as less than 40K lines of code.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org
Virtualization
ACRN includes CPU, I/O, and networking virtualization, with I/O mediators for sharing graphics and audio functions across VMs.Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.org

Plans and prices

ACRN Hypervisor Free Open source reference hypervisor · BSD 3-Clause license Read 8 Oct 2026 · projectacrn.github.io

Every ACRN Hypervisor plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free under the BSD 3-Clause license
  • Supports multiple listed guest operating systems
  • Includes CPU, I/O and network virtualization
  • Supports nested virtualization
  • Public source code and documentation

Limits

  • Host platform is Intel x86 bare metal
  • Management uses a command-line interface
  • No free trial is listed

Who it suits

It suits embedded IoT developers working with Intel x86 bare-metal hosts and command-line management. It is also relevant when Linux, Windows or listed RTOS guests and partitioned domains are required.

Verdict

ACRN provides a focused hypervisor stack for embedded systems, with broad guest support and virtualization features. Its hardware host requirement and CLI management define where it fits.

Where Specifiction places it

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