Best KVM Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from virtual machine software ranked against KVM on the same published basis.
- 1KVM vs Proxmox VE
- 2KVM vs Oracle VirtualBox
- 3KVM vs VMware Workstation Pro
- 4KVM vs QEMU
- 6KVM vs Parallels Desktop
- 7KVM vs Multipass
- 8KVM vs Xen Project Hypervisor
- 9KVM vs virt-manager
- 10KVM vs Citrix XenServer
- 11KVM vs GNOME Boxes
- 12KVM vs OpenNebula
- 13KVM vs oVirt
- 14KVM vs UTM
- 15KVM vs Citrix Secure Private Access
- 16KVM vs XenServer
- 17KVM vs Scale Computing Platform
- 18KVM vs Proxmox Backup Server
- 19KVM vs Cloud Hypervisor
- 20KVM vs IBM z/VM
- 21KVM vs VergeOS
KVM alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proxmox VE | 9.1 | Free plan | €10/mo | Android, API, Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Oracle VirtualBox | 8.3 | No | — | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 3 | VMware Workstation Pro | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 4 | QEMU | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Parallels Desktop | 7.8 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | Multipass | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 8 | Xen Project Hypervisor | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 9 | virt-manager | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 10 | Citrix XenServer | 7.1 | No | — | — |
| 11 | GNOME Boxes | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 12 | OpenNebula | 7.0 | No | — | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 13 | oVirt | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 14 | UTM | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Mac |
| 15 | Citrix Secure Private Access | 6.9 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 16 | XenServer | 6.8 | No | — | Windows, Linux |
| 17 | Scale Computing Platform | 6.5 | No | — | Web |
| 18 | Proxmox Backup Server | 6.4 | No | €46.67/mo | Linux, Web |
| 19 | Cloud Hypervisor | 6.2 | No | — | Linux |
| 20 | IBM z/VM | 6.1 | No | — | — |
| 21 | VergeOS | 6.1 | No | — | Web |
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Questions about KVM alternatives
What is the best alternative to KVM?
Proxmox VE, number 1 in virtual machine software with a score of 9.1 out of 10. The others here: Oracle VirtualBox, VMware Workstation Pro, QEMU and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to KVM?
Proxmox VE is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 9 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.