KVM vs Oracle VirtualBox
KVM
linux-kvm.org
Oracle VirtualBox
oracle.comSide by side
| Figure | KVM | Oracle VirtualBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 5 |
| Spec score · Hypervisor Software | 8.6 (#4) | 8.5 (#6) |
| Spec score · Virtual machine software | 8.7 (#4) | 8.9 (#3) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| GPU acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| Guest architecture | both | both |
| Host platforms | Linux | Windows,macOS,Linux,Oracle Solaris |
| Nested virtualization | Yes | Yes |
| VM snapshots | Yes | Yes |
Plans
KVM
- KVM open-source softwareFree
- KVM open-source softwareFree
- KVM commercial supportPriced on request
Oracle VirtualBox
- Base PackagePrice not published
- Base PackagePriced on request
- VirtualBox EnterprisePrice not published
- VirtualBox EnterprisePriced on request
- Oracle VM VirtualBoxFree
In their own words
KVM
KVM is an open-source virtualization solution for Linux hosts with Intel VT or AMD-V extensions. It runs multiple virtual machines using unmodified Linux or Windows images, each with virtualized hardware such as a network card, disk, and graphics adapter. The documented capabilities include live migration, nested guests, CPU and PCI hotplug, virtio devices, and device assignment; snapshots and GPU acceleration are also listed. KVM’s kernel component is part of mainline Linux, while its userspace component is part of mainline QEMU. Linux distributions commonly package the required modules and tools, and Windows guest drivers are available separately. Documented processor coverage includes Intel, AMD, ARM, PowerPC, and 64-bit S390 systems. KVM can be used with upper layers including QEMU, libvirt, OpenStack, and oVirt. It is available for Linux and self-hosted use, and the listed plan is free. The host must have Intel VT or AMD-V virtualization extensions.
Oracle VirtualBox
Oracle VirtualBox has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.