KVM vs XenServer
KVM
linux-kvm.orgXenServer
xenserver.comSide by side
| Figure | KVM | XenServer |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 2 |
| Spec score · Hypervisor Software | 8.6 (#4) | 6.6 (#24) |
| Spec score · Virtual machine software | 8.7 (#4) | 6.8 (#23) |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| GPU acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| Guest architecture | both | x86_64 |
| Host platforms | Linux | bare-metal x86-64 server |
| Nested virtualization | Yes | Yes |
| VM snapshots | Yes | Yes |
Plans
KVM
- KVM open-source softwareFree
- KVM open-source softwareFree
- KVM commercial supportPriced on request
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.