Cloud Management

Open-source KVM + LXC virtualization platform with clustering, Ceph, SDN and backup built in: the clearest, cheapest exit from VMware for most teams.

Licensing: Per socketBackends: KVM, LXCSelf-service: No

Multi-tenant self-service portal purpose-built for Proxmox: the vCloud Director layer that, paired with Proxmox, delivers a complete cloud management platform.

Licensing: Per socketBackends: Proxmox VE (multi-cluster, multi-site)Self-service: Yes

Fully open-source Xen hypervisor plus unified management and backup, sold by Vates with simple per-host pricing: the other credible open-source VMware exit.

Licensing: Per host / nodeBackends: Xen (XCP-ng), Citrix XenServerSelf-service: Yes

Enterprise hyperconverged private cloud with its own bundled AHV hypervisor and real hybrid reach into AWS, Azure and Google Cloud: the big-enterprise VMware exit.

Licensing: Per coreBackends: AHV (KVM), ESXi (declining), AWS +2Self-service: Yes

Apache-licensed IaaS orchestration proven at CSP/telco scale, managing KVM, VMware and XCP-ng under one multi-tenant control plane: free software, quote-based support from ShapeBlue.

Licensing: Open source + paid supportBackends: KVM, VMware vSphere, XCP-ng / XenServer +1Self-service: Yes

The open-source cloud operating system behind most sovereign and telco clouds: unmatched breadth, but you are building a cloud, not installing a product.

Licensing: Open source + paid supportBackends: KVM / QEMU, Ironic bare metal, LXC +1Self-service: Yes

White-label self-service, billing and reseller portal that sits over CloudStack, OpenStack, Proxmox, VMware, OpenNebula or Virtuozzo: the commerce layer, not the infrastructure.

Licensing: Quote onlyBackends: Apache CloudStack, OpenStack, VMware vSphere +5Self-service: Yes

Still the most mature enterprise virtualization stack, and under Broadcom the most expensive and least partner-friendly platform in this comparison by a wide margin.

Licensing: Per coreBackends: ESXi, AWS, Azure +2Self-service: Yes

Open-source cloud management platform on KVM with native multi-tenancy, showback and hybrid provisioning: strong on paper, but ranked near the bottom on our production experience with the vendor.

Licensing: Per host / nodeBackends: KVM, LXC, AWS +2Self-service: Yes

Turnkey OpenStack-based hyperconverged IaaS with tenant portal, metering and software-defined storage: a complete spec sheet, ranked last on our production experience.

Licensing: Quote onlyBackends: KVM (OpenStack)Self-service: Yes