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Rohail Aslam - PeerSpot reviewer
DevOps Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 10
Affordable but lacks scalability and often causes stability issues
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the best features of KVM is its user-friendly interface."
  • "I would like to see more focus on microservices and integration with Kubernetes or OpenShift."

What is our primary use case?

We use KVM for virtualization needs across various clients, allowing us to run different operating systems and machine types, including Windows and Linux. It serves as a flexible solution for creating and managing virtual environments tailored to each client's requirements.

What is most valuable?

One of the best features of KVM is its user-friendly interface.

What needs improvement?

In terms of improvement, I would like to see more focus on microservices and integration with Kubernetes or OpenShift. This would enhance scalability and management capabilities, aligning KVM with industry standards and providing clients with more comprehensive features and options.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with KVM for seven years.

Buyer's Guide
KVM
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about KVM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of KVM as a six out of ten. There have been stability issues and occasional crashes with KVM, especially if incorrect commands are executed. Unlike VMware or Proxmox, which offer additional management tools, KVM is more sensitive to command errors and requires precise handling to avoid disruptions.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability of KVM as a six out of ten. In our small to medium-sized enterprise, we cater to various clients, including larger companies with over 500 employees and sometimes even up to 1,000 employees.

How was the initial setup?

I would rate the easiness of the initial setup as an eight out of ten. Deployment of KVM is quick and straightforward, usually taking only a short time. However, managing ongoing operations, especially for new team members or those unfamiliar with KVM, can be challenging and may require additional time and training.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

KVM is quite affordable.

What other advice do I have?

KVM has been a reliable solution for our on-premises virtualization needs, but as we transition to the cloud with Azure or AWS, its role becomes less significant. We are focused on migrating our workloads to the cloud platforms for scalability and flexibility.

The performance and scalability of KVM have impacted our operations positively, allowing us to efficiently manage workloads and accommodate growth. However, when onboarding new clients or managing dynamic workloads, it can sometimes pose challenges in workload management.

KVM can integrate with our existing infrastructure with some configuration adjustments. However, managing existing workloads on bare metal with KVM can be challenging and requires careful optimization of specific parameters during integration.

I wouldn't recommend KVM to new customers or clients. While it serves as the foundation of virtualization, there are other Linux flavors and applications like OpenShift that offer easier workload management, optimization, and scalability.

Overall, I would rate KVM as a five out of ten. While I have experience with it and have worked on various environments like KVM, HVM, PVM, and LVM, it hasn't consistently met all my expectations over time.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Implementer
PeerSpot user
GiovanniRamirez - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior IT Consultant at Xerif
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides ease of management and has good stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is scalable."
  • "They could provide a more comfortable and easier-to-manage interface for the product, whether text-based or graphical. It can be challenging to manage without the support of additional tools."

What is our primary use case?

I have used KVM in production, testing, and development environments. Additionally, I have configured it in both normal and high-availability environments. 

What is most valuable?

The platform's most valuable features are stability and ease of management.

What needs improvement?

They could provide a more comfortable and easier-to-manage interface for the product, whether text-based or graphical. It can be challenging to manage without the support of additional tools.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with KVM for around three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is stable. I rate the stability a ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is scalable. I rate the scalability a seven out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

I have resolved any issues I encountered through the KVM documentation and user forums without needing to ask direct questions to the community.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

KVM is superior to VirtualBox regarding stability, scalability, and high availability capabilities. While VirtualBox is also a good tool, KVM, especially with Proxmox, offers better deployment options and more flexibility in licensing compared to other virtualization solutions like Hyper-V or VMware.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is complicated. Depending on the environment, it typically takes two days to one week to complete.

I rate the process a three.

What about the implementation team?

Typically, deploying KVM requires only a single individual. However, this person must possess specialized skills in virtualization, Linux, and potentially programming environments such as Bash.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I use KVM for free through Proxmox, which offers a free license alternative. If I needed direct technical assistance, I could purchase a Proxmox subscription at an affordable price. 

What other advice do I have?

I recommend KVM to others and rate it a ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
KVM
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about KVM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
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Nayan Gohel - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technical Support Engineer at Microlink Solutions Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 10
Useful for virtualization and doesn't require third-party applications
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool's most valuable feature is backup. The product makes it easy to manage virtual machines. Other tools require third-party applications like VMware and vSphere. However, KVM doesn't require these applications."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use KVM for virtualization. 

    What is most valuable?

    The tool's most valuable feature is backup. The product makes it easy to manage virtual machines. Other tools require third-party applications like VMware and vSphere. However, KVM doesn't require these applications. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the product for six to seven years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The data is in high availability. If my servers undergo maintenance, we switch to another virtual machine host. We delete the maintenance activity, restoring it to the original state, ensuring the users have no downtime.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We can add multiple hosts. Currently, we have three physical hosts with 30-40 virtual machines running. If there is a requirement change, we can easily add more rules or expand the cluster without any issues.

    How are customer service and support?

    We rely on community support since we use the tool's open-source version. Tech support is available for subscription-based versions. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I have worked with VMware before KVM. You need a subscription and license to work with VMware. VMware has features like vMotion and storage vMotion. KVM has the same features as well. The main difference between the two is in licensing costs. 

    How was the initial setup?

    KVM is easy to install and manage. After installing the hypervisor, you can manage changes easily from the web console. You can modify policies, adjust settings like high availability, and access other advanced configurations by logging in. You can complete the deployment in one host in 10-15 minutes. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    KVM is an open-source solution. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate the product a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1977888 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Co-Owner at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Open-source with good virtualization and good online forums for troubleshooting
    Pros and Cons
    • "It offers a high-availability environment."
    • "Some things are pretty basic, and they could be more robust with more detail."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use KVM virtualization on which Red Hat works very actively. We run Windows servers from it and some of our other machines as well. We also use it as a container in the way others may use Docker.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We can use the solution the same way we use Red Hat, even though we don't use Red Hat itself. 

    What is most valuable?

    It offers a high-availability environment. We like the way everything is distributed. If one node dies, another resource is automatically enabled.

    It offers good virtualization.

    The solution, generally, is very familiar to VMware. The difference it is free to use. It has all of the main features you would find on VMware.

    It works 24/7 without fail. 

    The setup is very simple. 

    It is stable.

    The solution can scale.

    We have found the solution to have good forums for troubleshooting. 

    What needs improvement?

    If it would work a little faster, that would be ideal. It's run on a 10GB network, so it is relatively slow.

    Some things are pretty basic, and they could be more robust with more detail.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for ten years or more. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a completely stable solution. While there may be a few bugs, in general, we didn't face any special issues. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable. You can have as many servers as you want to run as a deployment. I'd rate the scalability nine out of ten. We use CEPH storage that is extremely scalable and can go up to petabytes, although we don't have a use case for that sizing. 

    We likely do not have plans to increase usage. Our basic needs are covered.

    How are customer service and support?

    I've never used technical support. There are forums, however, that are available if people need assistance. Typically, if something comes up, you aren't the first person dealing with it. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We have used VMware and Microsoft Hyper V, among others, and then changed to KVM. I was not happy with Hyper V at all as we didn't want to use any Microsoft domain, and Hyper V needed us to use it. KVM allows us to avoid Microsoft. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup process is pretty simple and straightforward. Even in high availability mode, the setup is simple. 

    If you have, for example, three servers and all of them can run the restore machines, and one dies, and everything moves to the others, for that step, you do need some sort of storage.

    The deployment takes two or three days, at least if you need to start from scratch.

    If you are doing the implementation in combination with setting up separate networks and everything, you need to program the hardware and so on, and that takes a little bit. 

    I'd rate the ease of setup an eight out of ten. Sometimes it doesn't work as you expect at the outset. We just need one person to handle the setup as we are a small company.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution is free to use and open-source. You may have to pay for support, however. There is an enterprise option that can be accessed as well. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I am an end-user.

    I'm not sure which version number of the solution we're using. 

    I'd warn users that if they do not have experience with systems, then it may not be suitable. You need a bit of knowledge. Most companies use system integrators, and it is hard to sell free software. You can sell your services, yet not the solution. It's easier to sell VMware. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to customers who don't have technical skills.

    I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Owner at Simplify IT (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
    Real User
    Top 5
    Good virtualization transition that cuts costs but needs better adaptability
    Pros and Cons
    • "The scalability part should be better."
    • "The solution overall is just okay."

    What is our primary use case?

    We moved from VMware to KVM and now use KVM for server virtualization.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Since we use a Docker, the virtualization works fine whether it's KVM or VMware. We don't use this feature much, our developers use Docker to create a container.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution overall is just okay. We moved since we are sharing the commercial term from publisher to subscription.

    What needs improvement?

    I have no comment. I just use it, and it's okay. However, the scalability part should be better.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I started using the solution some years ago.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability is just okay. We haven't experienced any major glitches or downtimes.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I'd rate scalability maybe seven or eight out of ten. It could be better.

    How are customer service and support?

    We use community support and search for help on the internet.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We used VMware before switching to KVM.

    How was the initial setup?

    For us, the initial setup is okay and simple. We can live with it.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It's just a small setup, which helps save the operation cost.

    What other advice do I have?

    For basic functions, it should be okay. It helps save operational costs.

    I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    CEO at iSolute Ltd
    MSP
    Top 5
    A stable solution that can be provided to customers who want a virtual machine for a certain purpose
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of KVM is its stability."
    • "The solution’s user interface could be improved and made more user-friendly."

    What is our primary use case?

    The use cases for KVM depend on the customer's needs, and I deliver different customer services. For example, if a customer wants a virtual machine for a certain purpose, I give them a finished solution.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of KVM is its stability.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution’s user interface could be improved and made more user-friendly.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using KVM for five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate KVM a nine out of ten for stability.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I provide other solutions like VMware virtual desktop and ESXi server.

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

    What about the implementation team?

    We deployed the solution through an in-house team in 10 to 15 minutes.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I use the free version of KVM, and I'm not sure if there is a paid version.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend KVM to other users.

    Overall, I rate KVM a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Gio Ramirez - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior IT Advisor at Xerif
    Real User
    Top 5
    A very stable and powerful solution that has valuable documentation
    Pros and Cons
    • "Documentation and problem-solving troubleshooting are the most valuable features. Performance (when fine-tuned and with "special" HW) is awesome, equal to or more than other enterprise closed-source solutions."
    • "The networking with wireless devices needs improvement."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution is used as an additional solution for small and medium enterprises in many configurations from just a stand-alone server with some VM's to a few nodes'  clustered virtualization service with hundreds of VMs. Currently, In KVM I have one server for ten to fifteen machines and a three-node cluster with all the features and capabilities.

    How has it helped my organization?

    KVM is my second alternative to virtualization, it complements other things I cannot do with my main virtualization service.

    What is most valuable?

    Documentation and problem-solving troubleshooting are the most valuable features. Performance (when fine-tuned and with "special" HW) is awesome, equal to or more than other enterprise closed-source solutions.

    Performance-wise it's very similar to other hypervisors, and it is the hypervisor core for other virtualization solutions (just like Proxmox).

    What needs improvement?

    The networking with wireless devices needs improvement. If I want to mount KVM on a laptop, it is very difficult to work with wireless devices. Which in contrast, is very easy and transparent in other devices.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using KVM for six years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is highly stable. I rate the stability a ten out of ten. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    KVM is a very scalable solution. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. 

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support team is good but I use the support from the open source community. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I used to use another hypervisor, but licensing just bored me, so I found KVM. It is powerful and open source and it has a very big support community.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is difficult and requires some effort. But since the solution is so powerful, it is worth the effort. I've been working with KVM mostly on-premises but I've deployed it also on private and public clouds. I rate the initial setup's easiness a five out of ten. 

    What about the implementation team?

    I've always worked on KVM by myself and with support of the KVM community.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?


    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I previously evaluated VMware, almost all variants, and Oracle VM Enterprise.

    What other advice do I have?

    KVM is not easy to configure and has some minor issues. I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten. 

    Apart from being difficult at its installation and initial setup, the rest is wonderful!

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Other
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2291406 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Technical Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
    MSP
    Top 20
    A flexible tool that supports multithreading and parallel ports
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is an easily scalable solution."
    • "In KVM, snapshots and cloning are areas where there could be a little more sophistication, like VMware."

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of the solution is that KVM is much more flexible than Oracle VM. Multithreading in KVM is also a very good feature. Oracle VM supports only serial ports, so executions happen one after the other, while KVM supports parallel ports, allowing you to do multiple tasks at the same time, which also makes it a more flexible choice.

    What needs improvement?

    Sometimes, my company has some issues with the storage part, which is mostly not the fault of KVM but a problem with the storage. In general, I don't have any downsides or negative points related to the tool.

    In KVM, snapshots and cloning are areas where there could be a little more sophistication, like VMware.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using KVM for five years. My company recommends KVM to potential customers.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is an easily scalable solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    My company communicates with Oracle Linux's technical support, and sometimes the support is good, while sometimes it may be a bit less.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    My company has experience with Oracle Linux VM and Oracle VM apart from KVM. KVM and Oracle Linux VM are more stable and flexible compared to other products in the market. My company does not recommend products from KVM's competitors since we have an Oracle-centric environment, and most of the time, we get VMs with Oracle licenses only. Oracle VM will not do anything to improve the product since it can be described as an end-of-life product.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user