# Proxmox VE, VirtualBox, VMware vSphere vs Oracle VM Comparison | | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Star Rating** | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 | | **Total Reviews** | 36 | 292 | 761 | 73 | | **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (62.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (43.6% of reviews) | Enterprise (43.6% of reviews) | Mid-Market (44.3% of reviews) | | **Entry Level Price** | € 4,99 month (per CPU) | No pricing available | No pricing available | No pricing available | --- ## Top Pros & Cons ### Proxmox VE Pros: - Scalability (2 reviews) - Cost-Effective (1 reviews) Cons: - Steep Learning Curve (2 reviews) - Network Issues (1 reviews) ### VirtualBox Pros: - Virtualization Management (4 reviews) - Ease of Use (3 reviews) Cons: - Performance Issues (3 reviews) - Communication Clarity (1 reviews) ### VMware vSphere Pros: - Ease of Use (69 reviews) - Virtualization Management (57 reviews) Cons: - Expensive (56 reviews) - Licensing Issues (31 reviews) ### Oracle VM Pros: - Cost Efficiency (1 reviews) - Integrations (1 reviews) Cons: - Limited Features (1 reviews) --- ## Ratings Comparison | Rating | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Meets Requirements** | 8.9 (32 reviews) | 9.1 (255 reviews) | 9.2 (338 reviews) | 8.9 (63 reviews) | | **Ease of Use** | 8.7 (32 reviews) | 9.0 (260 reviews) | 8.9 (620 reviews) | 8.8 (64 reviews) | | **Ease of Setup** | 8.1 (27 reviews) | 9.0 (80 reviews) | 8.6 (562 reviews) | 8.8 (23 reviews) | | **Ease of Admin** | 8.6 (25 reviews) | 8.4 (69 reviews) | 9.0 (277 reviews) | 8.4 (22 reviews) | | **Quality of Support** | 7.0 (22 reviews) | 7.9 (188 reviews) | 8.5 (313 reviews) | 8.7 (57 reviews) | | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.6 (18 reviews) | 8.3 (52 reviews) | 8.6 (283 reviews) | 8.7 (21 reviews) | | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 10.0 (30 reviews) | 8.7 (251 reviews) | 8.0 (335 reviews) | 8.9 (62 reviews) | --- ## Pricing ### Proxmox VE #### Entry-Level Pricing Plan: COMMUNITY Price: € 4,99 month (per CPU) Key Features: - Access to Enterprise repository - Support via community forum [Browse all 4 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/pricing) #### Free Trial No ### VirtualBox #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial No information available ### VMware vSphere #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial No information available ### Oracle VM #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial No information available --- ## Features Comparison By Category ### Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **Proxmox VE** | N/A | N/A | | **VirtualBox** | 8.3/10 | 42 | | **VMware vSphere** | N/A | N/A | | **Oracle VM** | N/A | N/A | #### Functionality | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Desktop Virtualization** | Not enough data | 9.1 (39 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Application Virtualization** | Not enough data | 8.3 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Desktop Management | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Desktop Provisioning** | Not enough data | 9.1 (33 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Image Management** | Not enough data | 8.8 (32 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | 7.3 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Support | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Multi-Device Portability** | Not enough data | 9.0 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Security | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | 7.4 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Single Sign-On (SSO)** | Not enough data | 7.5 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Encryption** | Not enough data | 7.8 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Access Controls and Permissions** | Not enough data | 8.7 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | ### Server Virtualization | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **Proxmox VE** | 9.0/10 | 13 | | **VirtualBox** | 8.2/10 | 15 | | **VMware vSphere** | 8.4/10 | 182 | | **Oracle VM** | 9.1/10 | 19 | #### Performance | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Scalability** | 9.2 (13 reviews) | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 9.2 (171 reviews) | 9.1 (16 reviews) | | **Portability** | 8.5 (12 reviews) | 8.5 (13 reviews) | 8.9 (167 reviews) | 8.9 (16 reviews) | | **Data Recovery** | 8.8 (10 reviews) | 7.1 (11 reviews) | 8.8 (171 reviews) | 9.0 (16 reviews) | #### Functionality | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **OS Integration** | 9.4 (12 reviews) | 8.9 (14 reviews) | 9.2 (167 reviews) | 9.3 (14 reviews) | | **Resource Saving** | 9.2 (12 reviews) | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 9.1 (167 reviews) | 9.5 (16 reviews) | | **Performance Management** | 9.3 (12 reviews) | 7.6 (14 reviews) | 9.0 (172 reviews) | 8.8 (15 reviews) | | **Security** | 8.3 (11 reviews) | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 8.9 (166 reviews) | 9.1 (15 reviews) | #### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization | Feature | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.5 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.0 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.3 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.2 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.5 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | --- ## Categories **Shared Categories (1):** [Server Virtualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization) **Unique to VirtualBox (1):** [Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-vdi) **Unique to VMware vSphere (1):** [Container Orchestration Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/container-orchestration) --- ## Reviewer Demographics ### By Company Size | Segment | Proxmox VE | VirtualBox | VMware vSphere | Oracle VM | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Small-Business** | 62.9% | 43.6% | 14.4% | 21.4% | | **Mid-Market** | 28.6% | 34.6% | 42.0% | 44.3% | | **Enterprise** | 8.6% | 21.8% | 43.6% | 34.3% | ### By Industry #### Proxmox VE - **Information Technology and Services:** 41.2% - **Computer Software:** 11.8% - **Computer & Network Security:** 11.8% - **Oil & Energy:** 5.9% - **Internet:** 5.9% - **Consumer Goods:** 5.9% - **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 2.9% - **International Affairs:** 2.9% - **Higher Education:** 2.9% - **Financial Services:** 2.9% - **Other:** 5.9% #### VirtualBox - **Information Technology and Services:** 23.5% - **Computer Software:** 22.1% - **Computer & Network Security:** 7.3% - **Telecommunications:** 4.8% - **Internet:** 4.5% - **Education Management:** 3.8% - **Higher Education:** 2.1% - **Computer Networking:** 2.1% - **Program Development:** 1.7% - **Food & Beverages:** 1.4% - **Other:** 26.6% #### VMware vSphere - **Information Technology and Services:** 15.4% - **Hospital & Health Care:** 5.4% - **Government Administration:** 5.1% - **Financial Services:** 5.0% - **Telecommunications:** 5.0% - **Computer & Network Security:** 4.5% - **Computer Software:** 4.2% - **Banking:** 4.1% - **Manufacturing:** 3.9% - **Higher Education:** 3.4% - **Other:** 44.1% #### Oracle VM - **Information Technology and Services:** 43.7% - **Computer Software:** 7.0% - **Financial Services:** 5.6% - **Telecommunications:** 4.2% - **Research:** 4.2% - **Computer & Network Security:** 2.8% - **Insurance:** 2.8% - **Information Services:** 2.8% - **Animation:** 1.4% - **Automotive:** 1.4% - **Other:** 23.9% --- ## Alternatives ### Alternatives to Proxmox VE - [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews) - [Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (324 reviews) - [SUSE Linux Enterprise Server](https://www.g2.com/products/suse-linux-enterprise-server/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (72 reviews) - [Virtuozzo](https://www.g2.com/products/virtuozzo/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (55 reviews) - [XenServer](https://www.g2.com/products/xenserver/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (49 reviews) - [VMware ESXi](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-esxi/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (21 reviews) - [antsle Private Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/antsle-private-cloud/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (18 reviews) - [SQL Server on Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/sql-server-on-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (18 reviews) - [Red Hat Virtualization](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-virtualization/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (15 reviews) - [Xen Project](https://www.g2.com/products/xen-project/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (5 reviews) ### Alternatives to VirtualBox - [Citrix DaaS](https://www.g2.com/products/citrix-citrix-daas/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (546 reviews) - [VMware Workstation Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-workstation-pro/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (138 reviews) - [VMware Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-fusion/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (126 reviews) - [Amazon WorkSpaces](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-workspaces/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (108 reviews) - [Vagrant](https://www.g2.com/products/vagrant/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (32 reviews) - [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews) - [V2 Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/v2-cloud/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (247 reviews) - [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews) - [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2389 reviews) - [Xen Project](https://www.g2.com/products/xen-project/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (5 reviews) ### Alternatives to VMware vSphere - [Red Hat OpenShift](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-red-hat-openshift/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (303 reviews) - [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews) - [Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (324 reviews) - [SC//HyperCore](https://www.g2.com/products/sc-hypercore/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (265 reviews) - [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (749 reviews) - [XenServer](https://www.g2.com/products/xenserver/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (49 reviews) - [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews) - [Red Hat Virtualization](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-virtualization/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (15 reviews) - [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews) - [SUSE Linux Enterprise Server](https://www.g2.com/products/suse-linux-enterprise-server/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (72 reviews) ### Alternatives to Oracle VM - [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (393 reviews) - [XenServer](https://www.g2.com/products/xenserver/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (49 reviews) - [Red Hat Virtualization](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-virtualization/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (15 reviews) - [Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (324 reviews) - [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews) - [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews) - [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2389 reviews) - [VMware ESXi](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-esxi/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (21 reviews) - [Red Hat OpenShift](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-red-hat-openshift/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (303 reviews) - [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews) --- ## Top Discussions ### Proxmox VE - Title: [Possibility of importing virtual machines from other platforms](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12585-possibility-of-importing-virtual-machines-from-other-platforms) — 2 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "While the answer is yes, unfortunately at the time of writing importing ova files for example isn't a gui based thing. An example is here:..." - Title: [What operating system is proxmox?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-operating-system-is-proxmox) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Proxmox VE is a complete operating system based on Debian Linux" - Title: [Is proxmox still free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-proxmox-still-free) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Its still free and great!" ### VirtualBox - Title: [How do I create a virtual machine in VirtualBox?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-create-a-virtual-machine-in-virtualbox) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "Install Virtual Box on virtual box site. after installation click on #New option then get a name what types of os you want to install like Centos then..." - Title: [Is VirtualBox free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-virtualbox-free) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "Yes it is" - Title: [How easy is it to install VirtualBox and what is it used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/10403-que-ta-facil-es-instalar-virtual-box-y-para-que-nos-sirve) — 2 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "It is relatively easy to install, you just need to run its installer and follow the quick installation steps. It helps us to simulate different operating..." - Title: [What is VirtualBox software virtualization?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-virtualbox-software-virtualization) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "You can run an OS virtually inside the software (virtualbox) without affecting the local OS. The services of the virtualized OS could be limited but you can..." - Title: [How does virtual box work?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-does-virtual-box-work) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "It uses the machine resources to allocate and run another machine. It's like having another pc, that shares your resources with the main one." ### VMware vSphere - Title: [Is ESXi software free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-esxi-software-free) — 4 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "no but you can use the evaluation version for 3 month and then you can take a decision " - Title: [What is VMware vSphere Hypervisor used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-vmware-vsphere-hypervisor-used-for) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "Virtual platform to host multiple images on a single machine which has limited resources." - Title: [What is VMware vSphere standard?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-vmware-vsphere-standard) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "vSphere 7 has been rearchitected with native Kubernetes for application modernization. Developers can’t afford infrastructure that slows them down –..." - Title: [What is ESXi operating system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-esxi-operating-system) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "yes " - Title: [What is ESXi used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-esxi-used-for) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "Virtualization is the creation of a virtual -- rather than actual -- version of something, such as an operating system (OS), a server, a storage device or..." ### Oracle VM - Title: [Why in some computers you have to enable virtualization?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12167-why-in-some-computers-you-have-to-enable-virtualization) — 2 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "On Windows 10 machine, the OS uses the same virtual connection as a VM, so in order to use Virtual box or other VM manager you have to disable the OS from..." - Title: [Any advices with OVF/OVA images?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12381-any-advices-with-ovf-ova-images) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "As long as the VM was built correctly, everything should work when you import the appliance in Virtual Box" --- **Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/proxmox-ve-vs-virtualbox-vs-vmware-vsphere-vs-oracle-vm)