Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has created uncertainty about the future of vSphere and other VMware products, with the latest change being Termination of Permanent License. With such significant changes underway in the virtualization space, many companies are looking for alternatives to VMware. Two popular open source options that often come up in this discussion are XCP-ng and Proxmox.
In this article, Proxmox and XCP-ng,By comparison Features, performance, management functionand The Nature of Open SourceUnderstanding the pros and cons of each platform will help you make an informed choice about which platform to choose. Virtualization Platform Perfect for your network needs.
Now, let’s embark on a journey to find the ultimate winner Proxmox vs. XCP-ng It’s a battle! But first, before comparing XCP-ng vs Proxmox, let’s take a look at what XCP-ng and Proxmox are exactly.
Also read: VMware Alternatives: 8 Best Virtualization Solutions for 2024
Proxmox VE: A popular choice for home labs and small businesses
Let’s start with Proxmox, which is arguably one of the most popular virtualization platforms for home labs and small office/home office (SOHO) users. Surveys conducted by virtualization forums consistently rank Proxmox at the top when it comes to personal and non-professional use cases. There is good reason for its popularity in these areas.
Key features of Proxmox:
- Proxmox supports It supports both virtual machines (VMs) and containers, allowing you to run a variety of operating systems simultaneously.
- Multiple Authentication Sources Proxmox VE includes an integrated authentication server with a number of authentication sources, including the OpenID Connect authentication protocol, LDAP, Microsoft Active Directory, and Linux PAM.
- of Storage options for Proxmox virtual environments It’s extremely flexible: Proxmox’s web interface allows users to add multiple storage types, including CephFS, GlusterFS, SMB/CIFS, iSCSI, and NFS shares (which can also be used to back up VMs or containers).
- IT infrastructure protection and scheduled backups I use Proxmox VE with its built in firewall.
- User-friendly web interface It makes it easier to create, manage and monitor virtualized environments.
- High Availability Options ensure continuous uptime and minimize downtime.
- Backup and Restore Options allow you to protect your data and applications.
- Fine-grained access and collaboration with Ceph Users can access and control Ceph storage directly from the cluster nodes, and they can define fine-grained access to all objects using Proxmox VE’s role-based permission management system.
Proxmox is a comprehensive virtualization platform that provides organizations with the flexibility and scalability they need for modern IT environments. With its powerful features and user-friendly interface, Proxmox is popular with businesses of all sizes.
See also: Proxmox vs VMware ESXi: Which should you choose?
XCP-ng: Stability, Scalability, Support
XCP-ng is an open source hypervisor that addresses some of the potential shortcomings of Proxmox in business use cases. XCP-ng is an alternative to Citrix XenServer that is completely open source and non-proprietary while maintaining roughly equivalent functionality.
Whether you run a small business or deal with a large data center, XCP-ng provides the tools and features to streamline operations and achieve optimal performance.
Key features of XCP-ng:
- Multi-Server Management You can manage, monitor, and administer all your data and infrastructure through a single, agentless web interface.
- Live VM Migration Migrate your virtual machines (VMs) live with minimal downtime.
- Live Patch You can patch the XCP hypervisor without pausing or shutting down the VMs, and without the need to migrate the VMs off the host.
- Storage Migration It allows you to move virtual disks within and across resource pools and also helps you adjust, maintain and manage your storage and infrastructure without downtime.
- Accelerated Performance XCP-ng works in conjunction with the Xen Orchestra Web UI and XCP-ng Center (Windows-based) to allow you to manage, monitor and administer all your data and infrastructure from a single interface.
Leveraging XCP-ng, organizations can realize the full potential of their infrastructure and harness the power of virtualization to improve efficiency, scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Pricing Plans: XCP-ng and Proxmox
The free version of Proxmox supports a number of features, but a paid subscription is required to access technical support and the enterprise repository.
XCP-ng pricing plans have no feature limitations or license fees. You only pay for support. Subscription prices are affordable even for mid-sized businesses. And because it’s open source, self-support is always possible.
Important Factors to Consider
Flexibility
Proxmox provides a highly flexible and customizable Debian-based environment that is perfect for experimenting and learning.
XCP-ng focuses on stability and scalability out of the box.
ease of use
Proxmox’s GUI installer and streamlined interface make it easy to get up and running in no time.
XCP-ng /ZO requires more initial setup.
Scalability
XCP-ng has been proven to scale to large-scale deployments with thousands of VMs.
Proxmox’s capabilities at a massive scale remain largely untested.
Support options
Commercial 24/7 support for XCP-ng is available through Vates.
Proxmox only provides limited online community help during business hours.
compatibility
Proxmox is perfect for home labs, non-profits, and small businesses.
XCP-ng is targeted at large-scale, diverse, 24/7 enterprise deployments.
Total Cost of Ownership
You can use Proxmox for free without any restrictions, however, Proxmox also offers paid plans that come with stable updates and limited support.
XCP-ng support subscriptions become more valuable as you scale.
For flexible tuning, personal learning, or small scale deployments, Proxmox offers a great free solution. However, for enterprises that require serious scalability, high availability, and commercial support, XCP-ng is the best choice, backed by the expertise of the Vates team. Either is a great option depending on your specific virtualization needs and priorities.
Also read: VMware Alternatives: 8 Best Virtualization Solutions for 2024
Key Differences Between XCP-ng and Proxmox
The main difference between XCP-ng and Proxmox is that XCP-ng uses the Xen hypervisor and is built on CentOS, whereas Proxmox uses KVM It is built on Debian GNU/Linux. There are significant differences when it comes to user interaction, and sometimes the decision to use one or the other is based solely on ease of use of the operating system.
The table below outlines the main differences between XCP-ng and Proxmox:
| XCP-ng | Proxmox | |
| based on | It is derived from XenServer, a commercial Type 1 hypervisor product from Citrix. | It is based on Debian, a popular Linux distribution. |
| Virtualization Type | A type 1 hypervisor primarily based on Xen, which provisions paravirtualization and full virtualization. | It uses container-based virtualization with KVM and LXC. |
| interface | It is primarily managed via the Xen Orchestrator or CLI, but also has a basic GUI. | It provides a web-based GUI and a CLI for management. |
| backup | It offers a range of backup options via Xen Orchestra, including continuous replication. | Supports snapshots, backups and live migration. |
| storage | Supports local storage, NFS, iSCSI and Fibre Channel. | Supports local storage, NFS, iSCSI, Ceph, and GlusterFS. |
| networking | It offers options for network bonding, VLANs, and software-defined networking with Open vSwitch. | Provides network bonding, VLANs and software-defined networking with Open vSwitch. |
| High Availability | High availability can be achieved by using the clustering and pooling features. | Proxmox VE Cluster supports high availability. |
| COMMUNITY & SUPPORT | Open source with active community support, commercial support available. | Open source with a strong community, commercial support available. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, when comparing Proxmox VE and XCP-ng, it is important to consider the unique strengths and differences of each platform: Proxmox VE features a user-friendly management interface that is accessible to users of all skill levels, while XCP-ng offers advanced functionality and scalability that makes it suitable for complex environments.
When deciding between Proxmox VE and XCP-ng, it is important to evaluate your specific needs, available resources, and personal preferences. Proxmox VE is easy to use and has an intuitive interface, making it the ideal choice for those looking for simplicity and streamlined management. Conversely, if advanced features and scalability are most important, XCP-ng is likely to be the preferred choice.
We encourage you to thoroughly evaluate your virtualization requirements and conduct testing with both platforms to determine which best suits your needs. Whether you prioritize ease of use or advanced features, both Proxmox VE and XCP-ng offer robust virtualization solutions that can improve the performance and efficiency of your infrastructure.
Thanks for checking out this article on XCP-ng and Proxmox. If you have any questions about XCP-ng and Proxmox, please leave a comment below.
FAQ
What is Proxmox VE?
Proxmox VE is a comprehensive open source platform. Enterprise Virtualization It provides a web interface for easy management of virtual machines (VMs) and containers, and also provides tools for software-defined storage and networking, high-availability clustering, and more.
What is XCP-ng?
XCP NG is an open source, ready-to-use hypervisor built on top of XenServer, providing an unrestricted, feature-rich product and all code on GitHub for transparency and community contributions.
Which virtualization platform best suits my needs?
The choice between Proxmox VE and XCP NG depends on your specific needs, resources, and preferences. We encourage you to evaluate your requirements and test both platforms to determine which best suits your virtualization needs.
What are the system requirements to run PROXMOX?
To run Proxmox, your system must have a 64-bit processor with virtualization extensions (Intel VT/AMD-V), a minimum of 4 GB RAM, and sufficient storage space (minimum 32 GB recommended).
Should I choose SSD or HDD for my PROXMOX installation?
The choice is Solid-state drives and hard disk Proxmox installations vary depending on your budget, performance requirements, and storage requirements. SSDs provide faster data access Systems become more responsive and HDDs are more affordable and offer larger storage capacities.
