Free and open first

Best Server Virtualization Software in 2026

Server virtualization software lets host servers run virtual machines in self-hosted, Linux, web, API, Windows, and macOS environments. This list is for people comparing platforms for a server environment.

22 apps
Research read 28 Sept 2026
How the order is worked out

1

KVM

Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted

KVM offers Linux-hosted virtualization with a broad set of documented VM features and integration options. Check that the host has the required processor extensions before choosing it.

8.8 Free plan Visit site
2

oVirt

Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5

oVirt offers self-hosted virtualization management with centralized storage, automation interfaces, and community support.

8.8 Free plan Visit site
3

QEMU

Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

QEMU covers whole-machine and cross-architecture process emulation, with disk-image utilities included.

8.8 Free plan Visit site
4

Harvester

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

Harvester provides virtualization and distributed storage for bare-metal workloads, with VM management and live migration.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
5

Firecracker

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Firecracker combines microVM isolation with an API, resource controls, and a companion jailer. Check the supported host requirements and the aarch64 RTC limitation for your workload.

7.5 Free plan Visit site
6

ACRN Hypervisor

Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

ACRN offers virtualization, device emulation, and resource partitioning for embedded systems on a specified hardware host.

7.4 Free plan Visit site
7

OpenNebula
by OpenNebula
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

Choose OpenNebula if you need a unified platform for virtualization and cloud infrastructure across on-premises, public cloud, or edge environments.

7.3 Free plan Visit site
8

IPFW

Free plan Self-hosted

6.9 Free plan Visit site
9

Xen Orchestra

Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

Xen Orchestra combines self-hosted infrastructure management with backup and automation features, and its Free feature set remains available after the trial.

6.8 Free plan Visit site
10

Xen Project Hypervisor

Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

Xen offers a free hypervisor with guest isolation and a separate toolstack for managing virtual machines across hosts.

6.6 Free plan Visit site
11

Citrix XenServer

Free trial LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

Choose XenServer if your organization needs virtualization on dedicated x86 servers, with live migration, high availability, and GPU pass-through.

6.4 Pricing on request · 90-day trial Visit site
12

Red Hat OpenShift Pipelines

Free trial APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

OpenShift Pipelines is designed for CI/CD workflows within OpenShift, with Tekton-based definitions and console management.

6.1 Pricing on request Visit site
13

Scale Computing Platform
by Scale Computing Platform
Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

Choose Scale Computing Platform if you need combined infrastructure and centralized management across distributed or edge locations, with automation and Azure integrations.

5.5 Pricing on request Visit site
14

IBM z/VM
by IBM z/VM
Paid Self-hosted

IBM z/VM is aimed at organizations consolidating virtualized workloads on IBM Z or LinuxONE systems.

5.4 Visit site
15

Huawei FusionCompute

Paid Self-hostedWeb

5.3 Pricing on request Visit site
16

IBM PowerVM
by IBM PowerVM
Paid LinuxSelf-hosted

IBM PowerVM combines virtualization, workload mobility, placement controls, and IBM management integrations for enterprise Power environments.

5.3 Pricing on request Visit site
17

HPE VM Essentials

Paid LinuxWeb

5.0 Visit site
18

Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager

Paid LinuxWeb

Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager provides operational management features for Oracle Linux KVM in a self-hosted package.

4.6 Open source Visit site
19

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)
by Broadcom (VMware)
Paid On_premise

Choose VCF if your organization wants self-hosted, on-premise software with configuration management and the listed routing and traffic features.

4.1 Pricing on request Visit site
20

VMware Cloud Foundation Operations

Paid Web

Choose VMware Cloud Foundation Operations if your infrastructure matches its supported platforms and you need configuration management with traffic controls.

4.1 Pricing on request Visit site
21

VMware Avi Load Balancer

Paid

4.0 Pricing on request Visit site
22

VMware vSphere
by VMware (Broadcom)
Paid On_premise

4.0 Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

Compare free plans, paid starting points, deployment options, and hypervisor type. Review VM limits for each host, support for live migration, centralized administration, and the guest operating systems covered. If code access matters, review the licence; free trials and free plans can have different terms.

Questions

What should I compare in server virtualization software?

Key fields include free plan, paid starting price, deployment, hypervisor type, VMs per host, live migration, central management, and guest OS support.

Which listed tools have a free plan?

ACRN Hypervisor, Firecracker, Harvester, IPFW, and KVM are shown with free plans. Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager is marked free with an open-source note.

Are free trials available?

A 90-day trial is listed for Citrix XenServer. Trial terms can differ from a free plan, so check the product details before choosing.

What deployment platforms are covered?

Across the list, platform labels include self-hosted, Linux, web, API, Windows, and macOS. Confirm the platform labels for a product before deployment.

How do I check code access?

Look for an open-source licence and read its terms. A free plan does not by itself mean the source code is available.

Questions

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