Side by side
Proxmox VE vs QEMU
Both stand on virtual machine software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPILinux+3
Proxmox VE combines VM and container management with cluster, backup, and automation capabilities. Plan for per-socket subscription costs and the installer’s data-removal behavior before deployment.
Visit Proxmox VE
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2
QEMU covers whole-machine and cross-architecture process emulation, with disk-image utilities included. Note its platform requirements and the distinction between virtualization security use and TCG non-virtualization use.
Visit QEMUThe facts
| Proxmox VE | QEMU | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | Android, API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Community: €120 a year | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Maker | Proxmox VE | Not published |
| Website | proxmox.com | qemu.org |
| On virtual machine software | #4 of 24 | #1 of 24 |
Proxmox VE: what it does well
- Free software under GNU AGPLv3
- Web, CLI, and REST API management
- Cluster management needs no dedicated manager node
- Supports encrypted backups and live restore
- Supports high-availability monitoring
What to know first
- Bare-metal installer removes data on selected disks
- Subscriptions are per occupied physical CPU socket
- All cluster nodes need the same subscription level
QEMU: what it does well
- Supports both system and user-mode emulation.
- Includes qemu-img disk-image utilities.
- Can work with KVM, Xen, and Hypervisor.Framework.
- Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Free and open source.
What to know first
- Windows support is limited to 64-bit.
- macOS requires the latest available version.
- TCG use does not provide guest-isolation guarantees.
Alternatives to Proxmox VE Alternatives to QEMU The whole list