CloudStack Reviews

Name: CloudStack
Brand: Apache
Rating: 4.0 (30 reviews)

4.0 out of 5

30 reviews
93% willing to recommend

944 followers

What is CloudStack?

Apache CloudStack is open source software designed to deploy and manage large networks of virtual machines, as a highly available, highly scalable Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud computing platform.

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CloudStack is the #10 ranked solution in top Cloud Management solutions. PeerSpot users give CloudStack an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. CloudStack is most commonly compared to VMware Aria Automation: CloudStack vs VMware Aria Automation. CloudStack is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 53% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 21% of all views.

Helped 839,422 peers since 2012

Featured CloudStack reviews

Wido Den Hollander

Community Ambassador at 42on

The market keeps changing, and so does technology. I think that container technology in CloudStack is an area that needs to be improved. Regarding container technology, Kubernetes is something many people want to use and something which, as of now, many are using currently. However, there is still room for improvement in Kubernetes, particularly with networking functionality and network virtualization. When it comes to what needs to be improved in CloudStack, I would say that it should stay the way it is currently. It should continue being a stable product that people can rely on since many may be inclined to follow the latest trends and hype, which is not always good for a solution's stability. It is crucial to prioritize stability, which is a key factor that companies seek. In my view, the platform could benefit from adding more metrics. More metrics would offer more insights and data on the platform's performance, utilization, and usage. Overall, I believe that having more metrics available would be highly desirable.

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Arun S .

Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

The number of contributors to this solution is relatively small compared to other solutions. However, if more frequent users of CloudStack contribute to the open-source community, it will significantly enhance the overall community experience and make it more useful for everyone involved. There is room for improvement when it comes to maintenance options in CloudStack, particularly with regard to rolling maintenance for multiple Hypervisors. CloudStack does offer this option, but it has not always worked as expected. However, I believe that this largely depends on our expectations for the solution and how we want it to work. As an example, CloudStack maintains a list of Hypervisors where we can host our virtual machines, and we may need to update these Hypervisors on a regular basis, such as every month or every two weeks. Instead of having to perform manual updates, it would be helpful if there were options to automatically perform live migration and update the Hypervisors properly. While there are improvements being made in this area, I believe that there is still some work to be done. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these maintenance options depends on our specific requirements and how we expect the solution to function.

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Nelson Marcos

Engineer Manager at Globo.com

My teammates have complained about the upgrade. The source code had massive files that had to be merged with our own development to upgrade to the latest version of CloudStack. It was quite painful for them. CloudStack could add some cost management tools to give me some control over the costs associated with the number of users of my services.

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CloudStack mindshare

As of March 2025, the mindshare of CloudStack in the Cloud Management category stands at 6.5%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Management

PeerAnalyst reports based on CloudStack reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Cloud Management	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	CloudStack vs VMware Aria Automation	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	CloudStack vs VMware Aria Operations	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	CloudStack vs Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM)	Mar 4, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
VMware Aria Automation	4.0	11.2%	94%	170 interviews Add to research
VMware Aria Operations	4.1	8.3%	94%	373 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

CloudStack offers easy installation, compatibility with various hypervisors, and strong KVM virtualization support. It excels in API accessibility, network flexibility including VPC, and scalability. Its single-database management simplifies operations, and centralized design aids troubleshooting. Noteworthy features include multi-zone, virtualization, and advanced networking options. Users appreciate its stability, customization options, open-source nature, and recent enhancements supporting Kubernetes integration and improved VM migrations. It handles compute, disk, and advanced virtual environments efficiently.

"Everything in CloudStack works effectively."
"Everything in CloudStack works effectively."
"The initial implementation process was quite good."

Room for Improvement

CloudStack needs enhancements in its upgrade process, web UI, integration with third-party products, error feedback, and feature support like deploy from a snapshot. There's demand for improved functionality in virtual routers, stability, and support for newer technologies like GPU virtualization. There are issues with network stability and maintenance options. Users seek better marketing, documentation, cost management, container technology, regionalization, policies, and network traffic monitoring. More active contributor engagement would enhance its open-source community.

"The product could improve by embracing newer technologies like GPU virtualization."
"The product does not have an easily implementable payment gateway."
"I think that container technology in CloudStack is an area that needs to be improved."

Pricing

CloudStack is an open-source product available at no cost under the Apache license. Enterprise users may incur expenses for dedicated support, training, infrastructure, and specialized consulting for initial setup. While no licensing fees apply, costs can arise from integrating related services like VMware, XenServer, or infrastructure hosting. Multiple vendors offer commercial support options, known for being fair and value-driven. Organizations often choose to enhance and contribute back to the Apache Software Foundation.

"CloudStack is an open-source product."
"It is a 100% open-source solution needing just an Apache license. Also, there are no hidden fees to be paid."
"The solution is open-source and free."

Popular Use Cases

Companies primarily use CloudStack to provide IaaS by hosting, orchestrating, and managing virtual environments. They implement it in data centers, offering public, private, or hybrid cloud services. CloudStack facilitates creating user-friendly control portals and integrating APIs or LDAP. Its flexible deployment suits diverse infrastructure needs, supporting internal and customer virtual machines, while enabling automated resource management and security provisions. It's utilized for academic purposes, enterprises, telecoms, hosting providers, and cross-regional setups.

Service and Support

CloudStack customer service and support are primarily community-driven, with active participation from both users and companies offering assistance. While the community is responsive and helpful, especially through forums like ShapeBlue, some users rely on their internal expertise due to specific routing challenges. Paid support from third-party experts is available for those needing additional technical guidance. Some users rate community helpfulness around eight or nine out of ten.

Deployment

Many found CloudStack's initial setup simple, especially compared to OpenStack. Some highlighted its all-in-one architecture as user-friendly. While some deployment environments were complex, most with adequate expertise succeeded quickly. An emphasis on detailed documentation helped reduce confusion, though networking posed challenges for some. Expertise and preparation greatly influenced setup ease, and despite inherent complexities, many felt it straightforward if guidance and resources were optimal. Expertise expedited deployment time and simplified processes.

Scalability

CloudStack handles scalability well, effortlessly supporting thousands of hosts. Users rarely face scalability problems. It provides powerful scaling options through availability zones and clusters but requires careful planning with certain tasks like deleting zones. Integration with technologies like Kubernetes and Ceph requires research. Users appreciate how it scales from small to large environments. Some challenges arise from external factors like hypervisor limitations. Most rate its scalability favorably, emphasizing its ease and flexibility in scaling operations.

Stability

CloudStack is largely stable, valued for its reliability. Newer releases have improved some stability-related issues, although occasional challenges like with secondary storage or older versions persist. Users appreciate CloudStack’s technical stability, benefiting from community support despite its smaller size. While bugs can appear with updates, organizations note the platform consistently performs well. Stability depends on updates, with some needing specialized company support to reduce risks.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our CloudStack Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.