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RHEV vs VMware vSphere comparison

Red Hat and VMware are both solutions in the Server Virtualization Software category. Red Hat is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.6, while VMware is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3. Red Hat holds a 3.6% mindshare in SVS, compared to VMware’s 17.3% mindshare. Additionally, 78% of Red Hat users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of VMware users who would recommend it.
RHEV
Read 35 RHEV reviews
  • 5,335 Views
  • 3,875 Comparison Views
78% willing to recommend
VMware vSphere
Read 454 VMware vSphere reviews
  • 29,259 Views
  • 24,243 Comparison Views
94% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

RHEV and VMware vSphere are competing virtualization platforms in the enterprise market. Data indicates VMware vSphere tends to have the upper hand with advanced features and performance that robust enterprises prioritize over cost.

Features: RHEV is appreciated for its open-source infrastructure, effective Linux integration, and cost-saving approach. VMware vSphere boasts features such as advanced resource management, high availability with seamless failover, and comprehensive automation tools that position it as a leader in virtualization capabilities.

Room for Improvement: RHEV could benefit from simplifying its setup process and expanding support services to reduce dependency on specialized expertise. Enhancements in automation and management features would also fortify its offering. For VMware vSphere, addressing its high initial costs by introducing more flexible pricing models, optimizing functionalities for smaller environments, and reducing the complexity of license structures could enhance accessibility and appeal to a broader market.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VMware vSphere is noted for its streamlined deployment process, extensive documentation, and broad enterprise compatibility. It offers comprehensive support and training resources. RHEV, while known for its flexibility, can be more challenging to deploy and might require deeper expertise, which could lead to increased setup time compared to VMware vSphere.

Pricing and ROI: RHEV is favored for low-cost entry, making it attractive for budget-conscious enterprises looking for open-source solutions. It offers strong initial ROI. VMware vSphere, despite higher costs, is justified by its long-term benefits and comprehensive features that support scalability, which can lead to significant long-term ROI for enterprises needing extensive virtualization capabilities and expect robust, scalable solutions.

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To learn more, read our detailed RHEV vs. VMware vSphere Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
RHEV vs. VMware vSphere
April 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

RHEV
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
12th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware vSphere
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
454
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Server Virtualization Software category, the mindshare of RHEV is 3.6%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware vSphere is 17.3%, down from 19.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Virtualization Software
 

Featured Reviews

Sujeet-Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is scalable and affordable, but it lacks features, and it is not easy to manage
Management of RHEV is not as easy as VMware. Some features do not work. The product does not provide features similar to VMware’s VMotion. After creating the cluster, the VM is moved to another node if we move down. However, the VM does not move the parent node automatically. It has to be moved manually. VMware moves it automatically. RHEV moves it to the parent node only if we restart. Everything can be handled in VMware through the GUI. However, in RHEV, some things can be managed through UI, and others cannot. We have to troubleshoot and use CLI. A few features of the product do not work as well as those in VMware.
Read full review
Neeraj Mehra - PeerSpot reviewer
Streamlines virtualization and has features like high availability and vMotion
The primary use case is for virtualization, including the implementation of vSphere, vCloud Foundation, vCloud Director, and cloud automation with vSphere My customers, particularly SMBs, mainly utilize High Availability (HA), DRS, and vMotion features. The vMotion feature is beneficial for…
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The biggest aspect for me is the disk usage, the virtual manager, and the deployment of machines."
"It's a scalable solution."
"Stability and speed are the most valuable aspects."
"The solution makes migration easy."
"Customers are moving to open source and Red Hat is the leader in this particular space. I think customers feel more confident running Red Hat Virtualization than VMware."
"The solution has a good licensing module."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."
"The solution is overall very good with all the facilities. It is user friendly, easy to configure, has documentation, and support is available."
More RHEV pros
"The solution allows for very good virtualization."
"Valuable features include VHA, DRS, VMotion, and redundancy and failover; any DR situation."
"The product has good scalability."
"I definitely like the stability, performance and ease-of-use."
"I like that it's like a distributed rescheduler. You can move to and use VMotion as well. You can move the server and move the virtual machines around different physical servers. This makes it easier when it comes to redundancy."
"It is easy to use."
"It is the number one virtualization-layer platform available, and a lot of people trust it."
"VMware vSphere is user-friendly and simple."
More VMware vSphere pros
 

Cons

"We'd like it if it would be possible on Red Hat Virtualization to possibly connect two or three VMs to the same disk."
"We would like the dashboard feature of this solution to be improved, as it is not very detailed at present."
"The solution should be made more user-friendly."
"The solution has a very small lifecycle."
"The availability of technical expertise with the solution may be limited in some areas."
"We should improve how we manage storage domains and make more comprehensive control available through the command line."
"Specifically, enhancements in managing virtual machine migrations, cloning, and the creation of different VMs could further optimize its functionality."
"We hope that Red Hat can produce a paradigm edition. We are looking for paradigm computing and paradigm storage. Its scalability can be improved. It is not easy to scale, and we hope that Red Hat can provide a more scalable system. They should also provide local service and support. Our customers are looking for a good software vendor to provide professional services."
More RHEV cons
"I would like to see improvements in simplifying automation, cloud native deployment, administration, and fault resolution."
"It would be great if the free version included a management tool that was a scaled-down vCenter Manager."
"I feel that the scalability of the solution should be improved."
"There are some limitations with the solution regarding migrating."
"The only way for it to be a complete product is if you integrate all the functionalities. Then you don't need any backup solution anymore and you can do it by yourself. Integration needs improvement. They should improve a lot of the functionality because normally it's half of a product. You're only protecting yourself against technical failures but not against any cyber threats or any other stuff."
"Its price can be better. It is very expensive."
"VMware vSphere could improve on the automation features and the ease of use of the solution in many areas, such as the interface. However, VMware is doing lots of great things."
"The one area where I would love to see an improvement is the HTML5 client. It's great, but it could get better."
More VMware vSphere cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We buy a license for commercial use, and we also use the free editions."
"We are using the free version of Red Hat."
"The solution does not require licencing but a subscription is necessary, which is very affordable."
"This product has a variety of licensing options available. However, the level of licensing, and therefore the cost of licensing, is dependent on the number of servers being utilized."
"This is an open-source solution."
"RHEV offers pricing based on a per-physical-machine licensing model."
"We have to pay extra for vulnerability and fault tolerance."
"It's a budget product as far as I'm concerned. It's way cheaper than any of its competitors. The only thing cheaper than Red Hat is that the people who take the Red Hat code clone it and then self-support it."
More RHEV pricing and cost advice
"In today's market, agility is the new currency. Without virtualization, and vSphere in particular, we wouldn't have the level of agility in the business that we have today."
"It is easy to understand the licensing of vSphere. We have standard enterprise licensing."
"Once you pay for the standard license, that's it unless you want another feature to be activated. That's a different thing."
"It is a perpetual licensing but there is also an annual maintenance cost."
"The price of the solution could be cheaper compared to others."
"I don't like the price because it's too expensive."
"It saves us money because we don't have to buy as many physical servers."
"The price could be better. The license is definitely expensive."
More VMware vSphere pricing and cost advice
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Comparison Review

VL
Jan 13, 2015
vSphere vs. RHEV vs. Hyper-V vs. XenServer
We have used the following functions: 1. Hypervisor: to ensure that the virtual server provide web and email services to the company, thus providing a stable operation a with single sign-on integration of an AD server and vCenter. 2. Network and Storage: centralized data server…
Read full review
 

Answers from the Community

SB
Feb 7, 2024
Feb 7, 2024
What are the differences between RHEV and VMware vSphere?
Hi Sridhar, This is Rajkumar Gera, VP IT in one of the Telecom. Below are some of the points, may help you: FEATURE RED HAT ENTERPRISE VIRTUALIZATION VMWARE VSPHERE Key differentiators Open source solution Proprietary solution Purchased via one subscription Multiple levels o...
See 2 answers
Anne Cubarrubia - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 21, 2023
Here is a comparison of the two hypervisors, RHEV (Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization) and VMware vSphere: RHEV Pros: Open source Highly scalable Cost-effective Cons: Not as mature as VMware vSphere Not as widely supported as VMware vSphere VMware vSphere Pros: Mature and widely supported Wide range of features Easy to use and manage Cons: Not open source Can be expensive Some prefer RHEV because it is open-source and cost-effective. However, VMware vSphere may be the better option if you need a hypervisor with a wide range of features and support. As to which solution consumes fewer resources, RHEV is a lighter-weight hypervisor than VMware vSphere, so it consumes fewer resources. However, you must remember that each hypervisor's resource consumption depends on the configuration and workload.
Read full answer
RG
Feb 7, 2024
Hi Sridhar,    This is Rajkumar Gera, VP IT  in one of the Telecom. Below are some of the points, may help you:  FEATURE RED HAT ENTERPRISE VIRTUALIZATION VMWARE VSPHERE Key differentiators Open source solution Proprietary solution Purchased via one subscription Multiple levels of functionality sold in editions with different price points Bare-metal performance for virtualized applications Application high availability (Enterprise Plus version only) Prioritized high availability so critical workloads are restarted first Desktop and server virtualization One infrastructure for managing desktops and servers Add-on products for desktop virtualization: VMware Player, VMware Horizon View, VMware Horizon DaaS, and VMware Horizon Mirage Remote access to virtual desktops through SPICE Full support for multimedia applications Management server Included in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization subscription Requires purchase and license of VMware vCenter and database support Virtual machine density 40 cores: 4,682@288 40 cores: 3,824@234 160 cores: 14,061@864 160 cores: result not available Self-service portal Allows users to provision and manage VMs and templates with a browser Requires the purchase of VMware vCloud Automation Center Integration with OpenStack technology Supports the open Neutron pluggable networking API Supports VMware’s NSX networking plug-in Supports the OpenStack image service for a unified image repository between virtual and cloud platforms Does not support the OpenStack image service
Read full answer
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
47%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Educational Organization
29%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about RHEV?
The initial setup is fairly straightforward and well-documented. The process is very similar to its competitors. The success of your setup depends on how well you plan.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for RHEV?
It's the open source. There's not much cost. It's very minimal comparably. Compared to what I am paying for VMware, it's negligible.
See all answers
What needs improvement with RHEV?
My teammates and I often complain that VMware is well-documented and has a large community since it is the de facto standard. I would love to see better documentation and ease of use. For newcomers...
See all answers
What is IOMMU?
DEEPEN DHULLA did explain well IOMMU. IOMMU has to be activated at the bios level. It exists on Intel and AMD platforms. It is used a lot inside virtualization platforms like VMware VSphere. It pr...
See all answers
Why KVM??? Help please!
We use VMware and KVM. We find that KVM is a lot simpler to use and it provides the virtualization we need for Linux and Windows. For us, VMware does not offer any advantage. Moreover, KVM is free.
See all answers
What is the biggest difference between Nutanix Acropolis and VMware vSphere?
We found the reduced power consumption with Nutanix Acropolis AOS a very attractive feature. We also like the interface that allows you to talk directly to your VM from the present software. We fou...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Proxmox VE vs RHEV Logo
Proxmox VE vs RHEV
Compared 17% of the time
Hyper-V vs RHEV Logo
Hyper-V vs RHEV
Compared 10% of the time
KVM vs RHEV Logo
KVM vs RHEV
Compared 9% of the time
Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs RHEV Logo
Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs RHEV
Compared 7% of the time
Oracle VM vs RHEV Logo
Oracle VM vs RHEV
Compared 5% of the time
More RHEV Competitors
Hyper-V vs VMware vSphere Logo
Hyper-V vs VMware vSphere
Compared 24% of the time
Oracle VM vs VMware vSphere Logo
Oracle VM vs VMware vSphere
Compared 14% of the time
Proxmox VE vs VMware vSphere Logo
Proxmox VE vs VMware vSphere
Compared 13% of the time
KVM vs VMware vSphere Logo
KVM vs VMware vSphere
Compared 8% of the time
Citrix XenServer vs VMware vSphere Logo
Citrix XenServer vs VMware vSphere
Compared 6% of the time
More VMware vSphere Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
RHEV
March 2025
RHEV reportDownload RHEV product report
Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2025
VMware vSphere reportDownload VMware vSphere product report
 

Also Known As

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
No data available
 

Overview

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, or RHEV, is a leading open standard enterprise virtualization management solution. This solution supports virtualization of servers and desktops using the same infrastructure and a single easy-to-use interface.

Because RHEV is based on open standards, it is vendor-independent and a lot more cost effective and flexible than proprietary solutions.


Red Hat

VMware vSphere is a versatile virtualization platform known for its ease of use, flexibility, and high availability. It supports seamless migration, optimal resource allocation, and centralized management, making it highly suitable for diverse infrastructure needs.

VMware vSphere is widely adopted for its virtualization capabilities that enhance hardware efficiency and ensure minimal downtime through features like High Availability and Distributed Resource Scheduler. Despite criticisms about high licensing costs and limited fault tolerance, it remains a preferred choice due to its stability, scalability, and robust integration options. Users appreciate its efficiency in managing virtual machines and hosting enterprise applications, although challenges with web client performance and hardware compatibility are noted. Organizations often look for better integration with cloud services and enhanced automation and scalability.

What are the core features of VMware vSphere?
  • vMotion: Enables seamless migration of virtual machines without downtime.
  • Distributed Resource Scheduler: Optimizes resource allocation across hosts.
  • High Availability: Minimizes downtime by automatically restarting virtual machines.
  • Centralized Management: Facilitates easy management of virtualized environments.
  • Advanced Security: Provides robust security measures and compliance features.
What benefits and ROI can businesses look for?
  • Reduced Operational Costs: Efficiently utilizes hardware, saving on expenses.
  • Scalability: Easily scales to meet growing business demands.
  • Business Continuity: Ensures high availability and disaster recovery.
  • Integration Flexibility: Supports integration with various technologies.

VMware vSphere is implemented across sectors like healthcare, finance, and education for server virtualization, data center management, and private cloud creation. Its use in facilitating business-critical operations ensures high availability and efficient resource use, supporting both development and production environments.

VMware
 

Sample Customers

Qualcomm and Bonham's Auction House.
Abu Dhabi Ports Company, ACS, AIA New Zealand, Consona, Corporate Express, CS Energy, and Digiweb.
Buyer's Guide
RHEV vs. VMware vSphere
April 2025
Free Report: RHEV vs. VMware vSphere
Find out what your peers are saying about RHEV vs. VMware vSphere and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
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