Proxmox VE
7.1/10Open-source server virtualization platform that runs KVM virtual machines and LXC containers on your own hardware, with clustering, HA, software-defined storage and networking.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Proxmox Virtual Environment is a Debian-based virtualization platform from the Vienna company Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH. It runs KVM/QEMU virtual machines and LXC containers on hardware you own or rent, and you manage everything from a web interface, a command-line toolset or a REST API. Built-in features include multi-node clustering, a high-availability manager that restarts guests on surviving nodes, hyperconverged Ceph storage (RBD and CephFS), local ZFS, a software-defined networking stack, and scheduled backups through vzdump or Proxmox Backup Server. It suits IT teams, managed service providers and mid-sized organisations that want to leave VMware after Broadcom's licensing changes, as well as labs and education. The software is free under the AGPLv3 licence. Paid subscriptions are priced per occupied CPU socket per year: Community at 120 euros, Basic at 370, Standard at 550 and Premium at 1,100. They add the stable Enterprise Repository, Datacenter Manager access, and on the higher tiers support tickets with defined response times. Every tier includes every feature, and all nodes in a cluster must use the same tier. The main limitation is that Proxmox is software you run yourself, not a hosted service. Storage, networking and update strategy need in-house Linux skills, and its third-party certification ecosystem is smaller than VMware's. DRS-style automatic load balancing only arrived in version 9.2 in May 2026 and is still limited.
Our Rating
Who Proxmox VE is best for
Best software for IT TeamsGood fit
Built for administrators who run their own virtualization clusters and have Linux skills.
A common VMware replacement for firms that want to avoid per-core licensing.
The free open-source licence and full feature set suit labs and teaching environments.
Free to use with low per-socket subscriptions, but it needs Linux expertise or a partner.
Less suited
24/7 Premium support is available, but the ecosystem and load balancing are less mature than VMware's.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Every feature, including clustering, HA, Ceph and ZFS, is free under an open-source licence.
- Subscriptions are priced per CPU socket rather than per core, which keeps costs well below VMware's after Broadcom's licensing changes.
- Runs both KVM virtual machines and LXC containers from one web interface.
- A full REST API and command-line tools support automation.
Cons
- You install and run it on your own hardware. Nothing is hosted or managed for you.
- Running storage and networking well, especially Ceph, needs in-house Linux skills.
- DRS-style load balancing only arrived in May 2026 and initially covers only HA-managed guests.
- Its ecosystem of certified third-party appliances and partners is smaller than VMware's.
- Vendor support tickets require at least the Basic subscription.
Key Features
Not included
- Managed WordPress
- Managed Kubernetes
- Shared Hosting
Proxmox VE Pricing
No subscription
- No vendor support
- No Enterprise Repository
- All features under the AGPLv3 licence
Basic
- Datacenter Manager
- Enterprise Repository
- 3 support tickets per year
- Response within 1 business day
- Price is per CPU socket per year
Community
- Forum support only
- For non-production use
- Enterprise Repository access
- Price is per CPU socket per year
Premium
- 24/7 support
- Datacenter Manager
- SSH remote support
- Enterprise Repository
- Unlimited support tickets
- Price is per CPU socket per year
- 2-hour first response for critical issues
Standard
- Datacenter Manager
- SSH remote support
- Enterprise Repository
- 10 support tickets per year
- Price is per CPU socket per year
- Offline updates and key activation
- 4-hour first response for critical issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The software is open source under the AGPLv3 licence and includes every feature. Paid subscriptions add the stable Enterprise Repository and support.
Per occupied CPU socket per year, not per core. Community costs 120 euros, Basic 370, Standard 550 and Premium 1,100, before VAT. All nodes in a cluster must use the same tier.
Community has forum support only. Basic gets 3 tickets a year with a one-business-day response. Standard gets 10 tickets with a 4-hour response for critical issues. Premium gets unlimited tickets with a 2-hour response and 24/7 coverage.
No. It is virtualization software you install on servers you own or rent, to build your own private cloud.
For many small and mid-sized setups, yes. It offers clustering, HA, live migration and backup. Its load balancing is newer and its certification ecosystem is smaller.
Similar Tools
See all alternatives
Open-core platform from Kubermatic that lets IT teams automate and centrally manage many Kubernetes clusters across public clouds, on-premises data centers, and edge sites.
Amazon S3 is AWS's pay-as-you-go object storage service. Businesses use it to store files, backups, data lakes and static website assets at almost any scale.
Managed object storage from Google Cloud for unstructured data, offering several storage classes, multi-region replication and pay-per-use pricing for developers and enterprises.
Ranked near Proxmox VE in Hosting & Infrastructure
See Proxmox VE in the listProxmox VE is #42 in Hosting & Infrastructure by our score.
