Top Open-Source Hypervisors: Citrix Alternatives Explored

May 8, 2023

Over the past few decades, server virtualization has become a vital aspect of datacenter design, allowing organizations to efficiently allocate computing resources to operating systems and applications while reducing IT expenses and bolstering disaster recovery measures. While Citrix Hypervisor (formerly XenServer) is a popular open-source option for server virtualization, other open-source hypervisors are also available. This article delves into some of the leading Citrix alternatives.

Oracle VirtualBox Originally called Sun VirtualBox and Sun xVM VirtualBox, Oracle VirtualBox is a type-2 hypervisor sponsored by Oracle Corporation. It allows IT administrators to run multiple operating systems within several virtual machines simultaneously. Oracle VirtualBox also offers features such as guest additions, guest multi-processing, full ACPI support, multi-screen resolutions, and built-in iSCSI support.

Microsoft Hyper-V Microsoft Hyper-V is a server virtualization technology that enables the creation of virtual machines and the running of multiple operating systems on a single Windows-based machine. It has three versions: Hyper-V for Windows Server, Hyper-V Server, and Hyper-V for Windows 10. Some notable features of Hyper-V include Hyper-V Replica, integration services, migration features, and shielded VMs.

Proxmox Virtual Environment Proxmox Virtual Environment, or Proxmox VE, is an open-source, bare-metal hypervisor for enterprise virtualization based on Debian Linux distribution. It supports full virtualization with Kernel-based virtual machines (KVMs) and lightweight Open Virtuozzo (OpenVZ) for running containers and virtual private servers (VPSs). Key features of Proxmox Virtual Environment include high availability, bridged networking, flexible storage, and command-line interface tools.

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) KVM is an open-source hypervisor infrastructure designed for Linux OS kernels, initially intended for x86 processors but later expanded to include PowerPC and ARM architectures. Red Hat, Inc. maintains KVM. KVM supports various operating systems and leverages a modified version of Quick Emulator (QEMU) to run macOS platforms.

Parallels RAS: A Budget-Friendly Citrix Alternative Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is a single-license, all-in-one virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables businesses to publish virtual workspaces on any device and platform. It works with VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisors and supports major hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solutions like Scale Computing HC3, Nutanix Acropolis, and HPE SimpliVity. Parallels RAS is a cloud-ready platform compatible with private, public, and hybrid cloud environments and integrates with Azure Virtual Desktop for seamless management of enterprise resources.

Explore the cost-effectiveness of Parallels RAS as a Citrix alternative today!