hyper-v-vs-oracle-vm-virtualbox

Hyper-V and Oracle VM VirtualBox are both server virtualization products designed to run virtual machines.  Hyper-V is a type 1 hypervisor that manages operating systems by running directly on a computer’s hardware. In contrast, Oracle VM VirtualBox is a type 2 hypervisor, which runs on the host operating system.  Both server virtualization tools are most popular with mid-sized businesses.

Features

Hyper-V and Oracle VM VirtualBox can both be used to handle a businesses server virtualization needs, but they also have a few features that set them apart from each other.

Hyper-V offers high performance virtual machines, and can output a lot of power depending on the hardware that it is running on.  Additionally, since Hyper-V is a type 1 hypervisor, virtual machines are always running as long as the hardware is.  Hyper-V also integrates well with Windows infrastructures, and is simple to use once it has been implemented.

Oracle VM VirtualBox can run on several operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.  In addition to running on multiple host operating systems, Oracle VM VirutalBox can also create VirtualMachines using multiple guest operating systems, rather than just Windows. Lastly, implementation of Oracle VM VirtualBox is simple, most businesses will be able to just install the hypervisor and be ready to go.

Limitations

Hyper-V and Oracle VM VirtualBox both help businesses to handle virtualization, but they also have a few limitations that are important to consider.

Hyper-V is simple to use once it’s implemented, as the virtual machines run as long as the hardware is running, but it isn’t as easy to set up as Oracle VM VirtualBox, which is a simple installation for most users.  Additionally, while Hyper-V is great for businesses using Windows host systems that want to run Windows servers, Hyper-V can’t handle non-Windows operating systems.  Businesses looking for a server virtualization tool that can run on non-Windows host operating systems should consider other options.

Oracle VM VirtualBox is simple to implement, but is more difficult to manage compared to Hyper-V, which runs as long as the hardware is running.  Additionally, Oracle VM VirtualBox can’t create virtual machines with the same performance as Oracle VM VirtualBox.  For businesses looking for high performance virtual machines that have the hardware to support them, Hyper-V may be a better option.

Pricing

Both Oracle VM VirtualBox and Hyper-V are free to use, but it is worth noting that to use Hyper-V you must have hardware running the correct version of Windows as the host operating system.  This can be an expense for non-Windows businesses.