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OpenStack vs Proxmox
March 09, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
19★
OpenStack is a global collaboration of developers and cloud computing technologists producing the ubiquitous open source cloud computing platform for public and private clouds. The project aims to deliver solutions for all types of clouds by being simple to implement, massively scalable, and feature rich. The technology consists of a series of interrelated projects delivering various components for a cloud infrastructure solution.
15★
Proxmox Virtual Environment is a complete server virtualization management solution, based on KVM virtualization and containers. Powerful and easy to use - Complete server virtualization management with KVM and containers.
OpenStack and Proxmox are both open-source virtualization platforms, which means they let you run little pretend computers inside your real one. They both support KVM, which sounds like a secret agency but is actually a hypervisor. They also have web interfaces so you can click buttons and feel powerful, support containers (because virtual machines weren’t confusing enough) and can manage multiple nodes, which is a fancy way of saying “computers that talk to each other but occasionally refuse to.”
OpenStack is the big, complicated one. It was born in 2010 in the USA, presumably in a secret lair where people drink too much coffee and say things like “scalability.” It’s designed for large-scale cloud infrastructure, meaning it’s perfect for massive enterprises, telecoms and anyone who enjoys setting up a system that will later require a team of experts to explain why it isn’t working. It supports multi-tenancy, which means multiple users can all have their own little digital empires and it requires hardware so powerful that, if left unattended, it might try to become self-aware.
Proxmox, on the other hand, is the friendly neighborhood alternative from Austria, dating back to 2008. It’s for small businesses, home lab tinkerers and people who just want to get things running without developing a migraine. It thoughtfully combines virtualization and containers in one system, throws in built-in backups like a good-natured sidekick and is generally easier to manage. In short, if OpenStack is a sprawling metropolis of cloud computing, Proxmox is the cozy village pub where all your virtual machines know your name.
See also: Top 10 Virtualization platforms
OpenStack is the big, complicated one. It was born in 2010 in the USA, presumably in a secret lair where people drink too much coffee and say things like “scalability.” It’s designed for large-scale cloud infrastructure, meaning it’s perfect for massive enterprises, telecoms and anyone who enjoys setting up a system that will later require a team of experts to explain why it isn’t working. It supports multi-tenancy, which means multiple users can all have their own little digital empires and it requires hardware so powerful that, if left unattended, it might try to become self-aware.
Proxmox, on the other hand, is the friendly neighborhood alternative from Austria, dating back to 2008. It’s for small businesses, home lab tinkerers and people who just want to get things running without developing a migraine. It thoughtfully combines virtualization and containers in one system, throws in built-in backups like a good-natured sidekick and is generally easier to manage. In short, if OpenStack is a sprawling metropolis of cloud computing, Proxmox is the cozy village pub where all your virtual machines know your name.
See also: Top 10 Virtualization platforms
