Xen Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Xen for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best Linux alternative is VirtualBox, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Xen and 14 are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Xen are KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), Distrobox, VMware vSphere Hypervisor and Linux Containers (LXC).

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Alternatives list

  1. VirtualBox icon
     2970 likes

    Open source VirtualBox offers powerful x86/AMD64 virtualization available freely under GNU GPL v2. Runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris hosts. Supports a vast array of guest OS like Windows, Linux, Solaris. Portable, lightweight, ad-free, with dark mode.

    70 VirtualBox alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Oracle Solaris
     
  2. Distrobox icon
     25 likes

    Use any Linux distribution inside your terminal. Enable both backward and forward compatibility with software and freedom to use whatever distribution you’re more comfortable with. Distrobox uses podman or docker to create containers using the Linux distribution of your choice.

    11 Distrobox alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  3. Containers which offer an environment as close as possible as the one you'd get from a VM but without the overhead that comes with running a separate kernel and simulating all the hardware.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  4. XCP-ng icon
     46 likes

    XCP-ng is a high-performance, enterprise-level hypervisor with a rich ecosystem and is the result of massive cooperation between individuals and companies. All commercial features are enabled with no commitment required to a support agreement.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • NVIDIA vGPU
    • AMD MxGPU
     
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  5. (formerly XenServer) Citrix Hypervisor is a leading virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures.

    42 Citrix Hypervisor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • RadeonPro
    • NVIDIA vGPU
    • AMD MxGPU
     
  6. OpenVZ icon
     13 likes

    OpenVZ is container-based virtualization for Linux.

    OpenVZ creates multiple secure, isolated Linux containers (otherwise known as VEs or VPSs) on a single physical server enabling better server utilization and ensuring that applications do not conflict.

    Each container performs.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  7. Software-defined infrastructure for cyber protection. Streamline IT efforts using built-in management and monitoring tools. Get integrated support for multiple workloads, use cases, storage types and APIs. Maximize productivity, lower operational costs, and enable growth.

    12 Acronis Cyber Infrastructure alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  8. Multipass icon
     8 likes

    Multipass is a lightweight VM manager for Linux, Windows and macOS. It's designed for developers who want a fresh Ubuntu environment with a single command. It uses KVM on Linux, Hyper-V on Windows and HyperKit on macOS to run the VM with minimal overhead.

    63 Multipass alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
     
  9. BoxBuddy icon
     6 likes

    An unofficial GUI for managing your Distroboxes. Written with GTK4 + Libadwaita.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Rust
     
  10. The Collax V-Bien is a complete package for virtualization and high availability. In addition to software and hardware, it also includes the patented Collax Fencing Device and support. Virtual networking, easy administration, data integrity.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
12 of 14 Xen alternatives