Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) is an open-source virtualization platform designed to manage virtual machines and containers from a single, unified interface. Built on Debian Linux, it combines KVM-based virtualization for full virtual machines and LXC for lightweight containers. Proxmox VE is widely used by enterprises, hosting providers, and home labs due to its flexibility, strong feature set, and cost-effective open-source model.
Key Features
Hybrid Virtualization: Supports both KVM virtual machines and LXC containers on the same host.
Web-Based Management: Centralized web interface for managing nodes, VMs, containers, storage, and networking.
High Availability Clustering: Built-in clustering and HA to automatically restart workloads during node failures.
Live Migration: Move running virtual machines and containers between nodes with minimal downtime.
Integrated Backup & Restore: Snapshot-based backups with compression, scheduling, and remote storage support.
Software-Defined Storage: Supports ZFS, Ceph, LVM, and other storage backends.
Advanced Networking: VLANs, bridges, bonding, and firewall rules per VM or container.
These features make Proxmox VE a powerful and flexible alternative to commercial virtualization platforms.
Pricing
Free & Open Source:
Proxmox VE can be used at no cost with full functionality.
Optional Subscription Plans:
Paid subscriptions provide access to enterprise repositories, updates, and professional support.
Per-Host Licensing:
Subscriptions are priced per physical server (node), not per VM.
No Feature Locking:
All features are available even without a subscription.
Proxmox’s pricing model makes it attractive for organizations seeking enterprise features without per-VM licensing.
Use Cases
Datacenter Virtualization: Replace proprietary hypervisors with an open-source platform.
Private Cloud & Clusters: Build scalable virtualization clusters with high availability.
Hosting & VPS Providers: Manage large numbers of virtual machines efficiently.
Development & Testing: Quickly spin up and destroy test environments.
Home Labs & Learning: Popular choice for labs, training, and experimentation.
Website: https://www.proxmox.com/