Enterprise virtualization is currently undergoing a review period that became particularly evident after the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom. Commercial and licensing changes have prompted many organizations to explore alternatives, although this does not mean they are immediately abandoning VMware. Proxmox VE is increasingly appearing among the options for building virtualization infrastructures on private clouds, especially as companies aim to regain control over costs, hardware, and data.
The key points of VMware alternatives in 30 seconds
- A CloudBolt study indicates that about 90% of surveyed organizations are exploring alternatives to VMware.
- More than half report license increases exceeding 25%, though situations vary based on contracts and configurations.
- The replacement of the hypervisor is progressing more slowly than the desire to switch because it affects a critical layer of infrastructure.
- Proxmox VE combines virtualization, high availability, and distributed storage with Ceph, as well as integration with backup solutions.
- Gradual migrations and proof-of-concept testing allow performance, compatibility, and operation checks before moving to production.
The scenario presents an apparent contradiction. There is a high willingness to consider other platforms, but actual migration is not necessarily happening as quickly as desired.
The explanation lies in the very nature of virtualization. Changing platforms is not equivalent to replacing an enterprise application. The hypervisor sits beneath servers, databases, applications, storage systems, and services that may have been running for years.
Therefore, for many organizations, the question has shifted from simply what product can replace VMware to also understanding how to transition without introducing a higher operational risk than the problem they seek to solve.
Why abandoning VMware can take months or even years
Switching providers can impact cluster design, storage, virtual networks, backups, disaster recovery, monitoring, and internal procedures.
In addition, there’s the accumulated knowledge of the technical teams. An organization that has been working with VMware for ten years doesn’t just have virtual machines on that platform; it also has procedures, automation, tools, and personnel accustomed to managing it.
A migration must take all of this into account.
That’s why some companies choose to renew contracts while exploring alternatives, while others are first moving certain services and temporarily maintaining VMware environments for more critical workloads.
This coexistence period may be less noticeable than a full migration but helps to reduce risks.
The CloudBolt study reflects precisely this gap between desiring an alternative and being ready to execute the change. Cost pressures can initiate the process, but the final decision often depends on technical and operational considerations.
Proxmox VE is gaining ground as an alternative for private cloud
Among the platforms taking advantage of this shift is Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE), an open-source virtualization solution that integrates virtual machines via KVM and Linux containers via LXC.
Its approach is especially appealing to organizations seeking to deploy private cloud on dedicated infrastructure without relying on the commercial models of major virtualization providers.
Proxmox VE allows creating multi-node clusters, migrating virtual machines, and configuring high availability. It can also be combined with Ceph, the open-source distributed storage system, to build architectures where data is distributed across multiple servers.
This enables designing hyperconverged platforms where compute and storage are part of the same cluster, although Ceph is not mandatory. Proxmox can also use external storage through various technologies and protocols.
The appropriate architecture depends on the size of the environment, performance requirements, redundancy levels, and recovery goals of each organization.
For backups, there is also Proxmox Backup Server, developed specifically to integrate with Proxmox VE. Additionally, third-party solutions offer support for this platform.
This expanding ecosystem is significant because one of the historical obstacles to replacing VMware was not only in the hypervisor. Companies need mature tools for backup, monitoring, automation, and recovery around virtualization.
A proof of concept before touching production
Rising costs may pressure organizations to speed up migration, but rushing to change a critical platform can transfer economic problems into operational issues.
A more prudent strategy usually begins with an inventory of the existing VMware environment.
Before choosing architecture, it’s important to know how many virtual machines exist, what resources they consume, what storage they use, how their networks are configured, and what dependencies they have.
It’s also necessary to identify workloads requiring high availability and define RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective) objectives for critical services.
With this information, a proof of concept or PoC can be built.
The test should go beyond verifying that a VM boots correctly on Proxmox. It can be used to measure storage and network performance, simulate node failure, test restore from backups, and evaluate cluster response to different incidents.
It also helps train the team that will manage the platform later.
The next step can involve migrating lower-risk workloads before moving critical applications. This way, VMware and Proxmox can coexist temporarily while the new environment is validated.
This approach offers another advantage: it separates the technological decision from commercial urgency.
An organization might conclude that Proxmox is suitable for all its infrastructure, only specific services, or needs to maintain VMware temporarily. There is no one-size-fits-all architecture for every company.
The location of the infrastructure also plays a role. A private cloud hosted on dedicated servers in data centers in Spain or other European countries allows decisions on where data physically resides and who manages each technological layer.
That control can be particularly relevant for European organizations concerned about data sovereignty, economic predictability, or dependence on providers.
The current situation surrounding VMware has prompted many companies to reevaluate their infrastructure decisions they’ve delayed for years. Proxmox VE has become a common option in this assessment, but the real change lies elsewhere: organizations are reconsidering who controls their virtualization platform, how much it costs to maintain, and how much flexibility they will have to modify it in five or ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Proxmox VE replace VMware in a company?
It can do so in many scenarios, but viability depends on existing applications, storage, networks, backups, and availability requirements. A proof of concept is advisable before migrating critical workloads.
Is Proxmox VE suitable for high availability?
Yes. Proxmox VE enables cluster creation and high availability configuration for virtual machines and containers, provided the infrastructure is properly designed.
Does Proxmox require Ceph?
No. Ceph is one storage option among others, especially useful for certain distributed and hyperconverged architectures, but Proxmox VE supports various other storage solutions.
Is it advisable to migrate all VMware virtual machines at once?
Not necessarily. A gradual migration allows testing less critical workloads first, validating performance, backups, and recovery, and reducing risks before moving critical services.
