VMware is an American cloud computing and virtualization technology company founded in 1998. In this article, we discuss the top VMware Competitors and Alternatives.
VMware, a leading virtualization and cloud computing software provider, offers many innovative products, such as VMware vSphere and VMware Horizon. These software enhance efficiency and user experience in IT infrastructures despite competition from platforms like Microsoft Hyper-V, Oracle VirtualBox, and Citrix XenServer. VMware’s commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous innovation allows it to maintain its market dominance in industry competition.
- Product Type: Cloud computing and virtualization technology
- Industry: Software
- Founded Date: 1998
- Founders: Diane Greene, Mendel Rosenblum, Scott Devine, Edward Wang, and Edouard Bugnion
- Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Raghu Raghuram
- Number of employees: 31,000 (2023)
Table of Contents
The top VMware competitors are
1. Microsoft
- Product Type: Technology
- Industry: Computer software
- Founded Date: April 4, 1975
- Founders: Bill Gates and Paul Allen
- Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Satya Nadella
Microsoft is a leading global technology company offering various products and services, including operating systems, software applications, and cloud services. Within the virtualization space, Microsoft provides a solution called Hyper-V, which allows businesses to create and manage virtual machines efficiently. With its strong presence in the market and integration with other Microsoft products, Hyper-V is a popular choice for businesses looking for virtualization solutions.
2. Amazon Web Services
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: March 14, 2006
- Founders: Jeff Bezos
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Andy Jassy
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive and widely used cloud computing platform offered by Amazon. One of the services provided by AWS is Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), which offers scalable virtual machine instances in the cloud. The EC2 service allows businesses to run applications on virtual machines without physical infrastructure. With its vast infrastructure and extensive catalog of services, AWS has established itself as a strong competitor to VMware in the virtualization market.
3. Google Cloud Platform
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: April 7, 2008
- Founders: Larry Page and Sergey Brin
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Thomas Kurian
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services provided by Google. GCP offers companies a range of virtualization options, including Google Compute Engine, which allows users to create and manage virtual machines in the cloud. With its focus on scalability, flexibility, and integrated machine learning capabilities, GCP provides a compelling alternative to VMware for organizations looking to use virtualization in their operations.
4. Oracle
- Product Type: Computer software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: June 16, 1977
- Founders: Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates
- Headquarters: Redwood City, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Safra Catz
Oracle is a multinational technology company that provides various hardware and software solutions. In the virtualization space, Oracle offers Oracle VM, an enterprise-grade server virtualization solution. Oracle VM enables businesses to consolidate their hardware resources and run multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical server. With its emphasis on performance, security, and compatibility with Oracle software, Oracle VM offers a competitive option for organizations seeking virtualization solutions.
5. Citrix Systems
- Product Type: Computer software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: April 17, 1989
- Founders: Ed Iacobucci
- Headquarters: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: David Henshall
Citrix Systems is a leading virtualization, networking, and cloud computing solutions provider. Citrix offers a suite of virtualization products, including Citrix Hypervisor (formerly XenServer), which allows businesses to create and manage virtual machines efficiently. Through its advanced management features and integration with other Citrix solutions, Citrix Hypervisor provides businesses with a comprehensive virtualization solution.
6. Red Hat (IBM)
- Product Type: Computer software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: March 26, 1993
- Founders: Bob Young and Marc Ewing
- Headquarters: Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Paul Cormier
Red Hat, now a part of IBM, is a global provider of Linux-based open-source software solutions. In the virtualization space, Red Hat offers Red Hat Virtualization, a powerful and flexible server virtualization platform. Red Hat Virtualization enables businesses to virtualize their infrastructure, increasing efficiency and lowering costs. With its robust features and support for a wide range of hardware and software platforms, Red Hat Virtualization is a strong competitor to VMware.
7. Nutanix
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: September 23, 2009
- Founders: Dheeraj Pandey, Ajeet Singh, and Mohit Aron
- Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Rajiv Ramaswami
Nutanix is a leading provider of hyperconverged infrastructure solutions. Their platform combines storage, computing, and virtualization resources in a single appliance or software-defined solution. Nutanix simplifies IT management and reduces hardware costs by consolidating multiple technologies into one cohesive system. With a focus on scalability and ease of use, Nutanix competes well in the virtualization market.
8. Cisco Systems
- Product Type: Networking hardware
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: December 10, 1984
- Founders: Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner
- Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Chuck Robbins
Cisco Systems is a multinational technology company known for its networking and telecommunications products. They offer virtualization solutions that allow businesses to optimize their IT infrastructure and enhance operational efficiency. Cisco’s portfolio includes software-defined networking (SDN) solutions, virtualization software, and network security products. With their extensive experience in the networking industry, Cisco Systems is a strong competitor in the virtualization market.
9. HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)
- Product Type: Computer hardware
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: November 1, 2015
- Founders: Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard
- Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Antonio Neri
HPE is a global technology company that provides a wide range of hardware, software, and service offerings. They offer virtualization solutions that enable businesses to enhance their IT agility and reduce costs. HPE’s portfolio includes server virtualization software, storage virtualization solutions, and virtualization management tools. With a focus on innovation and customer-centricity, HPE competes effectively in the virtualization market.
10. Dell Technologies
- Product Type: Computer hardware
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: February 1, 1984
- Founders: Michael Dell
- Headquarters: Round Rock, Texas, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Michael Dell
Dell Technologies is a multinational technology company that offers a diverse range of products and services. They provide virtualization solutions that empower businesses to optimize their IT infrastructure and increase efficiency. Dell Technologies’ portfolio includes virtualization software, storage solutions, and hyper-converged infrastructure options. Dell Technologies is a formidable competitor in the virtualization market with a strong emphasis on performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
11. Proxmox Server Solutions
- Product Type: Virtualization software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2005
- Founders: Dietmar Maurer and Martin Maurer
- Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Dietmar Maurer
Proxmox Server Solutions is a virtualization software company specializing in free and open-source platforms. Their flagship product is Proxmox Virtual Environment, which combines virtualization and container technologies in a single platform. Proxmox Server Solutions focuses on simplicity and flexibility, making it an appealing choice for businesses seeking an easy-to-use virtualization solution.
12. Alibaba Cloud
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2009
- Founders: Jack Ma
- Headquarters: Hangzhou, China
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Simon Hu
Alibaba Cloud is a cloud computing and virtualization services provider. They offer a range of virtualization solutions, including virtual private servers, elastic computing, and container services. Alibaba Cloud aims to provide scalable, secure, and cost-effective virtualization options to businesses of all sizes. With its strong presence in the cloud computing market, Alibaba Cloud competes effectively in the virtualization space.
13. SUSE
- Product Type: Computer software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1992
- Founders: Hubert Mantel and Burchard Steinbild
- Headquarters: Nuremberg, Germany
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Melissa Di Donato
SUSE is a software company specializing in Linux-based operating systems and open-source solutions. They offer virtualization technologies that enable businesses to optimize their IT infrastructure and reduce costs. SUSE’s virtualization portfolio includes software-defined infrastructure solutions and scalable virtualization platforms. With a focus on reliability, interoperability, and ease of use, SUSE is a strong competitor in the virtualization market.
14. Huawei
- Product Type: Telecommunications equipment and consumer electronics
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1987
- Founders: Ren Zhengfei
- Headquarters: Shenzhen, China
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Ren Zhengfei
Huawei is a global technology company that provides networking and telecommunications solutions. They offer virtualization technologies that help businesses enhance their IT infrastructure and improve operational efficiency. Huawei’s virtualization portfolio includes software-defined networking (SDN) solutions, virtualized infrastructure management platforms, and cloud computing services. With their expertise in network technologies, Huawei competes effectively in the virtualization market.
15. DigitalOcean
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2011
- Founders: Ben Uretsky, Moisey Uretsky, Mitch Wainer, and Alec Hartman
- Headquarters: New York City, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Yancey Spruill
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider that offers virtualization services to businesses and developers. They provide scalable and cost-effective virtual private servers (VPS) and container solutions. DigitalOcean’s focus on simplicity and developer-friendly interfaces makes them attractive for businesses seeking easy-to-use virtualization options. With its robust infrastructure and user-centric approach, DigitalOcean competes effectively in the virtualization market.
16. Rackspace Technology
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1998
- Founders: Graham Weston, Dirk Elmendorf, and Pat Condon
- Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Kevin Jones
Rackspace Technology is a leading provider of multi-cloud services. They offer customers a range of solutions, including managed VMware environments, that allow businesses to harness the power of virtualization without the need for on-premises infrastructure management. With their expertise in managing complex cloud infrastructures, Rackspace Technology provides a compelling alternative for organizations seeking VMware competitors.
17. Linode
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2003
- Founders: Christopher Aker
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Christopher Aker
Linode is a cloud hosting provider that offers virtual private servers (VPS) and other cloud services. Their Linode Managed service provides managed hosting solutions, including virtualization options, for businesses looking to leverage the benefits of virtual machines without the need for extensive infrastructure management. Linode’s user-friendly interface, comprehensive management, and cost-effective pricing make it attractive for businesses seeking virtualization alternatives to VMware.
18. Virtuozzo
- Product Type: Virtualization software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1999
- Founders: Alexey Kovalev, Ilya Zubarev, and Nikolay Dobrovolskiy
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Alex Fine
Virtuozzo is a virtualization platform that offers containerization solutions. Virtuozzo focuses on efficiency and density and enables businesses to maximize resource utilization and reduce costs. Virtuozzo provides a lightweight and scalable virtualization solution using containers instead of complete virtual machines. Virtuozzo offers a viable alternative to VMware for organizations looking for container-based virtualization options.
19. Parallels International
- Product Type: Computer software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1999
- Founders: Serguei Beloussov
- Headquarters: Renton, Washington, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Serguei Beloussov
Parallels International offers various products and services focused on cross-platform solutions, including virtualization software. Parallels Desktop for Mac is a popular virtualization solution that allows users to run Windows and other operating systems on a Mac computer. With its emphasis on seamless integration and user-friendly interface, Parallels Desktop for Mac provides a compelling option for individuals and businesses seeking virtualization alternatives to VMware.
20. NVIDIA
- Product Type: Computer hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1993
- Founders: Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem
- Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Jensen Huang
NVIDIA, primarily known for its graphics processing units (GPUs), also provides virtualization solutions. NVIDIA’s virtual GPU (vGPU) technology enables businesses to virtualize GPU resources, allowing users to leverage the power of GPUs for graphics-intensive applications and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). With its focus on high-performance graphics and GPU virtualization, NVIDIA offers a unique and competitive solution for organizations seeking virtualization alternatives to VMware.
21. Scale Computing
- Product Type: Hyperconverged infrastructure
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2006
- Founders: Jeff Ready and Jason Collier
- Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Jeff Ready
Scale Computing is a provider of hyper-converged infrastructure solutions. Their HCI platform combines storage, virtualization, and compute resources into a scalable and easy-to-manage system. With its focus on simplicity and scalability, Scale Computing offers businesses a comprehensive virtualization solution that eliminates the need for separate hardware components and provides a cost-effective alternative to VMware.
22. Joyent
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2004
- Founders: Jason Hoffman
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Scott Hammond
Joyent is a cloud computing platform that provides infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and container-based virtualization solutions. Their Triton Compute service allows businesses to run container-based applications efficiently and securely. With its focus on high-performance containerization and advanced networking capabilities, Joyent offers a powerful and flexible solution to organizations seeking virtualization alternatives.
23. Skytap
- Product Type: Cloud computing
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2006
- Founders: Brian Bershad, Hank Levy, and Steve Gribble
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Brad Schick
Skytap is a cloud computing company that focuses on providing self-service virtualization environments for enterprises. Their platform allows users to easily create and manage virtual machines, networks, and storage resources. Skytap’s services cater to businesses of all sizes, offering flexible pricing options and scalability. Their user-friendly interface and comprehensive features make them a strong competitor in the virtualization market.
24. Sangfor Technologies
- Product Type: Computer software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2000
- Founders: River He
- Headquarters: Shenzhen, China
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: River He
Sangfor Technologies is a leading provider of network security and cloud computing solutions. Their product portfolio includes virtualization software, network optimization tools, and cloud infrastructure services. Sangfor Technologies aims to help businesses improve operational efficiency and lower IT costs through innovative solutions. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction and continuous product development, Sangfor Technologies competes well with similar companies in the virtualization market.
25. Juniper Networks
- Product Type: Networking hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1996
- Founders: Pradeep Sindhu
- Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Rami Rahim
Juniper Networks is a multinational corporation that designs and manufactures networking equipment. They offer a range of virtualization solutions, including software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions. Juniper Networks focuses on delivering high-performance, scalable, and secure networking solutions to meet the needs of modern businesses. Their comprehensive product portfolio and commitment to innovation make them a strong contender in the virtualization market.
26. Arista Networks
- Product Type: Networking hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2004
- Founders: Andy Bechtolsheim, David Cheriton, and Kenneth Duda
- Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Jayshree Ullal
Arista Networks is a leader in cloud networking and virtualization solutions. They provide a range of products and services that enable businesses to build and manage high-performance networks. Arista Networks’ software-driven, programmable platforms offer flexibility and scalability, allowing organizations to optimize their virtualized environments. With a strong emphasis on simplicity and performance, Arista Networks stands out as a competitive player in the virtualization market.
27. Lenovo
- Product Type: Computer hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: November 1, 1984
- Founders: Liu Chuanzhi
- Headquarters: Beijing, China
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Yang Yuanqing
Lenovo is a global technology company that offers a wide range of products, including computers, servers, storage devices, and networking equipment. They provide virtualization solutions that enable businesses to streamline their IT operations and improve overall business efficiency. Lenovo’s comprehensive portfolio of hardware and software solutions makes it attractive for companies looking to implement virtualization technologies.
28. Nokia’s Nuage Networks
- Product Type: Networking hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2013
- Founders: Sunil Khandekar
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Sunil Khandekar
Nokia’s Nuage Networks offers software-defined networking (SDN) solutions for enterprises, service providers, and cloud providers. Their portfolio includes virtualized network services, cloud infrastructure solutions, and SD-WAN technologies. With a strong focus on scalability and automation, Nokia’s Nuage Networks enables organizations to build and manage their virtualized environments efficiently. Their expertise in network virtualization positions them as a key competitor in the virtualization market.
29. Extreme Networks
- Product Type: Networking hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 1996
- Founders: Gordon Stitt
- Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Ed Meyercord
Extreme Networks is a global networking company that specializes in high-performance networking solutions. Their virtualization offerings include software-defined networking (SDN), network virtualization, and network automation solutions. Extreme Networks aims to deliver simplified, agile, and secure networking solutions that enable businesses to optimize their virtualized environments. Their commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction makes them a noteworthy competitor in the virtualization market.
30. Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise
- Product Type: Networking hardware and software
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded Date: 2008
- Founders: Philippe Camus and Ben Verwaayen
- Headquarters: Colombes, France
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Jack Chen
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise is a leading provider of networking and communications solutions for businesses. They offer virtualization solutions that help organizations improve network performance, reduce costs, and enhance security. Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise’s portfolio includes software-defined networking (SDN) technologies, network virtualization products, and cloud management solutions. With a strong focus on innovation and customer-centricity, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise competes well in the virtualization market.
These were all the competitors of VMware. If you know any other competitors, please write in the comments below.
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