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A complete VMware alternative: Proxmox VE + Cloudmox

Proxmox replaces vSphere. Cloudmox replaces vCenter's tenant model, self-service portal and billing.

Most VMware alternatives replace the hypervisor and stop there. Proxmox VE handles clustering, live migration, high availability and storage, but the part that stalls migrations is everything else vCenter was doing.

Tenants that can't see each other. Access you can delegate without handing out root on the cluster. A portal your customer logs into, in your branding, to create a VM without calling you. Usage you can invoice.

Cloudmox is that layer. Self-hosted, whitelabel, connected over the Proxmox API with nothing installed on your nodes. Together they're a VMware alternative you can actually hand to customers.

Moving off VMware? Here's what covers what

Proxmox VE replaces the hypervisor, clustering and high availability. What it doesn't replace is the part of vCenter your customers and colleagues actually logged into. That's where Cloudmox comes in.


Capability vSphere + vCenter Proxmox VE Proxmox + Cloudmox
Hypervisor, live migration, high availability Yes Yes, built in Unchanged — Proxmox stays in charge
One view across multiple clusters Enhanced Linked Mode Proxmox Datacenter Manager Tenants see one environment, however many clusters sit behind it
Separation between customers Needs VMware Cloud Director Pools and ACLs, not customer-aware Full tenant model, with change logs per tenant
Self-service portal for end customers Cloud Director or Aria Automation The full admin interface, or nothing Create, reinstall, snapshot and back up — only what you allow
Permissions per VM, node and cluster Yes ACLs, aimed at administrators Granular rights from one place, no Proxmox logins handed out
Your branding, not the vendor's Limited No Colours, logo and your own URL — your tenants can rebrand again for theirs
Enforced VM configuration standards Templates and policies Templates Resource profiles applied during creation, so every VM fits the node it lands on
Resource limits per customer or team Yes Partial A defined pool per tenant/user/team, used freely within it — no overcommitting
Usage tracking and invoicing Separate product No Built in, with an API for your own billing
Audit trail of what users did Yes Task log Per user and per VM, with read-only access for auditors
Self-hosted, on your own hardware Yes Yes Yes — installed with one line, nothing added to your nodes

Comparison based on standard vSphere and vCenter functionality. VMware, vSphere and vCenter are trademarks of Broadcom Inc. Cloudmox is not affiliated with or endorsed by Broadcom.

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