Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache CloudStack VS VMware vCenter

Compare Apache CloudStack VS VMware vCenter and see what are their differences

Apache CloudStack logo Apache CloudStack

CloudStack is an open source cloud computing software for creating, managing, and deploying infrastructure cloud services.

VMware vCenter logo VMware vCenter

VMware vCenter Server provides a centralized platform for managing your VMware vSphere environments.
  • Apache CloudStack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-31
  • VMware vCenter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-01

Apache CloudStack features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache CloudStack is open source, meaning there is no licensing cost and the community can contribute to its development, which fosters innovation and adaptation.
  • Hybrid Cloud Capability
    It supports hybrid cloud environments, allowing for integration with public cloud providers and providing flexibility in managing diverse resources.
  • Scalable
    CloudStack is designed to handle large deployments, making it suitable for scaling from small to very large cloud deployments.
  • Multi-Hypervisor Support
    Supports multiple hypervisors like VMware, KVM, and XenServer, providing freedom to choose the underlying virtualization technology.
  • Robust API
    Offers a comprehensive and robust API, which facilitates automation and integration with other systems and tools.

Possible disadvantages of Apache CloudStack

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its vast array of features and complex architecture, it can be challenging for newcomers to grasp and configure efficiently.
  • Community Support
    While there is a community for support, it might not be as extensive or responsive as commercial solutions with dedicated support.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to some commercial cloud platforms, Apache CloudStack may lack certain advanced features or cutting-edge integrations.
  • Upgrading Complexity
    Upgrading existing deployments can be complex and may require significant planning to ensure smooth transitions without downtime.
  • Customization Challenges
    Although highly configurable, customizing CloudStack for specific needs might require deep expertise and can be resource-intensive.

VMware vCenter features and specs

  • Centralized Management
    Provides a unified interface for managing multiple ESXi hosts and virtual machines, simplifying administrative tasks and improving operational efficiency.
  • High Availability
    Offers features like vSphere High Availability (HA) and vSphere Fault Tolerance (FT), ensuring minimal downtime and continuous availability of critical applications.
  • Scalability
    Supports large-scale deployments with the capability to manage thousands of virtual machines across multiple hosts and clusters.
  • Advanced Automation
    Utilizes vRealize Orchestrator and vSphere Automation APIs to automate routine tasks, increasing productivity and reducing the likelihood of human error.
  • Performance Monitoring
    Includes tools for performance monitoring and analytics, allowing administrators to optimize resource utilization and troubleshoot issues effectively.
  • Security Features
    Provides robust security measures, including role-based access control, encryption, and compliance auditing, to protect virtual environments.
  • Backup and Restore Capabilities
    Seamlessly integrates with backup solutions to provide reliable data protection and disaster recovery options.

Possible disadvantages of VMware vCenter

  • Complexity
    Can be complex to set up and manage, often requiring specialized skills and training for effective use.
  • Cost
    Has a high upfront and ongoing cost, which can be prohibitive for small to medium-sized businesses.
  • Resource Intensive
    Requires significant hardware resources for optimal performance, which may necessitate additional investments in infrastructure.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Being a proprietary solution, it can lead to vendor lock-in, making it difficult to switch to alternative solutions without incurring additional costs and effort.
  • Maintenance
    Ongoing maintenance and updates can be time-consuming and may require downtime, impacting business continuity.
  • Interoperability Issues
    May face compatibility issues with third-party software and hardware, which can complicate integrations and limit flexibility.

Apache CloudStack videos

Apache CloudStack - Storage - Snapshots - Code Review

More videos:

  • Review - #14 | #ACSarchives: Apache CloudStack | Storage, Snapshots & Code Review
  • Tutorial - Apache Cloudstack Tutorial: What is Apache Cloudstack Part - 2

VMware vCenter videos

VMware vCenter Server Review (Real User: Benedict Rosner)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache CloudStack and VMware vCenter)
Cloud Computing
61 61%
39% 39
IT Management
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Infrastructure
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache CloudStack seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache CloudStack mentions (5)

  • Continuing the Search: Open-Source Alternatives to AWS Services
    You can try https://cloudstack.apache.org which has a great UI, CLI, APIs, tooling (Ansible, Terraform etc.) and support for CloudStack Kubernetes Service and CAPC (https://cluster-api-cloudstack.sigs.k8s.io/). CloudStack is also supported by AWS EKS-A. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Common OpenSource Cloud OS
    CloudStack is cloud computing software for creating, managing, and deploying public as well as private IaaS clouds. It uses several hypervisors such as KVM, vSphere, and XenServer/XCP for virtualization. It supports some key features such as hypervisor agnostic, snapshot management, usage metering, built-in HA for hosts and VMs. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (October 2022)
    ShapeBlue | Remote (Europe/Asia/Flexible timezones) | Dev and QA engineers | Full time | https://shapeblue.com Hi all, ShapeBlue is a remote-only 100% employee-owned international business ( more on this on https://www.shapeblue.com/shapeblue-has-become-an-employee-owned-business/ ). We are hiring devs and QA engineers to work on opensource Apache Cloudstack ( see https://cloudstack.apache.org ... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • what do they use, or how do they do it..
    The big providers like AWS, GCP, Azure, all have fully custom solutions for the whole infrastructure. But there exist a number of open source projects which give you the ability to setup the basics (compute, storage, networking) on your own. A few such infrastructure projects I'm aware of: * Cloudstack * Openstack * Eucalyptus. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Self-hosting a self-hosting service?
    Maybe something like https://cloudstack.apache.org/. Source: almost 4 years ago

VMware vCenter mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of VMware vCenter yet. Tracking of VMware vCenter recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache CloudStack and VMware vCenter, you can also consider the following products

OpenNebula - OpenNebula is an Open Source Cloud & Edge Computing Platform to build & manage Enterprise Clouds. OpenNebula provides unified management of IT infrastructure, avoiding vendor lock-in & reducing complexity, resource consumption, & operational costs 🚀

Freshservice - Freshservice: the one-stop cloud solution for all your IT management needs.

Proxmox VE - Proxmox is an open-source server virtualization management solution that offers the ability to manage virtual server technology with the Linux OpenVZ and KVM technology.

c12n.cloud - 100% Open Source based cloud solution for your own private IaaS based on OpenStack, Kubernetes and Ceph

Goverlan - Goverlan Reach provides IT systems support and remote management software solutions enabling innovative and simplified ways for businesses to address remote IT administration needs.

VMware ESXi - VMware ESXi is a bare metal hypervisor that installs easily on to your server and partitions it into multiple virtual machines. Discover what it can do for you today