Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Proxmox VE VS Shadow

Compare Proxmox VE VS Shadow and see what are their differences

Proxmox VE logo 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.

Shadow logo Shadow

Transform any device into a supercharged gaming machine.
  • Proxmox VE Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-16
  • Shadow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

Shadow

Release Date
2015 January
Startup details
Country
France
City
Paris
Founder(s)
Asher Kagan
Employees
100 - 249

Proxmox VE features and specs

  • Open-Source
    Proxmox VE is completely open-source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and distribute the software as needed. This fosters a large community and encourages collaboration and transparency.
  • Cost-Effective
    There are no licensing fees for Proxmox VE, making it a cost-effective solution for enterprises, small businesses, and home labs.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    Proxmox VE offers a wide range of features, including clustering, KVM and LXC virtualization, high availability, backups, and integrated disaster recovery.
  • Integrated Web-Based GUI
    It provides a powerful and user-friendly web interface for managing VMs, containers, storage, and network configurations, which reduces administration complexity.
  • Enterprise Support Options
    While the software itself is free, Proxmox VE offers paid support plans that provide professional assistance, updates, and enhancements.
  • Scalability
    Proxmox VE supports clustering, allowing users to scale their virtualized environments across multiple physical servers with ease.

Possible disadvantages of Proxmox VE

  • Learning Curve
    For users new to virtualization or Linux-based systems, there may be a significant learning curve to fully utilize Proxmox VE’s features.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Though generally broad, some specific hardware might not be fully supported, requiring additional configuration or workarounds.
  • Community-Based Support
    Free support is generally community-based, which can sometimes lead to less timely or reliable assistance compared to paid, vendor-provided support.
  • Updating and Upgrading
    While updates and upgrades are regular, they might occasionally introduce compatibility issues or require manual intervention.
  • Feature Gaps with Proprietary Solutions
    Even though Proxmox VE is feature-rich, there might be specific advanced features available in proprietary solutions (like VMware vSphere) that Proxmox VE lacks.
  • Integration with Third-Party Tools
    Integrating Proxmox VE with certain third-party tools and systems can sometimes be challenging, necessitating custom solutions or additional configurations.

Shadow features and specs

  • High-Performance
    Shadow provides a high-performance virtual computer with dedicated resources, ensuring smooth operation for demanding applications and games.
  • Accessibility
    Users can access their Shadow PC from various devices including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, making it versatile and highly accessible.
  • Cost-Effective
    For users who require high-end hardware but cannot afford the upfront cost, Shadow's subscription model provides access to powerful technology for a manageable monthly fee.
  • Security and Updates
    The service includes regular updates and security measures, so users don’t need to worry about maintaining their hardware or software.
  • Storage
    Shadow offers substantial cloud storage, which can be a significant advantage for users needing large amounts of space for their projects and files.

Possible disadvantages of Shadow

  • Internet Dependency
    Shadow requires a stable and fast internet connection to function properly. Poor connectivity can result in lag and reduced performance.
  • Bandwidth Usage
    Streaming a virtual computer can consume a lot of data, which may be an issue for users with limited bandwidth or data caps.
  • Subscription Cost
    Although cost-effective for some, the subscription fee can become expensive over time compared to owning your own hardware outright.
  • Latency
    Despite high performance, users may still experience latency issues, especially in high-speed applications like competitive gaming.
  • Limited Offline Use
    The reliance on cloud means that there is no offline mode, so users can’t access their virtual machine without an internet connection.

Analysis of Proxmox VE

Overall verdict

  • Proxmox VE is a strong choice for businesses and individuals seeking a versatile and reliable virtualization solution, especially in environments that can benefit from open-source flexibility and active community support.

Why this product is good

  • Proxmox VE is considered good for several reasons. It provides a robust virtualization environment with support for both KVM for virtual machines and LXC for containers, enabling flexible and efficient deployment of diverse workloads. The platform offers comprehensive enterprise-ready features such as live migration, high availability clustering, and backup solutions. Its web-based management interface simplifies administration and monitoring, while the extensive community and commercial support options enhance its reliability and usability. Furthermore, it's open-source, allowing for transparency, community contributions, and reducing costs associated with licensing.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized businesses looking for cost-effective virtualization solutions
  • Enterprises needing high availability and data protection features
  • Developers and IT professionals requiring a robust test and development environment
  • Organizations leveraging both containerization and virtual machines

Proxmox VE videos

Proxmox Virtual Environment 5.2 - Review and Installation

More videos:

  • Review - Homelab / Office Lab Open Source Virtualization XCP-NG & Proxmox Compared
  • Tutorial - Virtualize Everything! - Proxmox Install Tutorial
  • Review - Proxmox VE Full Course: Class 1 - Getting Started

Shadow videos

Shadow - Movie Review

More videos:

  • Review - Shadow Cloud Gaming Review
  • Review - Shadow - Movie Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Proxmox VE and Shadow)
Cloud Computing
77 77%
23% 23
Games
0 0%
100% 100
Virtualization
100 100%
0% 0
Game Streaming
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Proxmox VE and Shadow

Proxmox VE Reviews

Explore Top VestaCP Alternative: Find the Perfect Control Panel for Your Hosting Needs
Proxmox Virtual Environment is an extensive and user-centric Open Source virtualization platform designed specifically for managing Virtual Appliances and Virtual Machines with ease. This formidable solution seamlessly integrates the KVM hypervisor and LXC containers, along with software-defined storage and networking functionalities, within a unified structure. Proxmox VE...
Source: cyberpanel.net
10 Best VMware Alternatives and Similar Software
Proxmox runs on a modified Linux Kernel that is based on Debian Linux/GNU. You can run Linux and Windows under VMs using Proxmox, with each VM having its own virtualized hardware and components. Proxmox is best for personal servers, whereas VMware is best for businesses.
Best Server Virtualization Software for 2021
Proxmox is a lower-cost alternative to Red Hat in Linux-rich environments. It has carved out a niche in Germany and other parts of Europe, particularly among SMBs with IT staff experienced in open source software. Its combination of server virtualization, containers and software defined storage in one product makes it especially attractive to organizations wishing to...
12 Best FREE Virtual Machine (VM) Software in 2020
Proxmox VE is another platform for virtualization. It helps you to integrates KVM hypervisor and LXC containers and networking functionality on a single platform.
Source: www.guru99.com
Best Server Virtualization Software
Like Red Hat, Proxmox VE has earned a reputation as a reliable and effective virtualization tool for Linux workloads and environments. Proxmox is known for bringing server virtualization, containerization, and software-defined storage capabilities to a single, open-source product, making it a direct competitor to Virtuozzo.

Shadow Reviews

11 Best Parsec Alternatives & Similar Apps
Still, it can consume your battery. All in all, Shadow is a worth-trying app for those who love games and want to always connect with their games regardless of the location.
7 Best Cloud Gaming Services for 2020 (No. 3 is My Favorite)
Although games are a popular use of Shadow, and work well on it, Shadow’s core service is more than just games. While that’s a pro for some, it may be extra weight for people who want to keep things simple.
Source: hostingpill.com
Stream games with these Google Stadia alternatives
The Shadow cloud gaming model is about to be updated, and it will make it quite the formidable foe. For the basic monthly investment of £13, you gain access to a timeshare comprised of an Intel Xeon CPU, an Nvidia GTX 1080 equivalent graphics card, 12GB of DDR4, a 256GB SSD, and an internet connection that’ll make you weep in awe. It’s 1Gbps, so you absolutely don’t need to...
15 game streaming services you can try before Google Stadia arrives
You might not have heard of Shadow, but it’s a real cloud game streaming service based in the United States. Like other similar platforms, Shadow works by giving you a virtualized computer with the means to play 3D games. Currently, Shadow is operational in 38 out of the 50 states, with more on the way.
The Best Cloud Gaming Services for Streaming Video Games
Shadow: Cloud gaming at a fixed price. Shadow functions as a subscription service, with a price of $35 a month no matter how much time you spend playing. For those of you that play way more than you should, this service may be for you. It’s also similar to Parsec in that it’s essentially a computer in the cloud, so you can run any app you want in it.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Shadow seems to be a lot more popular than Proxmox VE. While we know about 320 links to Shadow, we've tracked only 9 mentions of Proxmox VE. 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.

Proxmox VE mentions (9)

  • Adventures in Homelabbing: From Cloud Obsession to Self-Hosted Shenanigans
    Now that I know I do enjoy homelabbing, I have moved forward with purchasing the last computer parts I need for a basic home server before these tariffs skyrocket the prices even further. For that machine, I will most likely set up Proxmox, and either set up CasaOS on the mini PC or set it up as a node in a Proxmox cluster to serve as a sandbox environment. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Setting up the home lab: Terraform
    When I worked for CBS, I discovered Terraform, which is tool that allows you do define infrastructure as code ("IaC"). I just recently purchased a home lab server (the details of how I have that set up will be discussed in a future article) and installed Proxmox on it. I'd like to improve my DevOps skills, so I thought I'd play with Terraform for my home lab. Eventually I'd like to get my entire home... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • VMware Kills Off 56 Products
    Proxmox [1] will see a boost in popularity, good. I'm using the free version in combination with the backup server on both small (several RasPi 4's spread over several countres running the 'PiMox' [2] port) as well as medium (DL380) sized systems and find it to be a stable as well as practical platform. [1] https://proxmox.com/en/ [2] https://github.com/pimox/pimox7. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Deadbolt & QVPN (OpenVPN)
    Have a look at Proxmox if you decide on running containers and have any old hardware laying around. Source: about 2 years ago
  • A little help with table structure?
    Hey everyone! I'm making a server management panel with Laravel using Proxmox (https://proxmox.com/en/) as the API for directly managing the virtual machines. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Shadow mentions (320)

  • 🚀 Get a 5€ Discount on Your ShadowPC Subscription with Code: 80EDA79
    Upgrade your gaming experience with ShadowPC! Use my referral code "80EDA79" at checkout to snag a cool 5€ off your first subscription. Game on! 🚀. Source: over 1 year ago
  • PCVR on Mac?
    I had Shadow. There quite affordable when I registered and the hardware was top line. I was using it as my gaming PC for a long time (mainly for PCVR). I live in Spain and these days there wasn't dedicated servers here so I connected through Paris nodes (and that increased a bit the latency) but I play HL Alyx and a lot of games that way with good graphics (in that moment Shadow has a GTX1080 GPU) and great... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Journeyperson save on a potato? Or stuck to one large nation/several small ones?
    Https://shadow.tech/ It’s a cloud PC. I used to use it until I got my current laptop. Not cheap but very good. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Apple's game porting toolkit is fantastic. Cyperbunk 2077 at Ultra on an M1 MBP
    > But then Apple doesn't ship devices with actually powerful GPUs, so it can never compete with the gaming PCs which are far less expensive and far more powerfull graphics-wise. It is still expensive to have to use Windows just so you can game. Or put all the effort into dual booting Linux. Most people just use a Macbook and then get an Xbox/Ps5/Switch/Quest2. For games I can't use on those you can get Shadow PC... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Stream pirated Games
    There is shadow.tech, which just gives you a full Windows Desktop with a little persistent disk. This should in theory work the way you want to. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Proxmox VE and Shadow, you can also consider the following products

vSphere - Get started with VMware vSphere editions, the world’s leading server virtualization platform and the best foundation for your apps, your cloud, and your business.

Parsec - Streams games locally or over the internet

VirtualBox - VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as...

Geforce Now - Underpowered PC can now pack the punch of high-performance GeForce GTX GPUs with GeForce NOW.

Hyper-V - Install Hyper-V on Windows 10

Moonlight-Stream.org - Moonlight allows you to stream your collection of games from your GameStream-compatible PC to any...