Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

virt-manager VS Multipass

Compare virt-manager VS Multipass and see what are their differences

virt-manager logo virt-manager

The virt-manager application is a desktop user interface for managing virtual machines through...

Multipass logo Multipass

Multipass provides a command line interface to launch, manage and generally fiddle about with instances of Linux.
  • virt-manager Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-05
  • Multipass Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-13

virt-manager features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Virt-manager provides a graphical user interface that makes it easier for users to manage virtual machines, especially for those who are less comfortable with command-line tools.
  • Integration with libvirt
    Virt-manager seamlessly integrates with libvirt, allowing users to manage different types of hypervisors such as KVM, Xen, and QEMU, among others.
  • Snapshot Management
    The tool supports snapshot management, allowing users to take and manage snapshots of their virtual machines easily.
  • Resource Allocation
    It provides an intuitive way to allocate resources such as CPU, memory, and storage to different virtual machines, making it easier to optimize performance.
  • Remote Management
    Virt-manager allows users to manage virtual machines on remote hosts via SSH, giving flexibility in managing VMs across different physical machines.

Possible disadvantages of virt-manager

  • Linux-centric
    Primarily designed for Linux users, meaning Windows and macOS users may face challenges or limited functionality when using virt-manager.
  • Performance Overhead
    Graphical tools like virt-manager may introduce a slight performance overhead compared to managing VMs via direct command-line tools.
  • Complexity for Large Environments
    While virt-manager is great for small to medium setups, managing a large number of virtual machines can become cumbersome due to the limitations of the GUI.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    Some advanced features available in command-line tools or other sophisticated management solutions may not be fully supported in virt-manager.
  • Dependency on libvirt
    Its functionality heavily depends on libvirt, making it less versatile if you need to manage hypervisors not supported by libvirt.

Multipass features and specs

  • Easy Setup
    Multipass provides a straightforward command-line interface, making it easy to set up and manage virtual machines with minimal command input.
  • Cross-platform Support
    Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, Multipass ensures that users can run virtual machines on different operating systems easily.
  • Integration with Cloud-Init
    Multipass supports cloud-init, allowing users to automate the initial system configuration of their instances, which is beneficial for development and testing.
  • Lightweight
    Multipass is designed to be lightweight and fast, minimizing the resource burden on the host system and allowing for quick VM launches.
  • Ubuntu Focus
    Multipass is optimized for creating and managing Ubuntu instances, ensuring a consistent environment for Ubuntu-based development.

Possible disadvantages of Multipass

  • Limited to Ubuntu
    Multipass primarily supports Ubuntu images, which may be a limitation for users who require different operating systems for their environments.
  • No GUI
    It lacks a graphical user interface, which might be challenging for users who prefer not to work through a command-line interface.
  • Basic Network Configuration
    Networking options in Multipass are relatively basic compared to other virtualization tools, potentially limiting advanced network setups.
  • Resource Management
    Multipass may not offer as detailed resource allocation or monitoring tools compared to dedicated virtualization solutions like VMware or VirtualBox.
  • Dependency on Host OS
    The performance and functionality can be heavily dependent on the underlying host operating system and its updates, which might introduce unforeseen issues.

Analysis of virt-manager

Overall verdict

  • Virt-manager is generally considered a good choice for managing virtual machines on Linux, particularly for users who prefer a graphical interface over command-line alternatives. It is well-supported and frequently updated, making it a robust solution for many virtualization needs.

Why this product is good

  • Virt-manager is a popular tool for managing virtual machines because it provides an intuitive graphical user interface for creating, configuring, and controlling virtual machines on Linux. It supports a range of hypervisors, including KVM, QEMU, and Xen, and offers features such as snapshot management, performance monitoring, and live migration support. This makes it a valuable tool for both beginners and experienced users who need a reliable way to manage virtualization tasks.

Recommended for

    Virt-manager is recommended for Linux users who need to manage virtual machines and prefer using a graphical user interface. It is suitable for IT professionals, developers, and hobbyists who require a reliable and versatile virtualization management tool compatible with multiple hypervisors.

virt-manager videos

Creating Virtual Machines in QEMU | Virt-manager | KVM

More videos:

  • Review - Virt-Manager Is The Better Way To Manage VMs
  • Review - Virt-Manager, QEMU and KVM (2020) | Practical IT

Multipass videos

Kilohearts MULTIPASS

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Kilohearts Tutorials - Introduction to Multipass
  • Review - Janji Multipass Sling (2L) Review - A Hip Pack for Runners

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to virt-manager and Multipass)
Cloud Computing
51 51%
49% 49
Virtual Machine Management
Group Chat & Notifications
Virtualization Platform
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Multipass might be a bit more popular than virt-manager. We know about 89 links to it since March 2021 and only 65 links to virt-manager. 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.

virt-manager mentions (65)

  • Locked in: the inextricable dependency on VMWare
    Libvirt is a C library developped by RedHat under the terms of the GNU LGPL license, that provides a generic API that abstracts the bits and bytes of the underlying hypervisor, networking and storage technologies. Using libvirt generic API permits to benefit from a large ecosystem of open source software and tools. As an example, it is possible to use the virt-manager client to create and manage virtual... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Reproducing the printer hack of Windows 95
    It's still being updated. I don't see anything on the virt-manager homepage or GitHub that would suggest it is deprecated. https://virt-manager.org/ https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager It can't do literally everything Qemu/libvirt can do using only the UI, but given that it has escape hatches to directly edit libvirt configurations, and... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Proxmox VE: Import Wizard for Migrating VMware ESXi VMs
    I would love to see a serious comparison (features & performance) between VMWare ESXi, Proxmox VE and let's say a more stock RHEL or Ubuntu. And maybe even include FreeBSD/bhyve. Because yes, in terms of core functionality it should be in the same ballpark. And in terms of UI, Virtual Machine Manager [0] was not that bad. [0] https://virt-manager.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Quickemu: Quickly run optimised Windows, macOS and Linux virtual machines
    Shout out to https://virt-manager.org/ - works much better for me, supports running qemu on remote systems via ssh. I used to use this all the time for managing bunches of disparate vm hosts and local vms. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Oracle data base
    If not, I would just run a CentOS Stream 8 virtual machine using either GNOME Boxes or virt-manager, and set up networking and ssh so you can access the database from the host. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Multipass mentions (89)

  • Terraform for Local VMs: A Modern Alternative to Vagrant
    Then I discovered Canonical Multipass - a lightweight VM manager from Canonical. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Setting Up an Ubuntu Dev Environment with Multipass and VS Code Remote-SSH
    Download and Install Multipass Multipass makes creating and managing Ubuntu VMs extremely simple. Download it from the official website and follow the installation instructions for your OS. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers
    Since we're here. What do people use when they need to test their software installs well on naked Ubuntu Server of some version? To not do manual setup in VMWare, can be Linux-only. I've found Multipass https://multipass.run/ by Canonical and I wonder if anyone recommends it. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Packer Workflows with Jenkins
    Multipass I love Multipass for quick Ubuntu instances spun up for testing or as a playground. Wish I would have known and used of it sooner. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • VMs on macOS using Apple's native Virtualization.Framework
    If you just need Ubuntu then you can try "Multipass" from Canonical (https://multipass.run/). Works quite well on my M2 Air. I haven't tried using Linux GUI with it though as I need only terminal based VMs. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing virt-manager and Multipass, you can also consider the following products

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

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

VMmanager - VMmanager is a QEMU/KVM server virtualization management software, which presents perfect tools for creating virtual machines, providing VPS services, and building cloud infrastructure.

VMware Workstation - VMware Workstation is a multiple operating system handler to easily evaluate the any other type of new operating systems.

UTM - Run virtual machines on iOS

QEMU - QEMU (short for "Quick EMUlator") is a free and open-source hosted hypervisor that...