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KVM

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230
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Parallels Desktop

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2
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KVM vs Parallels Desktop: What are the differences?

## Key Differences Between KVM and Parallels Desktop

1. **Hypervisor Type**: KVM is an open-source Type 1 hypervisor, running directly on the host's hardware, providing bare-metal virtualization. On the other hand, Parallels Desktop is a Type 2 hypervisor, requiring an existing operating system to run as software on top of it.

2. **Supported Operating Systems**: KVM is primarily designed for Linux-based systems, offering robust support for various Linux distributions as both host and guest OS. Parallels Desktop, however, is focused on macOS and Windows operating systems, providing seamless integration and performance optimization for these platforms.

3. **Network Performance**: KVM generally offers better network performance for virtual machines, as it utilizes the host system's network stack directly without additional overhead. Parallels Desktop, while efficient, may experience slightly reduced network performance due to the abstraction layer imposed by the Type 2 hypervisor.

4. **Cost and Licensing**: KVM is free and open-source, making it a cost-effective solution for virtualization needs. In contrast, Parallels Desktop is a commercial product that requires purchasing a license, which may be a consideration for users looking for a budget-friendly option.

5. **Hardware Support**: KVM has broader hardware support due to its open-source nature, enabling compatibility with a wide range of processors and devices. Parallels Desktop, while versatile, may have limitations in terms of supported hardware configurations and peripherals due to its proprietary nature.

6. **Performance Optimization**: KVM, being a Type 1 hypervisor, typically offers better performance by directly accessing hardware resources, resulting in lower overhead and latency compared to Parallels Desktop, which operates at a higher level through the host operating system.

In Summary, the key differences between KVM and Parallels Desktop lie in hypervisor type, supported operating systems, network performance, cost and licensing, hardware support, and performance optimization.

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Pros of KVM
Pros of Parallels Desktop
  • 4
    No license issues
  • 2
    Very fast
  • 2
    Flexible network options
  • 1
    Retina support
  • 1
    Works out of the box with zero config

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What is KVM?

KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V).

What is Parallels Desktop?

Parallels Desktop for Mac allows you to seamlessly run both Windows and MacOS applications side-by-side with speed, control and confidence.

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What companies use KVM?
What companies use Parallels Desktop?
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What tools integrate with KVM?
What tools integrate with Parallels Desktop?

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What are some alternatives to KVM and Parallels Desktop?
VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.
Qemu
When used as a machine emulator, it can run OSes and programs made for one machine (e.g. an ARM board) on a different machine (e.g. your own PC). By using dynamic translation, it achieves very good performance. When used as a virtualizer, it achieves near native performance by executing the guest code directly on the host CPU. it supports virtualization when executing under the Xen hypervisor or using the KVM kernel module in Linux. When using KVM, it can virtualize x86, server and embedded PowerPC, 64-bit POWER, S390, 32-bit and 64-bit ARM, and MIPS guests.
OpenVZ
Virtuozzo leverages OpenVZ as its core of a virtualization solution offered by Virtuozzo company. Virtuozzo is optimized for hosters and offers hypervisor (VMs in addition to containers), distributed cloud storage, dedicated support, management tools, and easy installation.
Xen
It is a hypervisor using a microkernel design, providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently. It was developed by the Linux Foundation and is supported by Intel.
Docker
The Docker Platform is the industry-leading container platform for continuous, high-velocity innovation, enabling organizations to seamlessly build and share any application — from legacy to what comes next — and securely run them anywhere
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