Microsoft Hyper-V vs VMware vSphere

Virtualization has become a massively important part of almost all server workloads and there are lots of options to choose from. For this article, we will just focus on the two frontrunners, Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware ESXi and why you might choose one over the other.

First I will talk about their similarities and then highlight how they differ. Both of ESXi and Hyper-V are Type I or bare metal hypervisors. This means that you can load VM's directly onto them and do not need a base operating system as well. They both feature live migration, high-availability and failover capabilities and they both can support a large array of guest VM operating systems.

So how do they differ then? Well, for starters, Hyper-V can come in a couple different flavors. You may load Hyper-V Server as it's own standalone setup like you would with ESXi but there is also the option to use Windows Server 2016 and simply add the Hyper-V role. This kind of blurs the line of it being a type I and type II hypervisor, but this can be very handy for many people as it allows virtualization to be built on top of already existing server stacks running other Windows Server services. Anyone already using Windows Server will likely be more comfortable using Hyper-V because it using the same UI and design principles. ESXi being Linux based will likely be quicker to pickup for those more familiar with bash and less GUI heavy interaction.

One other thing that varies between them rather significantly is their licensing. Both of them charge you per physical CPU so if you have a quad socket system then you will have to pay for four licenses. This is very important because the licenses are not cheap. I have to give Hyper-V the advantage on this one though because on ESXi you will have to buy the ESXi license as well as the Microsoft License underneath if you are using their services. If you are using Hyper-V then it can come as a free role bundled in with your Windows Server license.

One huge win that ESXi has over Hyper-V is that it has been around in one form or another for much longer than Hyper-V has been around. This means that lots more support material and guides are available. Many add-ons and additional software tools have been made over the year to aid in almost anything you could want to do with virtualization. This is largely why ESXi is still used in much larger corporations. It has greater flexibility and power when combined with all of the advanced tools that have been created over the years. But then on the flipside, you have the active directory integration with Hyper-V which allows for easier setup of a secure environment.

Last thing to consider is the potential size of your deployment. I won't go into detail on this because there are too many specifics to hash out, but basically, I highly recommend you read through the documentation if you are looking at very packed hosts because you may eventually run into issues where you are exceeding the limits of the hypervisor in terms of RAM or VM's or CPU's/vCPU's.

So finally which one wins? Well, like with most things, it really depends on your use and the current environment you are running and what you are willing to learn. Most people would agree that ESXi is a more complete solution but you are also going to need to learn a new environment if you choose ESXi over Hyper-V and you are giving up some creature comforts as well as likely paying a bit more for licensing.