If you want to operate more than one virtual machine on a single physical server, you’ve probably heard of hypervisor, KVM, and virtualisation platforms. But then you hear the word Proxmox and start to wonder:
What does Proxmox mean? Is Proxmox a type of hypervisor? Is Proxmox free to use? And how does it stack up against competing virtualisation platforms?
You’re not the only one who is perplexed.
We’ll explain everything in this exhaustive tutorial in plain language. By the time you finish reading this article, you will completely understand:
- What is Proxmox, a hypervisor?
- How Proxmox does its job
- If Proxmox is open source
- Main reasons to use Proxmox
- Examples of how to utilise it in real life
- How to start step by step
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What is a hypervisor? (An Easy-to-Understand Explanation)
Before we address the question “What is Proxmox a hypervisor?” let’s first talk about what a hypervisor is.
A hypervisor is a piece of software that lets you operate more than one virtual machine (VM) on a single physical server. Each virtual machine acts like a separate computer with its own operating system and resources.
There are two primary kinds of hypervisors:
Type 1 (Bare-Metal Hypervisor)
Installed right on the hardware, like VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V.
Type 2: Hypervisor in the Cloud
Put on top of an operating system, like VirtualBox.
Let’s connect this to Proxmox now.
What is Proxmox?
Proxmox VE (Proxmox Virtual Environment) is a free and open-source platform for managing server virtualisation. It lets you:
- Make and control virtual machines (VMs)
- Run LXC containers on Linux
- Create clusters that are always available
- Control networking and storage
- Make backups and snapshots
So when they say
What is a hypervisor like Proxmox?
The solution is:
Not only is Proxmox VE a hypervisor, it is also a full virtualisation management platform that employs KVM for hypervisors and LXC for containers.
Is Proxmox a hypervisor?
In terms of technology:
- The hypervisor for Proxmox is Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM).
- It combines KVM with a web interface that is simple to use.
- It also works with LXC containers, which are a type of lightweight virtualisation.
- Proxmox is not just a hypervisor; it is also a management layer on top of KVM.
This is how you should think of it:
- KVM is the engine
- Proxmox is a car that has a dashboard, controls, and a management system.
This is why a lot of IT experts like Proxmox better than managing raw KVM by hand.
Is Proxmox free to use?
Yes, and that’s one of the best things about it.
- What is Proxmox VE?
- Completely open source
- Built on Debian Linux
- You can download and use it for free.
Backed by a paid subscription model (optional)
This makes it a strong choice for virtualisation systems that cost money.
If you’re looking at it next to other options like:
- VMware ESXi
- Hyper-V from Microsoft
Proxmox is often the best choice because it is cheaper and more flexible.
Main Features of Proxmox
What makes Proxmox so strong is:
1. Virtual Machines using KVM
Run full virtualisation with the following support:
- Windows Linux BSD
- Operating systems made just for you
2. Containers for LXC
Lightweight virtualisation makes things run faster and makes better use of resources.
3. Management Interface on the Web
Control everything with your browser:
- Make virtual machines
- Give forth resources
- Keep an eye on performance
- Set up networking
You don’t have to set up elaborate command lines (unless you wish to).
4. Grouping and High Availability
You can:
- Put together a group of servers into a cluster
- Turn on automatic failover
- Make sure production workloads are always up.
5. System for Backups and Snapshots Built In
Take:
- Backups in full
- Backups that happen in steps
- VM snapshots before you make changes
This is very important for businesses.
Important Advantages of Proxmox Hypervisor
Now let’s speak about why Proxmox is important.
1. Affordable virtualisation
Because Proxmox is free source:
- No high license fees
- No costs for each CPU
- No costs based on VMs
This is a big plus for small businesses and startups.
2. A platform that does everything
Some platforms need distinct tools for:
- Backup
- Grouping
- Watching
Everything is brought together on one dashboard via Proxmox.
3. Being able to change and grow
You can begin with:
- One server
And get bigger to:
- Enterprise clusters with more than one node
It works just as well for big data centers as it does for small labs.
4. Lots of support from the community
Because it’s free to use:
- Forums that are active in the community
- Updates on a regular basis
- Patches for security
- A lot of documentation
5. Stability that is ready for business
Proxmox is production-grade even if it doesn’t cost anything.
Many businesses and hosting companies use Proxmox to handle:
- The infrastructure of a VPS
- Cloud habitats within
- Servers for backups
- DevOps labs
Setting up a small business server in the real world
Let’s say you own a digital marketing business.
You need:
- One server to host a website
- One server for customer relationship management
- One server for storing files inside
- A place to test
You don’t need to acquire four physical servers; instead, you
- Put Proxmox on a server that has a lot of power.
- Make four virtual machines.
- Give out RAM and CPU as needed.
- Turn on backups and snapshots.
What happened?
- Less expensive hardware
- Easier to manage
- Control from one place
- Better use of resources
That’s what makes Proxmox a great hypervisor platform.
How to Start Using Proxmox in Steps
Here’s a simple guide if you’re ready to give it a go.
Step 1: Get Proxmox VE
Download the ISO from the official Proxmox website.
Step 2: Put it on a server with no software
Put it in like you would any other Linux OS.
What you need:
- 64-bit CPU that can run virtual machines
- At least 4GB of RAM (8GB or more is better)
- SSD storage is better
Step 3: Open the Web Interface
After you install it:
- Open your browser
- Go to https://your-server-ip:8006
The Proxmox dashboard will open.
Step 4: Make Your First Virtual Machine
- Click “Make VM”
- Upload ISO (Windows or Linux)
- Set aside CPU, RAM, and disc space
- Start the VM
Finished!
Step 5: Set Up Backups
To keep your data safe, set up automatic backups.
Proxmox vs Other Hypervisors
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | Proxmox | VMware ESXi | Hyper-V |
| Open Source | Yes | No | No |
| Free Version | Yes | Limited | Limited |
| Built-in Backup | Yes | Extra cost | Partial |
| Web Interface | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clustering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If budget and flexibility are priorities, Proxmox is often the better choice.
When to Use Proxmox
Proxmox is great for:
- Companies that host
- IT consultants and new businesses
- Labs at home
- Environments for development
- Businesses that want to cut costs
If this is the case, it might not be ideal:
- You only need enterprise support contracts from specific vendors
- You rely a lot on VMware ecosystem integrations.
Why Proxmox is Important in 2026
Businesses are aggressively looking for open-source alternatives because license fees are going up for proprietary virtualisation companies.
Proxmox gives you:
- Features for businesses
- No licence lock-in
- Full control over the infrastructure
- Options for community and business support
That mix is not common.
Questions That Are Commonly Asked (FAQs)
1. Is Proxmox a hypervisor or an operating system?
Proxmox VE is a virtualisation platform that comes with a hypervisor called KVM. It operates on a modified version of Linux that is made to manage virtual machines and containers.
2. Is Proxmox free and open source?
Yes. You can use Proxmox VE for free and without paying anything. You can, however, pay for enterprise support.
3. What does prox mox do?
People use Proxmox for:
- Virtualising servers
- VPS web hosting
- Managing a data center
- Infrastructure in the cloud
Clusters with high availability
4. Is Proxmox better than VMware?
It all depends on what you require. Proxmox is cheaper and more flexible, but VMware may be better at integrating with other enterprise systems.
5. Is it possible to run Windows on Proxmox?
Yes. Proxmox works with Windows, Linux, and a lot of other operating systems because it leverages KVM.
Should You Try Proxmox? Final Thoughts
If you want:
- A robust virtualisation solution that is open source
- An affordable option to pricey hypervisors
- A platform that can grow infrastructure easily
- A single dashboard for all your virtualisation needs
In that case, you should definitely try Proxmox.
Proxmox gives you enterprise-level performance without the high expenses of an enterprise-level license, whether you’re putting up a home lab, managing enterprise servers, or developing a hosting platform.
Are you ready to look into Proxmox?
Get Proxmox today and start making your own virtualised infrastructure.
If you liked this guide, think about:
- Letting your IT personnel know about it
- Signing up for more guides on virtualisation
- Looking into more complex subjects like clustering and high availability
Your infrastructure needs better virtualisation, and Proxmox could be the answer you’ve been looking for.
