Alternatives to OpenStack

A set of open-source components for running cloud infrastructure with virtual machines, bare metal and containers. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as OpenStack.

  • Apache CloudStack

    An open-source infrastructure-as-a-service platform for deploying and managing large networks of virtual machines.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    Apache CloudStack combines compute, networking, accounts and accounting in one stack, with a web UI, REST API and compatibility with the AWS EC2 and S3 APIs.

  • OpenNebula

    An open-source platform for building private and hybrid clouds that manage virtual machines and Kubernetes.

    FreemiumOpen sourceLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    OpenNebula manages virtual machines and Kubernetes in one platform with VMware migration tools, though support and some integrations come through paid subscriptions.

  • Harvester

    Hyper-converged infrastructure that runs virtual machines on top of Kubernetes.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hosted

    Harvester is hyper-converged infrastructure running virtual machines on Kubernetes, requiring bare-metal installation and at least three nodes for production use.

  • oVirt

    Centralised management platform for KVM virtual machines across a cluster.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    oVirt focuses on centralised KVM cluster management with live migration and storage domains, but its development slowed considerably after Red Hat Virtualization reached end of life.

  • Proxmox VE

    A bare-metal server platform that runs KVM virtual machines and LXC containers from one web interface.

    FreemiumOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hosted

    Proxmox VE is a single-ISO bare-metal platform for KVM virtual machines and LXC containers, suited to home labs and small businesses rather than large clouds.

  • Ganeti

    An open-source cluster manager for running virtual machines on Xen or KVM across several servers.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    Ganeti manages Xen or KVM virtual machines on clusters of about 3 to 100 nodes, with deliberately lower complexity than full cloud platforms.

Also worth comparing

These listings name OpenStack as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • KubeVirt

    A Kubernetes add-on that runs and manages traditional virtual machines alongside containers.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    OpenStack runs VMs, bare metal and containers in large private clouds through APIs and a dashboard, but its many components make deployment complex.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.