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libvirt vs Proxmox VE: catalog facts
libvirt	Proxmox VE
Free Free and released under open source licenses.	Freemium Free to download and use under the AGPLv3. Paid subscriptions add the enterprise…
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Linux, Self-hosted
One management layer for many hypervisors Documented XML formats for domains, networks and storage	One web interface for KVM virtual machines and LXC containers on the same host Backup, restore and high-availability clustering included rather than sold separately
Mainly an API and daemon; a graphical manager is a separate program XML configuration takes time to learn	Dedicated hardware: it is the operating system, not an app you run on your desktop Without a subscription you use the no-subscription repository and see a reminder at each login
Downloadable app	Operating system, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: AGPL-3.0
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.