How to Choose the Hypervisor for a Cloud VPS
When creating a Cloud VPS on SeFlow, one of the most important choices is the hypervisor, the virtualization layer that manages CPU, RAM, disk and other resources. This choice is crucial because the hypervisor cannot be changed after the Cloud VPS is created and directly affects the available templates, supported operating systems, performance, and management options.
Tip: Before creating a new Cloud VPS, clearly define the workload type (web, database, Windows/Linux applications, test environment) and your scalability/migration needs. This will help you choose the most suitable hypervisor from the start.
What is a Hypervisor
The hypervisor is the core component of any virtualization-based system. Its primary tasks include:
- abstracting physical hardware (CPU, RAM, disk), presenting it as virtual resources to Cloud VPS and Cloud Server instances;
- managing resource allocation between multiple virtual machines while ensuring isolation and stability;
- supporting advanced operations such as cloning, snapshots, migrations, and vertical/horizontal scaling.
When configuring a SeFlow Cloud VPS, the chosen hypervisor also determines the availability of specific system templates, operating systems, and OS versions.
Tip: Since the hypervisor cannot be changed after creation, avoid selecting it randomly. Verify compatibility, licensing requirements, and needed features (snapshots, migrations, VM import/export) beforehand.
Benefits of Using a Hypervisor
Using a hypervisor in a Cloud VPS environment provides several advantages:
- Hardware abstraction
The hypervisor isolates physical resources (vCPU, RAM, disk), allowing virtual machines to operate independently from the underlying hardware. This simplifies migrations, upgrades, and hardware replacements. - Operational efficiency
It centralizes resource management, letting you quickly create, clone, and modify Cloud VPS instances, reducing deployment times and operational efforts. - Scalability
It allows you to scale virtual machine resources (when supported), adjusting infrastructure capacity as needed. - Portability
Depending on the hypervisor, applications and data can be moved across cloud providers, on-premise environments, or different virtual infrastructures.
Tip: When evaluating cloud costs, consider that the hypervisor choice may affect billing models and which resources are charged (CPU, RAM, disk, licenses), especially in hourly-billed environments.
Available Hypervisors for SeFlow Cloud VPS
In a SeFlow Cloud VPS environment, you may find different hypervisors, each with specific characteristics:
- OpenStack – flexible open-source platform with predefined sizes and an excellent price/performance ratio;
- VMware – enterprise-grade solution ideal for Linux and complex environments, with strong integration and migration capabilities;
- Hyper-V – Microsoft virtualization technology, integrated with the Windows ecosystem, suitable for Windows-based environments.
Tip: If you plan to deploy multiple Cloud VPS instances as part of the same project (frontend, backend, database, internal services), consider using the same hypervisor for all of them to simplify management, backup, snapshots, and disaster recovery strategies.
OpenStack
OpenStack is a mature and widely adopted open-source platform, built on modern virtualization technologies. On SeFlow it is typically available through predefined and optimized size packages.
- ideal for Linux environments and web/API workloads;
- excellent price/performance ratio;
- native integration with networking services (public IPs, virtual switches, load balancers) and storage;
- simplified scaling and automation through APIs and standard tools.
When to Choose OpenStack
- when building modern Linux-based infrastructures such as web servers, application servers, containers and microservices;
- when you need easy scalability for both resources and number of VPS instances;
- when you want a cost-efficient solution without sacrificing performance or reliability.
Tip: If you’re undecided and your environment is mostly Linux-based, OpenStack is often the most balanced option in terms of flexibility, performance, and overall cost.
VMware
VMware is one of the most widely used enterprise virtualization technologies. It’s particularly suited for Linux-based servers and workloads requiring high CPU/RAM performance, advanced management, and seamless migration from existing VMware infrastructures.
- supports advanced enterprise features (snapshots, high availability, dedicated management tools);
- excellent choice for companies with existing VMware on-premise environments that want to extend workloads to the cloud;
- ideal for resource-intensive applications and complex workloads.
When to Choose VMware
- if you need to migrate existing VMware VMs to the cloud with minimal compatibility issues;
- if you manage a mixed Linux/Windows environment and need advanced enterprise features;
- if your team already has VMware expertise and tools.
Tip: Choose VMware if your team already has experience with this hypervisor or if you are migrating from an existing VMware environment. It reduces training time and simplifies operations.
Hyper-V
Hyper-V is Microsoft’s virtualization technology, deeply integrated with the Windows ecosystem. It enables efficient management of virtual machines and offers good scalability, especially in Microsoft-centric infrastructure environments.
- native integration with Windows Server and related services (Active Directory, file services, business applications);
- ideal for companies already using Microsoft on-premise technologies and looking to extend workloads to the cloud;
- excellent for environments where standardization on Microsoft technology is essential.
When to Choose Hyper-V
- if most of your applications rely on Windows Server and Microsoft services;
- if you want to maintain the same licensing and management model used on-premise;
- if your IT team has strong Hyper-V and Windows expertise.
Tip: Before choosing Hyper-V, verify licensing and resource requirements for Microsoft applications you plan to run on the Cloud VPS (SQL Server, RDS, etc.), so you can size resources and costs correctly.
How to Choose the Hypervisor Based on Your Scenario
Here are some practical examples to help you choose the best hypervisor for your SeFlow Cloud VPS:
- Web hosting, APIs, Linux services
OpenStack is often the best choice due to its cost efficiency, flexibility, and wide support for Linux distributions. - Enterprise applications, VMware migrations
VMware is ideal if you're migrating from an existing VMware environment or rely on advanced VMware tooling. - Windows-based environments (AD, domain services, Microsoft apps)
Hyper-V offers the closest integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, simplifying licensing and management. - Testing labs and development environments
OpenStack is ideal for rapidly creating and destroying test environments, while VMware or Hyper-V may be better if you want to replicate your production environment exactly.
Tip: If you plan to use additional services (backup, monitoring, load balancers, private networks), check SeFlow documentation for any hypervisor-specific limitations so you don’t face unexpected constraints later.
Best Practices Before Finalizing Your Choice
- compare application requirements (OS, database, network throughput, storage type) with each hypervisor’s characteristics;
- evaluate cost and billing models (hourly, monthly, yearly), as resource billing may differ;
- consider your team’s technical expertise: using a familiar hypervisor reduces errors and operational overhead;
- plan backup, snapshots, and disaster recovery strategies and choose the hypervisor that integrates best with these workflows.
Tip: Before deploying multiple Cloud VPS instances, consider starting with a small pilot setup (1–2 VMs) using the chosen hypervisor. This allows real-world testing of performance and features, reducing the risk of future issues.
