VMware to Hypervisor Migration Landscape
Comprehensive analysis of 42 migration tools across 22 target platforms
Executive Summary
The virtualization ecosystem has undergone rapid transformation over the last several years, driven by cost pressures, licensing changes, cloud adoption, and a growing desire for platform independence. As organizations evaluate alternatives to VMware, the migration landscape has evolved into a sophisticated ecosystem of tools, automation engines, cloud services, and hypervisor-native utilities.
42
Migration Tools
22
Target Platforms
13
Free/Open Source
18
Commercial Solutions
Market Overview
The shift away from VMware is no longer fringe. Enterprises, SMBs, service providers, and cloud-native organizations are increasingly assessing new hypervisors such as Proxmox, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, KVM variants, OpenStack, and even container-based virtualization like KubeVirt. Simultaneously, public clouds such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer first-party migration tools, making hybrid and multi-cloud transitions more accessible.
Four Major Categories of Migration Solutions:
Paid/Commercial Tools
18 enterprise-grade solutions
Low-Cost Tools
3 affordable alternatives
Free/Open Source Tools
13 community-driven options
Manual/Script-Based Methods
8 custom techniques
Target Hypervisors and Platforms (22 Total)
Open-Source Hypervisors
Commercial Platforms
Cloud Platforms
Container-Based Virtualization
Public Clouds
Key Migration Tools and Capabilities
Commercial Tools
Commercial vendors provide advanced orchestration, automation, warm replication, and large-scale migration management. Highlights include:
- VMware HCX - Comprehensive solution enabling large-scale migrations with WAN optimization and bulk mobility
- Nutanix Move - Leading option for transitioning to AHV with automated guest conversion
- Veeam Backup & Replication - Migration between VMware, Hyper-V, and Nutanix using backup flows
- Azure Migrate, AWS AMS, Google Cloud Migrate - First-party cloud migration tools
- Coriolis, Hystax Acura - Multi-cloud and hybrid migration engines
Low-Cost Tools
- Vinchin Backup & Recovery - Works across VMware, Proxmox, XenServer, oVirt/RHV, KVM, OpenStack, Nutanix (60-day free trial)
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication - Enables migration to Hyper-V and AWS via backup
- Red Hat Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV) - Specialized for VMware to OpenShift/KubeVirt
Free/Open-Source Tools
- virt-v2v - Industry's most widely used open-source migration engine for VMware → KVM/oVirt/RHV/OpenStack/KubeVirt
- Forklift - Kubernetes-native workflow for VMware → KubeVirt migration
- MigrateKit - Near-zero downtime migration to OpenStack using VMware CBT
- StarWind V2V Converter - Free disk conversion for multiple hypervisors
- Proxmox Import Wizard (v8+) - Simplifies VM import directly from ESXi
Migration Workflows Explained
Cold Migration
VM is powered off. Common with OVF/OVA, disk export, and basic virt-v2v.
Warm Migration
Incremental sync while VM runs. Offered by MTV, Hystax, MigrateKit, and Coriolis.
Live Migration
Minimal downtime cutover. Best supported via HCX, Hystax Acura, and some StarWind processes.
In-Place Conversion
Converts existing hosts into a different hypervisor (e.g., Platform9 vJailbreak).
Cost and Licensing Insights
13 fully open-source tools + 8 manual methods
Vinchin, NAKIVO, and MTV (requires OpenShift subscription)
HCX, Hystax, Coriolis, Nutanix Move, Veeam
Public-cloud migration tools are typically free, but cloud consumption fees apply
📊 Detailed Tools & Hypervisors Reference
Access our comprehensive database of all 42 migration tools and 22 target hypervisors with searchable tables, cost breakdowns, and downloadable CSV exports.
Download Detailed Tools List →Conclusion
The VMware migration ecosystem in 2025 is both deep and mature. With 42 tools spanning 22 target platforms, organizations no longer face the limitations of earlier generations of V2V technologies. Whether the goal is shifting workloads to open-source hypervisors like Proxmox or KVM, adopting Nutanix AHV, moving to OpenStack or cloud platforms, or embracing container-based virtualization through KubeVirt, there are robust solutions for every scenario.
The acceleration of commercial tools, combined with the strength of open-source engines such as virt-v2v, ensures that both small teams and large enterprises can design migration strategies that match their timelines, budgets, and operational goals.