Comparison
XenMox vs Proxmox: an honest comparison.
Both manage QEMU/KVM virtual machines and Docker containers from a web UI. But one is a full operating system you install on bare metal — the other is a Node.js app that runs on the Linux you already have.
v0.2.0last updated October 2026
Side by side
The key differences.
A direct comparison of the features that matter most when choosing a hypervisor.
| Feature | XenMox | Proxmox VE |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | npm install — runs on existing Linux | ISO installer — wipes disk, dedicated OS |
| OS requirement | None — Node.js app on any Linux | Proxmox VE (Debian-based) is the OS |
| Idle RAM usage | ~300 MB | ~1–2 GB (full OS + services) |
| QEMU/KVM VMs | Yes | Yes |
| Docker containers | Built-in | Community addon (LXC native, Docker via plugin) |
| Web UI | Yes — browser-based, noVNC console | Yes — browser-based, noVNC console |
| Multi-node management | Yes — HTTP node agents + datacenter federation | Yes — cluster + HA |
| LXC containers | Not yet — Docker only | Native |
| Bare-metal requirements | None — runs as a regular app | Requires bare metal or nested virt |
| Price | Free — open source | Free (Community) / paid Enterprise repo |
| Maturity | v0.2.0 — public preview | v8.x — production-proven since 2008 |
Pros & cons
When to pick which.
Neither tool is universally better — the right choice depends on your use case.
Choose XenMox if…
- You already have a Linux server and don't want to wipe it
- You want QEMU/KVM + Docker in one lightweight panel
- You're running a homelab and want to conserve RAM
- You prefer running software as an app, not an OS
- You want quick setup — running in under a minute
- You like open-source projects developed in the open
Choose Proxmox if…
- You need a production-proven, battle-tested hypervisor
- You want LXC containers natively
- You need built-in HA (high availability) clustering
- You want ZFS, Ceph, or iSCSI storage built in
- You need a large ecosystem of tutorials and community support
- You're managing a real datacenter with SLAs
Bottom line
Proxmox is the established choice for production environments and bare-metal hypervisors. XenMox is for people who want a lightweight, Proxmox-like panel without committing an entire machine to a hypervisor OS. Think of XenMox as the "I already have a Linux box, just give me a UI" option.
FAQ
Common questions.
Can XenMox replace Proxmox entirely?
For homelabs and small setups — yes, for many use cases. XenMox covers QEMU/KVM VMs, Docker containers, and multi-node management. If you need LXC, ZFS management, or enterprise HA, Proxmox is still the better fit.
Does XenMox use KVM like Proxmox?
Yes. Both use QEMU/KVM as the virtualization backend. The VMs themselves perform identically — the difference is in the management layer, not the hypervisor.
Is XenMox faster than Proxmox?
XenMox uses less idle RAM (~300 MB vs ~1–2 GB) because it's a Node.js app, not a full OS. For actual VM performance, they're identical since both use KVM.
Can I run both XenMox and Proxmox on the same network?
Yes. They're independent tools. You could run Proxmox on one machine and XenMox on another — they don't conflict.
Is XenMox free?
Yes, XenMox is completely free and open source. There's no enterprise tier, no paid repo — just the GitHub repository.
Get started
Try XenMox in under a minute.
No ISO to download. No disk to wipe. Just clone, install, and run.
git clone https://github.com/phytonhacker/XenMox.git