FreeBSD vs. Linux – Virtualization Showdown with bhyve and KVM
The bhyve hypervisor makes it easy to run reliable, high-performance virtual machines on a FreeBSD host system. In this article, we test the performance of virtual machines running Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD itself under bhyve—and we compare and contrast with performance of the same virtual machines running under Linux’s well-known KVM hypervisor. Understanding the pros and cons of each hypervisor helps you make confident, informed decisions when deciding how to set up your virtualization hosts.
From 0 to Bhyve on FreeBSD 13.1
FreeBSD has its own high-performance hypervisor called “bhyve”. Much like the Linux kernel’s KVM hypervisor, bhyve enables the creation and maintenance of virtual machines—aka “guests”—which run at near-native speed alongside the host operating system. Although bhyve got a later start than Linux KVM, in most ways it has caught up with its primary rival—and in some ways surpassed it.