LXC vs KVM

YourTinyServer offers LXC only. Here's what that means, honestly.

FeatureLXC (what we offer)KVM
Custom kernelNoYes
Root accessYesYes
Windows / non-Linux OSNoYes
Nested virtualizationNoYes
Resource efficiencyHigherLower
Startup speedFaster (seconds)Slower
Memory overheadVery lowHigher
Storage overheadVery lowHigher
PriceLowerHigher
Full hardware virtualizationNoYes

Choose LXC when…

  • You're running standard Linux workloads
  • You want low monthly cost
  • You want fast provisioning and reboots
  • You're happy with the host kernel

Choose KVM when…

  • You need a custom or older Linux kernel
  • You need Windows Server or *BSD
  • You need nested virtualization
  • You need hardware-level isolation