# OpenVZ vs KVM VPS in the Netherlands: The Difference Source: https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/ 1. [Home](https://lyrahosting.com/) 2. [Blog](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/) 3. OpenVZ vs KVM VPS in the Netherlands: The Difference Blog Written by [the LyraHosting technical team](https://lyrahosting.com/about-us/#team) · Reviewed by Erik, certified Linux system administrator (LFCS) · Published 8 Jun 2022 · Updated 11 Nov 2026 · 6 min read OpenVZ and KVM are two ways to split one physical server into several virtual private servers (VPS). OpenVZ runs Linux containers that all share the host server's kernel. KVM runs full virtual machines, and each one boots its own kernel. That difference decides which operating systems you can run, whether you can change the kernel, and how well tools such as Docker and VPN software work. This article explains both, what they mean for you, and which LyraHosting plans in the Netherlands use which. ## OpenVZ vs KVM at a glance - Type: OpenVZ is container-based virtualization. KVM is full virtualization: each VPS is a complete virtual machine. - Kernel: an OpenVZ container runs on the host server's Linux kernel. A KVM virtual machine runs its own. - Operating systems: OpenVZ runs Linux only. KVM runs Linux, Windows and other systems. - Kernel modules: on OpenVZ, you get only what the host provides. On KVM, you load the modules you need. - Docker and VPNs: on OpenVZ, they depend on settings only the host can make. On KVM, they work as on any Linux server. - At LyraHosting: storage VPS plans run on OpenVZ. Linux VPS, Windows VPS and hybrid servers run on KVM. ## What is OpenVZ? OpenVZ is open-source, container-based virtualization for Linux. Each container is one VPS, with its own root access, users, IP address, processes, files and software, and it works much like a standalone server. But every container runs on the same kernel as the host server itself, with no second kernel and no emulated hardware. That makes containers light: very little of the server's power goes to the virtualization, so a provider can run many containers on one machine. The trade-off is that the kernel, the core of the operating system, is not yours to choose or change. Where OpenVZ stands today: [the project's releases page](https://wiki.openvz.org/Releases) lists OpenVZ 7, based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and a 3.10 kernel, as its supported release, and gives November 2019 as the end of life of the older release based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. The newest OpenVZ 7 update in the project's download archive is 7.0.22, from October 2024. Inside a container, the kernel version is whatever the host runs, and a recent Linux distribution can expect kernel features that an older host kernel doesn't have. ## What is KVM? [KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)](https://linux-kvm.org/page/Main_Page) is open-source virtualization built into the Linux kernel. It turns a Linux server into a hypervisor that runs separate virtual machines, each with its own virtual hardware: CPU cores, memory, disks and a network card. A KVM virtual machine boots its own operating system and kernel, just as a physical server does. On a KVM VPS, you can run Linux or Windows, install kernel updates, load kernel modules and change system settings yourself. ## What the difference means for you ### Operating system An OpenVZ container runs Linux only, because it shares the host's Linux kernel. You can't install Windows, FreeBSD or a kernel of your own. A KVM VPS can run any operating system the provider can deploy: on our KVM plans, most Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora, or Windows Server on our Windows VPS. ### Kernel and kernel modules In an OpenVZ container, you can't upgrade the kernel or load kernel modules: the host administrator loads them, as the OpenVZ documentation shows for its VPN and Docker setups. On KVM, the kernel belongs to your virtual machine, so you update it and load modules as on any server. ### Docker On a KVM VPS, Docker installs and runs as on any Linux server. Inside an OpenVZ container, it needs features only the host can enable, and it is limited even then: [the OpenVZ wiki](https://wiki.openvz.org/Docker_inside_CT_vz7) calls Docker inside OpenVZ 7 containers experimental and not supported in production, and on the older OpenVZ 6 only Docker 1.10 or older works. If you plan to use Docker, choose KVM. ### VPN servers OpenVPN and other programs that use the kernel's TUN/TAP device work in an OpenVZ container only if the host administrator has enabled that device for it. WireGuard runs inside the Linux kernel, so in a container it depends on what the host's kernel provides. On a KVM VPS, both run as on any Linux server. Our [OpenVPN guide](https://lyrahosting.com/how-to/how-to-setup-an-openvpn-server-on-ubuntu-18-0420-0422-04-lts/) sets one up on a KVM VPS. ### Separation and performance Containers on an OpenVZ host are kept apart, but they share one kernel, so a kernel update or a kernel problem on the host affects every container on it. KVM virtual machines each run their own kernel, which puts a stronger boundary between your server and the others on the host. Containers have very little overhead, and KVM's is small on modern server hardware. In practice, your plan's CPU cores, memory and disk type matter more to speed than the virtualization type. On LyraHosting's VPS plans, both KVM and OpenVZ, CPU and RAM are shared on the host server, which keeps prices low; hybrid servers reserve them for you. ## Is KVM the same as a VPS? No. A VPS is what you rent: a virtual server with its own operating system, resources and IP address. KVM and OpenVZ are technologies a provider uses to create one, so a "KVM VPS" is a VPS built on KVM. A dedicated server is a whole physical machine for one customer. A hybrid server, also called a VDS (virtual dedicated server), is a virtual machine whose CPU and RAM are reserved for you. ## How to check which one your VPS uses On a Linux server with systemd, run: ``` systemd-detect-virt ``` It prints `kvm` on a KVM virtual machine and `openvz` in an OpenVZ container. `uname -r` shows the kernel version, which in an OpenVZ container is the host's. ## Which LyraHosting plans use OpenVZ and which use KVM All of them run in our data centers in the Netherlands, are set up as soon as your order is processed, and include standard anti-DDoS protection. - Linux VPS (KVM): each [KVM VPS in the Netherlands](https://lyrahosting.com/offshore-linux-vps/) is its own virtual machine with SSD storage, full root access, a dedicated IPv4 address and the Virtualizor control panel. From €8.99 a month. - Windows VPS (KVM): our [offshore Windows VPS](https://lyrahosting.com/offshore-windows-vps/) runs Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 or 2025 with the license included. The same plans are offered as a [forex VPS](https://lyrahosting.com/forex-vps/) for MetaTrader. From €15.99 a month. - Storage VPS (OpenVZ): our [offshore storage VPS](https://lyrahosting.com/offshore-storage-vps/) plans have 250 GB to 8 TB of SAS hard-drive storage, unmetered traffic and full root access, for backups, archives, media libraries and file hosting. TUN/TAP, FUSE and Docker are available on them. From €7.99 a month. - Hybrid server (KVM): an [offshore hybrid server](https://lyrahosting.com/offshore-hybrid-server/) is a KVM virtual machine with CPU cores and RAM reserved for you, SSD storage and an unmetered 1 Gbps port. From €49.99 a month. ## Which should you choose? - A KVM Linux VPS for websites, web apps, databases, Docker, VPN servers, and anything that needs its own kernel or kernel modules. - A Windows VPS for Windows software, such as ASP.NET applications or trading platforms. - An OpenVZ storage VPS for a lot of disk space at a low price, when standard Linux tools such as rsync, SFTP, restic or Nextcloud are all you need. Our guide to the [benefits of an offshore storage VPS](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/top-6-benefits-of-offshore-storage-vps-hosting/) covers what it suits and its limits. - A hybrid server for the control of KVM with CPU and RAM that no one else uses. Not sure which fits? [Contact our team](https://lyrahosting.com/contact-us/) before you order. Technical support is by ticket, 24/7/365, with a first reply within 1 hour. In this article 1. [OpenVZ vs KVM at a glance](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#openvz-vs-kvm-at-a-glance) 2. [What is OpenVZ?](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#what-is-openvz) 3. [What is KVM?](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#what-is-kvm) 4. [What the difference means for you](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#what-the-difference-means-for-you) 5. [Is KVM the same as a VPS?](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#is-kvm-the-same-as-a-vps) 6. [How to check which one your VPS uses](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#how-to-check-which-one-your-vps-uses) 7. [Which LyraHosting plans use OpenVZ and which use KVM](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#which-lyrahosting-plans-use-openvz-and-which-use-kvm) 8. [Which should you choose?](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/openvz-vs-kvm-vps-netherlands-the-difference/#which-should-you-choose) Keep exploring [All blog articles](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/) [Talk to our team](https://lyrahosting.com/contact-us/) ## Host it offshore with LyraHosting KVM virtual servers in the Netherlands with full root access, from €8.99 a month. [Explore KVM VPS](https://lyrahosting.com/offshore-linux-vps/) [Contact us](https://lyrahosting.com/contact-us/) Keep reading ## More from the blog [View all](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/) 01 / From the journal Blog · 10 Nov 2026 ### [VPS vs VDS vs Dedicated Server: What's the Difference?](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/vps-vs-vds-vs-dedicated-server/) What a VPS, a VDS (virtual dedicated server) and a dedicated server are, how they share or reserve CPU and RAM, and which to choose. 7 min read [Read article](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/vps-vs-vds-vs-dedicated-server/) 02 / From the journal Blog · 17 Jun 2022 ### [Methods for Establishing VPN Connections in the Netherlands](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/methodologies-for-establishing-vpn-connections-in-the-netherlands/) Remote access and site-to-site VPNs, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IPsec, the protocols to avoid, and how to run a VPN server in the Netherlands. 7 min read [Read article](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/methodologies-for-establishing-vpn-connections-in-the-netherlands/) 03 / From the journal Blog · 14 Oct 2023 ### [How Anti-DDoS Protection Works for a VPS](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/securing-your-vps-with-ddos-protection/) What a DDoS attack is, how anti-DDoS protection filters it, what a DDoS-protected VPS is, how to protect your server and what protection costs. 11 min read [Read article](https://lyrahosting.com/blog/securing-your-vps-with-ddos-protection/)