StratoVirt
StratoVirt is a free Linux virtual machine monitor for cloud data centers, designed for virtual machines, containers, and serverless scenarios.
What StratoVirt is
StratoVirt is a free Linux virtual machine monitor for cloud data centers, designed for virtual machines, containers, and serverless scenarios. It provides a command-line management interface and supports x86_64 and AArch64 hosts using KVM. The external API is compatible with QEMU Monitor Protocol, with OCI compatibility and libvirt interconnection. Lightweight workloads can use fast boot, while standard virtual machines support UEFI boot, Virtio-pci, and VFIO devices. Documentation states that a microVM can start within 50 ms and use less than 4 MB of memory. StratoVirt offers common I/O and minimalist device emulation, works with iSulad and Kata containers, and can integrate with Kubernetes. Its feature list describes hardware-based isolation and Rust language-level security, and says it uses fewer than 46 system calls while running. Linux is required for hosts and guests, with a maximum of 254 CPUs per VM.
Good
- Free virtual machine monitor
- Supports Intel and Arm platforms
- MicroVM startup within 50 ms
- Memory footprint below 4 MB
- Integrates with Kubernetes
Watch out
- Hosts and guests support Linux only
- Maximum is 254 CPUs per VM
- Requires KVM-based x86_64 or AArch64 hosts
- Minimum installation needs 16 GiB drive space
Who it suits
StratoVirt suits Linux cloud operators and developers running virtual machines, containers, or serverless workloads. It is aimed at environments using KVM, Kubernetes, iSulad, or Kata containers.
Verdict
StratoVirt targets Linux cloud infrastructure with lightweight startup, small memory use, and container ecosystem integrations. Its documented operating-system and host requirements narrow where it can run.
Plans and prices
From StratoVirt's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| StratoVirt | Free | No price or usage limits stated on the pages opened |
The facts
Each one read from StratoVirt's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture
- Its external API is compatible with QEMU Monitor Protocol, supports OCI compatibility, and can interconnect with libvirt.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Boot
- It supports fast boot for lightweight scenarios and UEFI boot for standard VMs.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Container ecosystem
- The documentation says StratoVirt works with iSulad and Kata containers and can integrate with Kubernetes.checked 8 Oct 2026
- CPU limit
- The documented maximum is 254 CPUs per VM.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Installation requirements
- The installation guide lists AArch64 or x86_64, a 2-core CPU, 4 GiB memory, and 16 GiB available drive space as minimum requirements.checked 8 Oct 2026
- I/O
- It offers common I/O capabilities and minimalist I/O device emulation; standard VMs can attach Virtio-pci and VFIO devices.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Isolation
- The feature list describes StratoVirt as highly isolated based on hardware.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Memory footprint
- The documentation states that StratoVirt works with a memory footprint of less than 4 MB.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Operating system limit
- The documented restrictions say only Linux is supported for the host and guest operating systems, with recommended kernel versions 4.19 and 5.10.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Processor support
- The feature list says StratoVirt supports Intel and Arm platforms.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Product
- StratoVirt is an enterprise-class virtual machine monitor for cloud data centers, designed to support VM, container, and serverless scenarios.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- The documentation lists Rust language-level security and says StratoVirt uses fewer than 46 system calls while running.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Startup speed
- The documentation states that a microVM can start within 50 ms.checked 8 Oct 2026
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