Kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) is a Type 2 Linux hypervisor that acts as a Type 1 hypervisor, as it runs on hardware that has virtualization extensions for Intel VT or AMD-V processors. KVM is made up of a loadable kernel module (kvm.ko) and a processor-specific module for Intel or AMD used to host Linux and Windows images on virtual machines with the QEMU userspace. KVM is available as a free open source software download, but there are commercial support options from vendors like Red Hat or Oracle. Learn more about KVM vs VMWare and decide what's best for you now.