What to Expect When You Migrate from VMware to Hyper-V 

Have you ditched VMWare yet?

Since Broadcom’s mega-buyout of VMWare for $69 billion in early 2024, we’ve seen sysadmins around the globe claiming they’d be moving on as soon as possible.  IT forums exploded with stories of 5x price hikes and urgent migrations.

And it wasn’t all talk. Migrations are happening en masse. One from late 2024 found that around half of VMWare’s customers were planning their exit due to uncertainty and massively increasing costs.

We’ve seen some rather passionate opinions shared around this topic. Moving on from this classic VM tech isn’t the right move for everyone. But there’s a good chance you’ve considered it.

If you are thinking of switching to another virtualisation technology, there are some things you might want to know first. Take a look below to find out why you might do it, and what the process is like.

The Broadcom acquisition of VMware has triggered a significant shift in the virtualisation market. The mass exodus stems from dramatic price increases (with some organisations facing costs multiplying by 2-10 times), forced bundling of unwanted features, declining support quality, and uncertainty about VMware’s future roadmap.

For many IT leaders, this disruption has prompted a serious rethink of their virtualisation strategy. There are options out there—Nutanix, Proxmox, and others—but Hyper-V is one of the more popular options.

Making the move isn’t always simple. It can take a while and cost money. But compared to some of the huge licensing cost increases we’ve seen, it may well be worth it.

If you’re also thinking about it, check out our guide to the topic: Top Real-World Alternatives To VMware For Business Ops

Amidst the uncertainty, Microsoft’s Hyper-V is a popular alternative. The main reasons being:

• Cost predictability: Hyper-V has a more stable and affordable licensing model, especially when paired with existing Microsoft investments.
• Azure integration: The connection between on-premises Hyper-V and Azure provides flexibility for hybrid deployments and disaster recovery scenarios.
• Simplified management: For organisations already using Microsoft tools, Hyper-V cuts down the complexity of managing multiple vendor relationships and technologies.
• Long-term roadmap clarity: Microsoft’s clear commitment to Hyper-V and its position within the broader Azure ecosystem offers stability in planning.
• Licensing advantages: The Azure Hybrid Benefit enables big cost savings when extending workloads to the cloud.

When you make the move from VMware to Hyper-V, several operational differences will become clear:

• Management interface: VMware admins enjoying vCenter will need to adapt to either Hyper-V Manager or System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), each with their own approach to VM management.
• Virtual machine formats: VMware’s VMDK files differ from Hyper-V’s VHD/VHDX format, needing conversion during migration.
• Snapshot handling: VMware’s snapshots work differently from Hyper-V’s checkpoints, particularly in how they’re managed and merged.
• Networking architecture: Hyper-V’s virtual switch functionality differs from VMware’s distributed virtual switches, needing reconfiguration of network settings.
• Storage migration capabilities: The process for moving VMs between storage locations follows different procedures and has different limitations.

For a detailed feature-by-feature comparison, including licensing models, performance benchmarks, and ecosystem considerations, check out our full Hyper-V vs VMware comparison.

When moving from VMware to Hyper-V and Azure, these best practices should make sure your migration goes smoothly:

• Ensure you have enough hardware  – Whilst you are preparing for the migration, you are going to need additional hardware to support the migration.
• Start with a pilot project – Choose a non-critical workload to migrate first. This helps your team learn the ropes without putting essential services at risk.
• Set up proper networking beforehand – Make sure your Hyper-V networking is completely sorted before you start moving VMs. Getting this right early prevents loads of headaches later.
• Document everything – Keep detailed notes of all your VMware settings before migration, so you can recreate them properly in Hyper-V.
• Plan for downtime – Even with the best tools, you’ll likely need some downtime for final cutover. Schedule these windows carefully with your business.
• Test, test, test – After converting each VM, thoroughly test its functionality before considering it production-ready.
• Update your VM tools – Remove VMware tools from migrated VMs and install Hyper-V integration services to make sure you reach optimal performance.
• Revisit your backup strategy – Make sure your backup solution works with Hyper-V, test your recovery process, and verify your disaster recovery plan can quickly restore operations if needed.

These steps will help make your cloud transition much smoother and reduce the risk of unexpected issues popping up during the process.

A successful migration follows a structured path with four essential phases, each building on the last to ensure a smooth transition.

1) Assessment phase

Start by taking stock of your current environment. This means creating a full inventory of all virtual machines while documenting their dependencies and resource requirements. Pay special attention to identifying workloads that might face compatibility challenges when moved to Hyper-V. During this phase, you’ll also want to map out your network setups, storage needs, and evaluate your existing backup and disaster recovery requirements.

2) Planning phase

With assessment data in hand, develop a detailed migration sequence that prioritises workloads based on their importance and dependencies. For each app, create a testing strategy that validates functionality post-migration. When designing your target Hyper-V environment, think about both current needs and future growth. Remember to plan for a period of coexistence where both VMware and Hyper-V will run at the same time during the transition.

3) Migration execution

The execution begins with setting up your target Hyper-V infrastructure and checking its functionality. Migrating low-risk, non-critical workloads first builds confidence and reveals any unforeseen challenges in a safer context. For business-critical applications, use a hybrid approach where they move only after thorough testing. In some cases, implementing parallel operations can minimise disruption to essential services.

4) Post-migration optimisation

Once workloads are running on Hyper-V, your focus can then turn to optimisation. This includes fine-tuning resource allocation based on actual performance rather than theoretical estimates. Setting up good monitoring helps spot any issues early, before they impact users. Make sure your team gains the right knowledge so they get comfortable managing the new environment. Finally, once all migrations are complete and stable, you can say goodbye to your old VMware infrastructure.

With VMware to Hyper-V transitions, Migration refers to the big picture. It includes the broader journey—assessment, planning, conversion, testing, and cutover activities. A successful migration strategy needs both the right conversion tools and a proper migration plan.

So what about actually converting VMs? Conversion is the technical process of transforming a VMware virtual machine (VMDK format) into a Hyper-V compatible virtual machine (VHD/VHDX format).

For conversions, there are specific tools you can use, and they all have different features to offer:

• SCVMM makes it easier.
  Start by adding your vCenter Server and ESXi hosts into SCVMM.
  This lets you discover and manage VMware VMs directly from the console.
  SCVMM uses built-in V2V conversion to move VMs to Hyper-V format.
  You can map networks, resize disks, and inject integration services.
  It’s a streamlined way to shift workloads with minimal disruption.
• Veeam Backup & Replication stands as perhaps the most complete option for VMware to Hyper-V migrations. Its reliability in maintaining application consistency during conversion has made it the go-to choice for many organisations. Veeam’s approach allows for testing the converted VM before cutover and offers scheduling options to minimise business disruption. The platform’s ability to handle complex conversions while keeping performance makes it particularly valuable for business-critical workloads.
• StarWind V2V Converter has gained popularity as a free tool that supports conversions between multiple formats, including VMware to Hyper-V. It stands out for its ability to convert running VMs without downtime and its support for P2V (physical to virtual) conversions. The StarWind solution particularly shines in environments where direct host access might be limited.
• Azure Migrate is worth looking at for organisations planning a hybrid approach. This Microsoft service helps with both assessment and migration of VMware workloads to Azure. Its connection with Azure Site Recovery provides a seamless path for organisations thinking about cloud adoption as part of their VMware exit strategy.

Each tool offers different strengths, and many organisations use multiple solutions depending on workload complexity. Testing conversions with non-critical systems before going ahead with production workloads helps identify the best tool for your specific environment.

Once the migration is complete, organisations typically experience changes that need adapting to. Of course, it ultimately leads to new opportunities for optimisation and growth—but here are some things to look out for.

Performance variations are common in the initial post-migration period. Some workloads might perform differently on Hyper-V than they did on VMware, often needing resource adjustments to achieve good results. Database servers, in particular, might need fine-tuning of their memory settings as Hyper-V’s dynamic memory works differently from VMware’s memory ballooning. Setting up good performance monitoring helps identify and address these variations systematically rather than reactively.

Your IT team will notice management workflow changes as day-to-day admin tasks follow different processes. These tasks might initially take longer until everyone gets familiar with the Hyper-V way of doing things. Creating updated operational guides that document common procedures helps speed up this adjustment period. Over time, many teams find that the integration with other Microsoft tools creates efficiency gains that weren’t possible in their VMware environment.

The migration opens up new feature opportunities that weren’t available or were differently implemented in VMware. Hyper-V offers capabilities like Shielded VMs for better security, Storage QoS for predictable performance, and nested virtualisation that can transform testing and development workflows.

Exploring these features after the migration is stable often reveals opportunities to improve operations beyond what was possible in the previous environment. Many organisations appreciate the simplified disaster recovery options that become available. Integration with Azure Site Recovery often provides more straightforward DR options than were previously available with VMware, particularly for organisations without dedicated secondary data centres. The ability to replicate directly to Azure and pay only for storage until disaster recovery is needed creates financial flexibility while improving resilience.

Finally, a surprising benefit often emerges in the form of licensing optimisations. Most organisations discover they were over-licensed in their VMware environment, leading to right-sizing opportunities. The migration process forces a thorough inventory and assessment that frequently reveals virtualisation resources that can be scaled back or repurposed. When you combine this with the inherent licensing advantages of Hyper-V, particularly for large organisations with Microsoft Enterprise Agreements, the cost benefits extend well beyond the initial licensing savings.

The migration journey comes with several challenges that need careful planning:

• VM format conversion: Tools like Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter or third-party solutions can help convert VMware virtual machines to Hyper-V format, but you’ll need to pay attention to drivers and compatibility. Maintaining a library of drivers for both platforms and testing conversions can help smooth this process. In some cases, rebuilding particularly problematic VMs from scratch might actually be faster than troubleshooting conversion failures.

• Network reconfiguration: Hyper-V’s networking model differs significantly from VMware’s. You’ll need to rebuild virtual networks in Hyper-V, often requiring changes to IP addressing, VLANs, and routing. This is particularly tricky with complex setups involving multiple VLANs or software-defined networking. Document your VMware network thoroughly before you start, and consider creating visual network maps to help teams understand the before-and-after state.

• Backup strategy adaptation: Existing backup solutions might need reconfiguration or replacement to work properly with Hyper-V. Many VMware-specific backup tools don’t support Hyper-V at all, while others need completely different agents or configurations. Plan to run parallel backup solutions during the transition period, and verify your recovery procedures work properly in the new environment before decommissioning any VMware infrastructure.

• Performance tuning: Don’t expect identical performance right away. Workloads often behave differently on Hyper-V than on VMware, particularly around memory management and storage I/O. You’ll need a period of monitoring and adjustment to achieve optimal results.

• Skills gap: Technical teams familiar with VMware need training and time to become equally skilled with Hyper-V. You might expect a productivity dip during the learning curve. Think about bringing in external Hyper-V expertise for the transition period.

The decision isn’t one to take lightly. For organisations hit hard by the Broadcom pricing changes, especially those already invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem, Hyper-V provides a practical alternative. But for others, the transition effort might not be worth the hassle.

Is it right for your business? That depends on your specific circumstances, existing investments, and long-term strategy. As experts in all forms of cloud migration, we’re here to help if you need guidance on plotting your VMware future – whether that’s migration, conversion, or a shift to cloud services.