Proxmox as Hyperconverged Infrastructure: The Open-Source HCI Alternative
How Proxmox VE with Ceph distributed storage delivers hyperconverged infrastructure for Latin American organizations without VMware vSAN or Nutanix licensing costs
Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) — compute, storage and networking unified into a single cluster where each node contributes local storage to a shared distributed pool — has become the dominant enterprise infrastructure model for organizations up to 200 VMs. Traditionally, HCI required either VMware vSAN (expensive, now more so under Broadcom) or commercial HCI platforms like Nutanix (excellent, but subscription-priced).
Proxmox VE with Ceph provides a third path: fully open-source HCI that delivers equivalent distributed storage capabilities with no storage licensing cost. For Latin American organizations evaluating their infrastructure options in 2025, Proxmox + Ceph deserves serious consideration alongside Nutanix and VMware vSAN.
How Proxmox + Ceph Works
Proxmox integrates Ceph directly into its platform. Ceph is a distributed storage system that aggregates local disks from multiple servers into a single shared storage pool, providing:
- Block storage (RBD): Proxmox VMs store their disk images in Ceph RBD (RADOS Block Device). When a VM migrates to another node, its Ceph disk is accessible from the new node because it’s distributed across all nodes — no SAN required for live migration.
- Object storage (RGW): S3-compatible object storage for application data and Proxmox Backup Server offload.
- File storage (CephFS): Distributed filesystem for shared application data.
A minimum viable Proxmox + Ceph cluster requires 3 nodes. Each node contributes at least one dedicated OSD (Object Storage Daemon) disk. Ceph replicates data across nodes (default 3x replication) ensuring no data loss if any single node fails.
Proxmox HCI vs VMware vSAN vs Nutanix
| Feature | Proxmox+Ceph | VMware vSAN | Nutanix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing | $0 | $8K-$20K+/yr | $200-400/node/mo |
| Min. nodes | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Max nodes | Hundreds | 64/cluster | Hundreds |
| Replication | 3x or EC | FTT=1,2,3 | RF2/RF3 |
| Deduplication | Yes (Ceph) | Yes | Yes |
| Compression | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Management UI | Proxmox Web | vSphere Client | Prism |
| Enterprise support | Optional (€750/node) | Included | Included |
When Proxmox HCI is the Right Choice
Proxmox + Ceph is the right HCI platform when:
- Licensing cost is a primary constraint: The $0 storage licensing is a decisive advantage for Latin American organizations with limited IT budgets. Savings versus vSAN on a 4-node cluster: $32,000-$80,000 over 3 years.
- Linux expertise is available: Ceph is more operationally complex than vSAN or Nutanix. Organizations with Linux-knowledgeable staff can manage it effectively; organizations without should consider Nutanix (simpler) instead.
- Workloads are standard: KVM + Ceph handles Windows Server, Linux and most enterprise applications excellently. For VMware-specific workloads (Horizon, NSX) or IOPS-extreme databases, evaluate alternatives.
When to Choose Nutanix or Commercial HCI Instead
If your organization prioritizes operational simplicity over cost, Nutanix AHV with Prism provides significantly better management UX than Proxmox + Ceph, with automated remediation, 1-click upgrades and a support organization that proactively monitors your cluster. GLADiiUM delivers both platforms — we are neutral and will recommend the right one for your specific situation.
Is Proxmox HCI Right for Your Latin American Data Center?
GLADiiUM will evaluate your workloads and help you choose between Proxmox + Ceph, Nutanix or VMware vSAN based on your specific technical and financial requirements.
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