EVE-NG without VMware?
netplex. needs no hypervisor at all.
You can run EVE-NG on bare-metal Linux to dodge VMware - but there is always a virtualization layer to install, size and keep nested-virt happy, and it lives on a machine someone has to own. netplex. takes the hypervisor off your plate entirely: it runs KVM/QEMU on its own host, and every user just opens a browser. No VMware, no VirtualBox, no ESXi, no nested-virtualization tax on your laptop.
EVE-NG always runs on a hypervisor or bare-metal Linux - VMware Workstation, Fusion, ESXi or a dedicated box. Avoiding VMware means bare metal, which means dedicating a whole Linux machine to being the hypervisor. netplex. is server-side: the KVM/QEMU layer lives on the netplex. host, and clients touch none of it.
Always something to virtualize on.
netplex. keeps it off your machine.
VMware, VirtualBox or bare metal
EVE-NG installs inside VMware Workstation/Fusion, on ESXi, or on bare-metal Linux. Every route is a virtualization layer you install and maintain before a node boots.
Nested virtualization headaches
Running EVE-NG in a desktop hypervisor means nested virt - a performance hit and a common source of “my nodes won't start” support threads.
netplex. runs KVM/QEMU on the host
The netplex. host uses KVM directly on any x86_64 machine - including AMD, which EVE-NG doesn't officially support. Clients install nothing.
Thin client, real gear
Your laptop is just a browser. The real emulation runs on the netplex. host, so a weak or locked-down machine still drives a full lab.
EVE-NG vs netplex.
The short version.
| Feature | EVE-NG Community / Pro |
netplex. tier shown per row |
|---|---|---|
| Hypervisor on your machine | VMware / VirtualBox / bare-metal | None — server-side KVM/QEMU |
| Nested virtualization | Yes (in desktop hypervisors) | No — bare KVM on the host |
| AMD CPU support | Not supported (official) | Yes — KVM on any x86_64 |
| Install on client machines | Hypervisor + EVE-NG OVA | Nothing — any browser |
| Bare-metal option | Yes — dedicate a Linux box | Host it once; clients use a browser |
| Link impairment (delay/jitter/loss) | OS-level config | Architectnetem + OVS |
| Setup before first node | Install + size the hypervisor | Under 5 minutes |
EVE-NG facts from eve-ng.net documentation and community sources (2026). netplex. rows are code-verified.
Straight with you
EVE-NG on bare-metal Linux is a legitimate, VMware-free path and plenty of people run it that way. But it still means one machine is dedicated to being the hypervisor, patched and sized by you. netplex. also runs on a host - the difference is that host is shared by everyone through a browser, and nobody installs a hypervisor on their own laptop to use it.
Researching EVE-NG? Start wherever your problem is.
Drop the hypervisor.
Keep the lab.
Free Associate tier - real KVM/QEMU emulation on the host, driven from your browser. No VMware, no VirtualBox, no nested-virt gymnastics.
Australian schools get the full platform free — install and teacher training included. Learn more →