Looking to set up virtual machines in your home lab but not sure whether to go with Proxmox or Cockpit Machines with Houston? In this video, Zach Perry from 45HomeLab walks you through a side-by-side comparison of two powerful virtualization options, showing you where each one shines and how they fit into different workflows. Proxmox VE is a dedicated virtualization platform built for performance, clustering, and advanced networking features — making it a favorite for many home lab enthusiasts. But did you know that with Cockpit and the Houston UI, you can manage virtual machines right inside your Linux server with just a lightweight add-on? From VM setup, storage management, and networking, to snapshots and passthrough options, we’ll show you exactly what you can (and can’t) do compared to Proxmox. 👉 Whether you’re running Rocky Linux, Ubuntu, or Debian, you’ll learn how to quickly spin up VMs inside Cockpit Machines, see the limitations compared to Proxmox, and discover the best use cases for both platforms. Spoiler: Cockpit is a fantastic option for lighter workloads, testing environments, or when you don’t want to run a full virtualization stack. 🔑 What you’ll learn in this video: The key differences between Proxmox VE and Cockpit Virtual Machines How to build and manage VMs inside Cockpit with the Houston UI Storage, networking, and container support compared side by side When to choose Cockpit Machines vs when Proxmox makes more sense If you’re into home lab builds, virtualization tutorials, and open-source tools, this video is for you. Ready to build your own Homelab or HL 15 2.0 Visit for hardware, guides, and resources to get started. Follow Us on Social: Instagram: Facebook: X: 👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more home lab guides, server setups, and virtualization tutorials! 0:00 – Introduction 0:07 – Why Proxmox is So Popular 0:20 – Cockpit + Houston Overview 1:32 – Key Features You Should Know 2:16 – Proxmox vs Cockpit: Side-by-Side Comparison 3:23 – Setting Up a VM in Cockpit (Demo) 6:41 – Networking & Storage Setup 7:02 – Installing a Virtual Machine 8:14 – Performance & Resource Monitoring 9:15 – Advanced Features: Snapshots & Passthrough 10:00 – When to Use Cockpit vs Proxmox 12:27 – Wrap-Up & Key Takeaways 13:07 – Final Thoughts + Call to Action #proxmox #cockpit #virtualmachines #homelab #linuxserver #virtualization #proxmoxve #servermanagement #opensource #techtutorial