vs
vmdk
VHD vs VMDK: which virtual disk format?
A clear, practical comparison with a straight answer.
Use VHD or VHDX for Hyper-V and Windows-centric setups; use VMDK for VMware. When moving a VM between hypervisors, convert the disk with qemu-img rather than starting over. VirtualBox reads both.
VHD and VMDK are both virtual hard disks, single files that act as a drive for a virtual machine. VHD (and its successor VHDX) is Microsoft's format for Hyper-V; VMDK is VMware's. Which you want depends on your hypervisor.
Both are widely supported and convert cleanly with tools like qemu-img, so a disk is rarely locked to one platform.
.vhd vs .vmdk at a glance
| .vhd | .vmdk | |
|---|---|---|
| Native hypervisor | Hyper-V (Microsoft) | VMware |
| Also read by | VirtualBox, QEMU | VirtualBox, QEMU |
| Successor | VHDX (larger, safer) | VMDK (versioned internally) |
| Mount on host | Native on Windows | Via tools |
| Best for | Hyper-V / Windows | VMware environments |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert VHD to VMDK?
Use qemu-img: qemu-img convert -O vmdk disk.vhd disk.vmdk. VirtualBox and VMware tools can also convert between them.
Can VirtualBox use both VHD and VMDK?
Yes. VirtualBox reads VHD, VMDK and its own VDI, so you can attach either as a virtual machine's disk.