croit
Munich Ceph and Proxmox specialist adding a management GUI on top of unmodified open-source Ceph.
Quick Overview
| Company | croit GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Virtualization Software |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany |
| Founded | 2017 |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Data Location | Your own infrastructure |
| Open Source | No |
| Pricing | Ceph management platform subscription from about $600/month for 100TB, decreasing per-TB rate up to about $1,086/month at 1PB; separate Ceph support plans from about $500/month for 100TB; official Proxmox VE, Backup Server and Mail Gateway subscriptions resold at list price |
| Replaces | VMware vSAN, Nutanix, raw unmanaged Ceph |
Detailed Review
croit sells a management layer for Ceph rather than a Ceph fork, which is the detail that matters most: the underlying cluster stays 100% open-source Ceph, so nothing about adopting croit locks a customer into a proprietary storage format. The web interface handles cluster bring-up, OSD and node management, monitoring and updates, cutting the time to a running cluster from days of command-line work to, by croit's own account, minutes.
As an official Proxmox Gold Partner, croit's second business is VMware-to-Proxmox migration itself: architecture design, a documented migration plan and managed support for the cut-over, on top of the storage layer Proxmox needs underneath it.
It also resells official Proxmox VE, Backup Server and Mail Gateway subscriptions directly. Pricing for the Ceph management platform is capacity-based, from about $600 a month for 100TB down to a lower per-terabyte rate near 1PB; separate Ceph support plans start near $500 a month for the same 100TB baseline.
croit GmbH has operated from Munich since its 2017 registration, under German and EU jurisdiction. The trade-offs: this is a management and migration layer rather than a from-scratch hypervisor platform, so it is worth choosing specifically for Ceph and Proxmox rather than as a general VMware exit, and capacity-based pricing means cost tracks storage growth rather than a flat subscription.
What croit does well
- Unmodified, standard open-source Ceph underneath
- Official Proxmox Gold Partner for VMware migrations
- Cluster bring-up in minutes rather than days
- Capacity-based pricing that scales with storage
- German company under EU jurisdiction
Where croit falls short
- Management layer, not a hypervisor of its own
- Only useful once Ceph is the storage choice
- Pricing rises with capacity rather than staying flat
- Smaller company than the Ceph vendors it competes with
Standout feature. A GUI over standard Ceph plus an official Proxmox partnership — the migration project and the storage layer from one Munich vendor.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Unmodified, standard open-source Ceph underneath
- Official Proxmox Gold Partner for VMware migrations
- Cluster bring-up in minutes rather than days
- Capacity-based pricing that scales with storage
- German company under EU jurisdiction
Cons
- Management layer, not a hypervisor of its own
- Only useful once Ceph is the storage choice
- Pricing rises with capacity rather than staying flat
- Smaller company than the Ceph vendors it competes with
Alternatives to croit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is croit?
croit sells a management layer for Ceph rather than a Ceph fork, which is the detail that matters most: the underlying cluster stays 100% open-source Ceph, so nothing about adopting croit locks a customer into a proprietary storage format. The web interface handles cluster bring-up, OSD and node management, monitoring and updates, cutting the time to a running cluster from days of command-line work to, by croit's own account, minutes.
Where is croit based?
croit operates from Munich, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany).
What does croit cost?
Ceph management platform subscription from about $600/month for 100TB, decreasing per-TB rate up to about $1,086/month at 1PB; separate Ceph support plans from about $500/month for 100TB; official Proxmox VE, Backup Server and Mail Gateway subscriptions resold at list price.
Who is croit best for?
Teams wanting a supported, unmodified Ceph cluster under Proxmox. A GUI over standard Ceph plus an official Proxmox partnership — the migration project and the storage layer from one Munich vendor.
What are the drawbacks of croit?
Management layer, not a hypervisor of its own. Only useful once Ceph is the storage choice. Pricing rises with capacity rather than staying flat. Smaller company than the Ceph vendors it competes with.