Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Big Switch Networks vs VMware NSX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Big Switch Networks
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined Networking (SDN) (9th), Network Packet Broker (NPB) (5th)
VMware NSX
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
100
Ranking in other categories
Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (1st), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (8th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (7th), Network Automation (5th), Microsegmentation Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Big Switch Networks is designed for Software Defined Networking (SDN) and holds a mindshare of 3.1%, down 5.3% compared to last year.
VMware NSX, on the other hand, focuses on Network Virtualization, holds 46.2% mindshare, up 45.9% since last year.
Software Defined Networking (SDN)
Network Virtualization
 

Featured Reviews

Jason Best - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 12, 2022
A flexible solution that can be integrated with third-party solutions whilst maintaining its automated nature
I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation. Meaning, having an active-active data center with multiple entrance-exit points. I think that feature could be improved to provide a kind of anycast gateway solution into the functionality that would make it a lot more flexible and versatile. Maybe also making the solution a bit more like the NSX-T from VMware, more on the logical part of the solution, like micro-segmentation and the ability to have a distributed firewall across the whole solution, to implement it in an easier way than they currently do with the security aspect of the solution.
Chris Nixon - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 29, 2022
Overly complex, initial setup could be simplified, but the migration methods are good
We were using VMware NSX for high availability.  We recently used it to migrate a way to the public cloud The migration methods are the most valuable aspect of this solution. The rest is just overly complicated. We had some issues with the cloud version. It needs to be cheaper. We are stopping…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"What I liked about the solution is the quick and easy way you can build a network data center fabric."
"Provides flexibility to deploy and have network virtualization on different types of firewalls."
"It's what we use the CIS Benchmarks for. It's for employing hardening rules and keeping them up to date when things happen on our systems. So it's really configurations and stuff that harden and report back."
"The alert features are the most valuable."
"Firewall security is one of VMware NSX's vital features"
"The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the high bandwidth."
"The most valuable features are the micro-segmentation and integrated security options."
"The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the ability to set up virtual networking environments."
"Over the last two years, they've enhanced a lot, especially in regard to integration with OpenStack."
 

Cons

"I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation."
"They have some limitations in the firewall features as compared to the on-prem or dedicated hardware appliance. They can add more features, such as IPS and IDS, to the cloud firewall."
"There are always issues integrating with Cisco."
"The solution could benefit from improvements in its pricing and scalability."
"Despite being somewhat behind in the cybersecurity field, VMware should develop a cloud and a red team to continuously monitor for new malware and ransomware."
"The scalability is not perfect."
"It takes time to do the initial setup. It is a bit slow, which is surprising."
"It's not feature-rich."
"If there are other solutions already in place, it can be difficult to implement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing cost depends on the number of switches that are going to be licensed to run the software."
"The licensing fees are expensive and we pay on a yearly basis."
"There is a license required for this solution and there is also a support license available. The price of the solution could be better."
"It is an expensive product, but cheaper than some competing solutions."
"The pricing model for VMware NSX is good."
"The pricing is higher than other options from Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Cisco because it is sold in a bundle."
"The price of VMware NSX is very good compared to other solutions."
"Pricing and licensing could be improved as we are a government entity. Lower pricing could always help."
"If five is a good price and one is a high price, I would rate the price a one out of five."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Software Defined Networking (SDN) solutions are best for your needs.
814,763 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?
There are some very major differences between both the Products and to name a few. -Cisco ACI have physical network gear (9K Switches) where the Code runs in ACI Policy Mode & the UCS server wh...
What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?
Once you know your way around the Cisco ecosystem, using Cisco ACI is not so difficult. It is a global product, so when you change one interface, changes are automatically reflected on every switch...
What do you like most about VMware NSX?
The product has valuable features for security and network extension.
 

Also Known As

No data available
VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A10 Networks, Edge-Core Networks, Blue Coat Systems, BlueData, Broadcom Corporation, Canonical, Check Point Software Technologies, Citrix, Dell, FireEye, Garland, Hortonworks, Mirantis, Nexenta, Riverbed
City of Avondale, Lumeta, Kroll Ontrack, Heartland Payment Systems, Baystate Heallth, Exostar, Tribune Media, iGATE, NTT Communications, Synergent, California Natural Resources Agency, Bloomington Public Schools, Columbia Sportswear, Join Experience S.A, Schuberg Philis
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Aviatrix, Juniper and others in Software Defined Networking (SDN). Updated: October 2024.
814,763 professionals have used our research since 2012.