Cisco Catalyst Switches vs VMware NSX comparison

The compared Cisco and Broadcom solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #5 in ES , with an average rating of 8.2, and holds a 4.1% mindshare in the category. Broadcom is ranked #2 in NV , with an average rating of 8.4, and holds a 33.0% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 179 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

7,188 Views
4,097 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

VMware NSX

Read 107 VMware NSX reviews

7,852 Views
471 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

VMware NSX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Switches and VMware NSX based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Ethernet Switches solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. VMware NSX Report (Updated: November 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. VMware NSX

November 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 884,122 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

5.7

Cisco Catalyst Switches offer long-term value and reliability but may not provide immediate returns due to initial costs.

Sentiment score

6.4

VMware NSX offers long-term financial benefits by reducing overhead and improving security, despite high initial costs and evaluation time.

From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.9

Cisco Catalyst Switches support is praised for expertise but criticized for slow responses; documentation aids self-service troubleshooting.

Sentiment score

6.6

VMware NSX support is knowledgeable but experiences vary; some report delays and recent service deterioration due to structural changes.

When requesting an RMA, they replace defective items in just one day.

Yaser_Altwailey

Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX

On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Cisco at 10 out of 10.

Jaya Pradeep

student at St. Joseph's College of Engineering

Cisco's support is good, one of the best supports that you will get.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

They were always helpful.

Tomas Barcik

Senior VMware Administrator at Johnson Controls, Inc.

They are quick and understand things easily, so the support is aligned very effectively.

TAIYAB HASAN

Windows Redhat Linux Vmware & Azure & Cloud & Nutanix Ahv-Vmware & Backup Senior System Administrator at AlDawaa Medical Services

Our technicians have a good support experience from the company.

Efthymios Bliatis

Joint Staff Officer at Hellenic National Defence General Staff

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Cisco Catalyst Switches are praised for scalability, handling large deployments, modularity, despite potential cost or configuration challenges.

Sentiment score

7.6

VMware NSX is favored for its scalability, supporting extensive deployments across data centers with ease and efficiency.

The scalability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very much scalable, as it supports the stacking feature and growth; for instance, with 94K modular switches, based on the requirement, we can even increase modules for more bandwidth.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

Unlike Meraki, where I can bring a switch online, join it to the portal, and it becomes operational immediately.

SegunIyanda

Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and I would rate them eight to nine out of ten for scalability.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

There is a high level of satisfaction with its ability to scale.

DanielBass

Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.2

Cisco Catalyst Switches are praised for their strong stability, reliability, and long-term operation, even in demanding environments.

Sentiment score

8.1

VMware NSX is praised for its high stability and reliability, with most users rating it 8-10 out of 10.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

I would rate the stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches at about eight out of ten.

SegunIyanda

Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

The product performs at 99% efficiency without any showstoppers or significant issues.

TAIYAB HASAN

Windows Redhat Linux Vmware & Azure & Cloud & Nutanix Ahv-Vmware & Backup Senior System Administrator at AlDawaa Medical Services

For stability, I would rate VMware NSX as a nine out of ten.

MagdyRaafat

Services Presales Solutions Architecture - UAE & Gulf at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches users desire improved pricing, compatibility, ease of use, security, support, automation, scalability, and user-friendly interfaces.

VMware NSX struggles with high costs, complex configurations, integration issues, and requires improvements in scalability, user-friendliness, and pricing.

Cisco should provide some level of software that I can bring on-premise where I can add all my Catalyst switches for central management.

SegunIyanda

Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

It is the highest cost in the market.

Yaser_Altwailey

Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

The initial configuration and integration within our existing environment were not easy.

DanielBass

Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

The pricing for the product is another area for improvement as I'm not satisfied nowadays.

Tomas Barcik

Senior VMware Administrator at Johnson Controls, Inc.

The licensing model is expensive and could be more flexible, especially after Broadcom bought VMware.

MagdyRaafat

Services Presales Solutions Architecture - UAE & Gulf at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches are pricey with complex licensing, prompting buyers to consider cheaper alternatives like Dell, Juniper, or Huawei.

VMware NSX pricing is seen as high; costs vary based on features used, licensing choices, and negotiation effectiveness.

Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.

Premnath Jaganathan

Product Manager at Uop Ipl

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

The cost of VMware NSX is considered high.

DanielBass

Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

The complexity is too high in terms of price.

Mahesh Bhadoriya

Technical Manager at Allianz Cloud Private Limited

VMware NSX is a little higher in price compared to the competition.

Efthymios Bliatis

Joint Staff Officer at Hellenic National Defence General Staff

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches provide secure, reliable infrastructure with features like VLAN, PoE, and robust CLI for diverse network environments.

VMware NSX offers micro-segmentation, scalability, automation, VM-level security, and Zero Trust support for enhanced modern networking.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.

Premnath Jaganathan

Product Manager at Uop Ipl

With Meraki access points, I do not have to have a wireless controller for them. I can configure the wireless device directly from the switch, making the setup cleaner, and that is a major reason for my preference.

SegunIyanda

Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

Micro-segmentation enhances security and provides more secure data in your data center.

MagdyRaafat

Services Presales Solutions Architecture - UAE & Gulf at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Consistent networking and security policies across different environments have a major and very positive impact on our business operations, allowing us to achieve the security posture we want with compliance and regulations.

Mahesh Bhadoriya

Technical Manager at Allianz Cloud Private Limited

The most powerful feature of VMware NSX is the micro-segmentation that allows us to separate the different protocols our application works with.

Efthymios Bliatis

Joint Staff Officer at Hellenic National Defence General Staff

For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

179

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

VMware NSX

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

107

Ranking in other categories

Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (2nd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (5th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (7th), Network Automation (3rd), Microsegmentation Software (1st)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Cisco Catalyst Switches is designed for Ethernet Switches and holds a mindshare of 4.1%, up 1.7% compared to last year.
VMware NSX, on the other hand, focuses on Network Virtualization, holds 33.0% mindshare, down 46.5% since last year.

Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches	4.1%
Cisco Ethernet Switches	9.5%
Aruba Switches	8.9%
Other	77.5%

Ethernet Switches

Network Virtualization Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
VMware NSX	33.0%
Cisco ACI	35.2%
Cisco Elastic Services Controller	9.4%
Other	22.39999999999999%

Network Virtualization

Featured Reviews

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas

Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.

Read full review

TAIYAB HASAN

Windows Redhat Linux Vmware & Azure & Cloud & Nutanix Ahv-Vmware & Backup Senior System Administrator at AlDawaa Medical Services

Has improved network visibility and security through micro-segmentation and SDN capabilities

This feature gives us flexibility and allows us to manage everything under one pane. We can see everything on one console, including network operations and behavior. Monitoring and security are among the best features for VMware NSX. For micro-segmentation, it's integrated with our endpoint security. If there are any issues with servers or VMs, it notifies us so we can isolate the servers and investigate. It provides distributed security features such as firewall and intrusion, IDS, IPS. The security level with IPS and IDS in VMware NSX is excellent. It also provides logical switching and routing which gives an extra layer for Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching requirements. The solution provides flexibility, automation, and self-service capabilities, resulting in cost savings as extensive expertise isn't required. Once automation and self-service are implemented, many tasks can be completed automatically. Load balancing is another excellent feature. Multiple servers can run on load balancing features, which is particularly useful since we have many application servers running. Sharing loads between servers provides the best performance.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	80
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	79

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	23
Large Enterprise	69

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?

We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware NSX?

When measuring complexity and costs for our organization, we consider some parameters for effectiveness. In terms of effectiveness in reducing operational complexity, I measure it to be high on the...

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Comparisons

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX

Compared 14% of the time

Illumio vs VMware NSX

Compared 14% of the time

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs VMware NSX

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Secure Workload vs VMware NSX

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco ACI vs VMware NSX

Compared 5% of the time

More VMware NSX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

March 2026

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware NSX

February 2026

Download VMware NSX product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

VMware NSX is a comprehensive tool for network virtualization and security, offering advanced features like micro-segmentation and multi-cloud networking to enhance scalability and management efficiency within enterprises.

VMware NSX revolutionizes enterprise networking by integrating security and scalability into one streamlined platform. With capabilities like dynamic policy updates and automation, it simplifies complex configurations and provides robust API integration. Its support for Layer 4 and 7 load balancing, along with its seamless integration in multi-cloud environments, makes it a preferred choice among companies. Although deployment speed and management console features require refinement, NSX is an effective solution for private cloud and hybrid environments, enabling centralized orchestration and management of complex networks.

What are the key features of VMware NSX?

Micro-segmentation: Provides secure, granular network segmentation for enhanced security.
Distributed Firewall: Offers policy-driven firewall capabilities across all network endpoints.
Automation: Enables dynamic policy updates and simplifies network configurations.
API Integration: Facilitates seamless third-party integrations and improves configuration processes.
Multi-Cloud Networking: Supports seamless integration across various cloud environments.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Scalability: Offers significant improvements in network scalability and management efficiency.
Security: Ensures enhanced security through advanced features like micro-segmentation.
Cost-Effectiveness: Potential to reduce costs through network automation and efficiency improvements.
Flexibility: Supports various enterprise requirements with its comprehensive feature set.

In the tech industry, VMware NSX is instrumental in managing private and hybrid cloud environments, allowing companies to replace traditional networking with software-defined networks. In finance, it helps secure transactional data through micro-segmentation. Healthcare organizations leverage its flexibility for managing sensitive patient information securely and integrating cloud services.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. VMware NSX

November 2024

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