Cisco Nexus vs VMware NSX comparison

The compared Cisco and VMware solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #2 in LS , with an average rating of 8.7, and holds a 9.0% mindshare in the category. VMware is ranked #2 in NV , with an average rating of 7.8, and holds a 46.7% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of VMware users who would recommend it.

Cisco Nexus

Read 104 Cisco Nexus reviews

1,998 Views
1,448 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

VMware NSX

Read 101 VMware NSX reviews

1,151 Views
774 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus

VMware NSX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

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

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

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus vs. VMware NSX Report (Updated: March 2023).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus vs. VMware NSX

March 2023

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Helped 824,067 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Nexus

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

104

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (2nd), Data Center Networking (3rd)

VMware NSX

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

101

Ranking in other categories

Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (2nd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (8th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (8th), Network Automation (5th), Microsegmentation Software (1st)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Cisco Nexus is designed for LAN Switching and holds a mindshare of 9.0%, down 11.6% compared to last year.
VMware NSX, on the other hand, focuses on Network Virtualization, holds 46.7% mindshare, up 45.8% since last year.

LAN Switching

Network Virtualization

Featured Reviews

Joe Benítez

Systems Engineer at GAD Municipal de Guayaquil

Offer high performance capabilities and enables efficient data transmission and processing

Before Nexus, I used to have Catalyst 6500 switches. Those 6500 series chassis gave us a lot of problems. Too many problems, actually. And we had a Cisco ASA firewall blade within those chassis. And they were running outdated software. So, in fact, it was the firewall blade that caused us too many problems instead of the chassis. The chassis itself was working well and performing fine, but the firewall card was not suitable for our needs. That was one aspect. Additionally, those chassis had been in operation for more than five years. As we are a local government, we have a policy to renew hardware every five years. That's because we need to maintain all the hardware and software in the latest versions and keep up with the technology lifecycle of the technology we use.

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Santi-Lara Garcia

Key Account Manager - Catalonia and Baleares Islands at Red Heart

Integrates perfectly but must be purchased as part of a bundle package

The solution is only sold as part of a bundle and not as an individual product. Some customers only need vSphere or NSX for their use cases, but account executives focus on bundles so this is a problem. Account executives need to talk with both systems and security staff to get a full picture of the environment's requirements. For example, systems staff have no need for the solution so they will never deploy it.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Tech support is good."

"We got increased bandwidth, faster performance, and newer software which has improved our organization."

"This solution has saved us both time and money because we now have the ability to control all of these telephony devices that are deployed nationwide."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it scales well. It supports a lot of servers. We don't have to come up with different designs for anything. That's the best part about it."

"This is a powerful device and I can get good bandwidth."

"The initial setup is easy."

"Current flexibility and the opportunities for future planning and scaling make this product line an ultimate opportunity."

"From a data center implementation, with respect to competition from your data, there isn't really a product recovery for the different tests other than Cisco Nexus. For example, if you take Multi-tenancy for the data center, it's something which, I think, only Cisco has. There are some implementation from HP, but I think it's limited there."

More Cisco Nexus pros

"They have a lot of support and specialists who can meet with the customer."

"This is a good firewall and overall it is rich in features."

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

"NSX has excellent security features like virtual firewalls. I also like the micro-segmentation features, which are useful for the virtual machines inside the servers."

"The Distributed firewall is simple to add to the network and rules are easy to implement."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to create, develop, and deploy servers in minutes to hours, rather than days."

"The most valuable features are ease of use and user interface."

"The dashboard is comprehensive and easy to use."

More VMware NSX pros

Cons

"The licensing is very complicated. They should work to simplify it."

"There is always room for improvement."

"Stability is not really up to the mark."

"One of the problems we have is that there is no confirmation for when you try to test a system command."

"The only issue that I have with this product is finding help on different commands when I'm trying to make a change."

"Multi contexts would be nice to have to separate different tenants logically and securely."

"The implementation process could be easier, which is something that should be improved."

"I would like to see a central management solution in order to have all of the equipment in one place."

More Cisco Nexus cons

"It needs to be cheaper."

"The solution is only sold as part of a bundle and not as an individual product."

"Traffic flow introspection topology visibility is definitely needed because at the moment, NSX-T lacks in this area."

"It could be cheaper!"

"It's not feature-rich."

"If there are other solutions already in place, it can be difficult to implement."

"The technical support could use some improvement."

"If you're worried that NSX is too complex, I would tell you to take another look. If you compare NSX to a similar solution you might find it to be a bit more complex. Usually, the guy that comes in to implement NSX isn't the network guy and will lack the knowledge for the program. He can lack the knowledge for this program and will therefore think it's complex. You need somebody with network experience."

More VMware NSX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco Nexus is not cheap compared to Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Check Point."

"The solution is expensive."

"The problem with Cisco, from what I see, is that their costs are much higher."

"The Nexus 9000 is very competitively priced."

"Our licensing costs for this solution are approximately $100K a year for the switching part."

"We use a local distributor for support, which is very expensive."

"We have a three-year subscription for our licensing fees."

"It is very expensive. Its licensing is on a yearly basis."

More Cisco Nexus pricing and cost advice

"The implementation of VMware NSX can be cost-intensive, especially if an organization is looking for a comprehensive solution. The costs can vary based on factors like the level of conversation and discounts obtained during negotiations. Some government organizations, for instance, may find the prices relatively high, leading to concerns about budget hikes, especially when deploying the solution across the entire organization. Regarding maintenance and support, they are typically included in the standard licensing costs for enterprise-level businesses. While these costs can be significant, many companies opt for standard licensing to ensure they have access to necessary support and maintenance services."

"The pricing is higher than other options from Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Cisco because it is sold in a bundle."

"The solution is free and the price for the support can be expensive."

"The solution is very expensive."

"You can scale NSX if you have the resources, but it's usually expensive and complex to scale up."

"VMware NSX isn't cheap."

"We have saved man-hours and decreased our security exposure."

"The price could be better. We pay for the license every three years. The last time I checked, it cost around three million pesos in the Philipines. Most of the expense will go towards implementation and renovation."

More VMware NSX pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.

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824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

26%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Nexus?

The product's initial setup phase is very easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Nexus?

Cisco pricing is at the same level as many competitors, however, due to competition, they sometimes lower prices and offer large discounts.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?

Cisco's security features are in line with other OEMs, however, for data center security in terms of layer seven security, we prefer to have different OEMs rather than relying solely on Cisco.

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about VMware NSX?

The product has valuable features for security and network extension.

See all answers

Comparisons

Juniper QFX Series Switches vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 43% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 22% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 18% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 4% of the time

Juniper QFabric vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Nexus Competitors

Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX

Compared 23% of the time

Illumio vs VMware NSX

Compared 19% of the time

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs VMware NSX

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Workload vs VMware NSX

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco ACI vs VMware NSX

Compared 7% of the time

More VMware NSX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus

December 2024

Download Cisco Nexus product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware NSX

November 2024

Download VMware NSX product report

Also Known As

No data available

VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender

Learn More

Cisco

VMware

Overview

The Cisco Nexus family of switches is designed to meet the stringent requirements of the next-generation data center. Not simply bigger or faster, these switches offer the following characteristics: infrastructure that can be scaled cost-effectively and that helps you increase energy, budget, and resource efficiency, transport that can navigate the transition to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and unified fabric and can also handle architectural changes such as virtualization, Web 2.0 applications, and cloud computing and operational continuity to meet your need for an environment where system availability is assumed and maintenance windows are rare if not totally extinct.

VMware NSX is a sophisticated solution utilized for micro-segmentation, network security, software-defined networking, and private cloud construction. It aids in the transition from physical to virtual infrastructure, ensuring efficient network virtualization and security of production workloads.

VMware NSX empowers organizations to manage network functions, implement distributed firewalls, and enhance security within virtual environments. Crucial for disaster recovery and load balancing, it supports cloud-native application development and enterprise clients. Its ease of use, scalability, and seamless integration with existing VMware solutions ensure streamlined network management and swift deployment. Despite its extensive features, areas like pricing, routing functionality, and compatibility with certain platforms require attention.

What are the key features of VMware NSX?

Ease of Use: Simplifies network management with an intuitive interface.
Scalability: Adapts to growing infrastructure needs seamlessly.
Micro-Segmentation: Enhances security by dividing networks into smaller, manageable segments.
Integration: Seamlessly works with existing VMware solutions and third-party applications.
Dynamic Routing: Optimizes network traffic efficiently.
Security Options: Offers robust firewall features and security measures.
Automation: Facilitates quick deployment through comprehensive automation capabilities.
High Bandwidth: Ensures high-performance network operations.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Network Security: Superior protection for virtual environments.
Efficient Disaster Recovery: Reliable support for business continuity.
Reduced Deployment Time: Fast implementation and configuration.
Improved Network Management: Centralized and streamlined control of network resources.

VMware NSX is widely implemented across industries such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. Organizations in these sectors utilize it to bolster security, enhance network efficiency, and support cloud-native applications. By extending on-premise networks into provider spaces and managing virtual access networks, VMware NSX significantly optimizes infrastructure operations.

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins

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 Nexus vs. VMware NSX

March 2023

Free Report: Cisco Nexus vs. VMware NSX

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Nexus vs. VMware NSX and other solutions. Updated: March 2023.

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