Meraki SD-WAN vs VMware NSX comparison

The compared Cisco and VMware solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #1 in SDN , with an average rating of 8.7, and holds a 24.0% mindshare in the category. VMware is ranked #2 in NV , with an average rating of 7.7, and holds a 45.7% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of VMware users who would recommend it.

Meraki SD-WAN

Read 77 Meraki SD-WAN reviews

1,688 Views
1,088 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

VMware NSX

Read 101 VMware NSX reviews

1,057 Views
702 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Meraki SD-WAN

VMware NSX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Meraki SD-WAN and VMware NSX based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Software Defined Networking (SDN) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Meraki SD-WAN vs. VMware NSX Report (Updated: May 2020).

Buyer's Guide

Meraki SD-WAN vs. VMware NSX

May 2020

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Helped 832,138 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:

Categories and Ranking

Meraki SD-WAN

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Software Defined Networking (SDN) (1st)

VMware NSX

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

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. Meraki SD-WAN is designed for Software Defined Networking (SDN) and holds a mindshare of 24.0%, up 23.5% compared to last year.
VMware NSX, on the other hand, focuses on Network Virtualization, holds 45.7% mindshare, up 45.9% since last year.

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

Network Virtualization

Q&A Highlights

Paul Wright

Head of Infrastructure Services at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Jul 06, 2020

What is the biggest difference between VMware NSX and Meraki SD-WAN?

We are currently reviewing various SD-WAN vendors for our infrastructure and what I found lacking with Cisco Meraki is that you cannot use Active/Active HA with two MX devices. Only HA is available with one device which introduces a single point of failure for any network. There is also up to 5 minute failover time for Active/Active circuits which in my opinion is quite long compared to other solutions which are nearer instant.

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Featured Reviews

Martyn Walker

Business development manager at Virgin Media

Enables productivity in terms of users and has ease of management

Scalability could be improved. Yes, you can add more than 300 or 400 sites onto it, but because it's not a true SD-WAN and, effectively, it's just a Multi-VRF, it's all hub and spoke at that point. That's the nature of the design, but that's what keeps it simple to administer. So, it's a trade off.

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Tarek Nader

Sr. vRA Consultant at VMware

It extends Layer-2 scalability on Layer 3

NSX extends Layer-2 scalability on Layer 3, covering the vRO and extending the capability on Layer 3 by decapsulating using a new mechanism. NSX-V was designed to use with VMware products and Success 360, providing more flexibility toward different levels of cloud, containers, and components. NSX-T gives you the ability to stretch your network across different view locations. If you have multiple sites, you can connect them using NSX-T.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution has many features available."

"The solution's most valuable feature is its ease of maintenance."

"The product's initial setup phase is very easy."

"The most valuable feature for me is the security functionality."

"I have found the dashboard very useful, you can configure all of your devices at the same time by just changing some menus."

"t is very stable based on our experience and the application performance has been superb."

"They're known for their ease of use and ubiquitous management platform that covers everything. Meraki really excels in plug-and-play solutions. You just plug it up, and everything works. All of the components—the firewall/router, the switches, the access points, the cameras—work very nicely together, and they all can be managed from one platform. That is probably their biggest selling point. Everything comes in one ubiquitous package, and you don't have to manage different components from different platforms. You can see everything from one platform."

"The integration of security features is important, although there is room for improvement."

More Meraki SD-WAN pros

"We secured our organisation with Micro-segmentation."

"It is easy to implement it."

"Over the last two years, they've enhanced a lot, especially in regard to integration with OpenStack."

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

"The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the ease of use and its user friendly. For example, it is simple to change the subnet masks."

"I really like the management dashboard, the tailor-made assurance, the telemetry, and the ease of integration with all other solutions of VMware, such as vSphere."

"The migration methods are the most valuable aspect of this solution."

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

More VMware NSX pros

Cons

"The solution could be improved if it added more features, especially monitoring and reporting features."

"The solution must provide more security features."

"Scalability could be improved. Yes, you can add more than 300 or 400 sites onto it, but because it's not a true SD-WAN and, effectively, it's just a Multi-VRF, it's all hub and spoke at that point. That's the nature of the design, but that's what keeps it simple to administer. So, it's a trade off."

"There is still some work to do when it comes to AI."

"The configuration from the firewall side could be improved a little bit more."

"From the vice perspective, they just are not as robust as some of the other vendors. They have limitations in throughput and the number of circuits that they can support on a wide area network. Their higher-end security is all cloud-based. They have some capability with the premise-based solutions, but the higher ends are all cloud-based, and that's via Cisco Umbrella."

"Regarding the integration part, the VPN connection for third parties needs to be elaborate."

"The VPN client could be improved."

More Meraki SD-WAN cons

"Its licensing model could be VM based."

"Nowadays, NSX supports the KVM and ESXi hypervisors only. It should also support Hyper-V and Citrix hypervisors."

"We would like better integration with the standards on the market. For example, with OSPF, their integration in NSX is very low. It's not a full OSPF integration. It is too thin from a protocol perspective."

"It could be cheaper!"

"The training costs a minimum of $3,000, which is expensive and should be reduced."

"There is room for improvement in VMware NSX's workload management, particularly in the orchestration layer and in managing workloads across multiple clouds."

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

"VMware NSX should be able to scale for different customers, even the big ones. Its scalability needs improvement. Stability for it should also be improved."

More VMware NSX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing model is a fair one, although having the hardware means nothing without the license. You need to continue to pay licensing fees."

"The price can vary depending on the challenges that you need to address. When you look at the stability and reliability against the price, you absolutely get the value for the price."

"Meraki solutions come with a choice of several different subscription options including one year, three years, five years, seven years, and ten years."

"Any license you buy until January 2021 gets you an extra year for that purchase."

"Pricing is a significant concern for me. Amongst all the firewall brands, Cisco is one of the most expensive options. Despite its reputation and security features, many customers opt for other brands, such as SonicWall because of their lower prices. These other brands offer similar features to Cisco but at a lower cost. Cisco's pricing is something that could be improved to attract more customers. The brand has a good reputation, but when it comes to budgeting and pricing, it is not always the first choice."

"The product is not expensive."

"This solution is more expensive than competitors."

"The solution is a bit expensive when compared to other products."

More Meraki SD-WAN pricing and cost advice

"I would rate the pricing of VMware NSX as seven out of ten"

"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."

"VMware NSX is expensive and everything is licensed. We have to pay for each individual feature."

"The price of VMware NSX is very good compared to other solutions."

"The solution is reasonable at the local level."

"There is a license required for this solution, we pay annually."

"The cost of the solution is a bit high."

"We can't go without NSX, so it's invaluable from this perspective."

More VMware NSX pricing and cost advice

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Answers from the Community

Paul Wright

Head of Infrastructure Services at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Jul 6, 2020

What is the biggest difference between VMware NSX and Meraki SD-WAN?

2 out of 6 answers

GaurangPatel

Technical Director at Allot Group

Mar 12, 2020

Well, both products are very good but if you are looking for only SD-WAN Feafure than Cisco Meraki is the perfect solution: it's easy to manage, easy to deploy and deep insight at the packet level. VMware NSX is the complete package of comprehensive features like Application Load Balancing, routing, switching, micro-segmentation and many more but at a cost! It's very easy to manage from a single pane of glass. in a nutshell, if you want Application-Aware Load balancing and wan optimization which should be easy to manage and deploy than Cisco Meraki is the right product and if you are looking for a fully integrated solution and have a deep pocket then you should choose VMware NSX.

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Denis FERRAND

Head of EMEA Strategic Alliances at Arrow Electronics, Inc

Mar 12, 2020

VMware NSX is all about Software Defined Networking ie virtualizing the 7 layers of switches/routers that we know in the physical HW world. VMware is very successful with this technology acquired from NICERA. SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined WAN which is about networking but NOT at the local level, it is a wide area network. For this VMware made another acquisition which is VeloCloud. Cisco Meraki SD-WAN and VeloCloud are both in the magic quadrant and therefore competing.

Read full answer

See all 6 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

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 Meraki SD-WAN?

The auto VPN feature is important because it automates many tasks, making things simpler and faster. It helps with setting up devices and changing configurations without manual effort.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki SD-WAN?

The price is a little bit higher than local vendors, for example, Huawei ZTE or H3C. However, some customers require the best quality and performance, thus needing solutions and products from Cisco.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki SD-WAN?

They have to ask us many questions about configurations. It could be improved with some automation to trigger, for example, telemetry data, so we can determine the state of the deployment as of day...

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

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 22% of the time

Omada Cloud SDN vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 19% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 16% of the time

Prisma SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 12% of the time

Cradlepoint NetCloud vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 11% of the time

More Meraki SD-WAN Competitors

Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX

Compared 23% of the time

Illumio vs VMware NSX

Compared 20% of the time

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs VMware NSX

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Workload vs VMware NSX

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco ACI vs VMware NSX

Compared 7% of the time

More VMware NSX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Meraki SD-WAN

January 2025

Download Meraki SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware NSX

January 2025

Download VMware NSX product report

Also Known As

No data available

VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender

Overview

Software-defined WAN is a new approach to network connectivity that lowers operational costs and improves resource usage for multi-site deployments, allowing network administrators to use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure the highest possible level of performance for critical applications without sacrificing security or data privacy. For more information on deploying and configuring SD-WAN on the Meraki MX Security Appliance, see the Meraki SD-WAN Deployment Guide.

Cisco

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.

VMware

Sample Customers

École Jeannine Manuel

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

Meraki SD-WAN vs. VMware NSX

May 2020

Free Report: Meraki SD-WAN vs. VMware NSX

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