Microsoft Azure Application Gateway vs VMWare Avi Load Balancer comparison

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway vs. VMWare Avi Load Balancer

April 2026

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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

6.1

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway enhances ROI by reducing infrastructure costs, simplifying setup, and using cost management tools for accurate assessments.

Sentiment score

4.4

Some users see ROI with VMWare Avi Load Balancer through reduced recovery times and lower hardware and licensing costs.

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway significantly impacts our cost savings while maintaining higher performance.

IT Manager at Chong Hua Hospital

If we can use a shared resource, then the return on investment is really nice.

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

We have seen a return on investment in terms of time-saving and cost-saving by not creating our own infrastructure.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

VMWare Avi Load Balancer has created a smoother failover process without issues, keeping the state normal, where typically there would be manual intervention.

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

I have not found any return on investment so far, as it does not really lend itself to that; it is more about not having to stand up another data center for redundancy.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Vdi Consultant at Garbutt Ltd

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.4

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway support experiences vary; some praise expertise, while others criticize delays and inconsistent quality.

Sentiment score

6.0

VMWare Avi Load Balancer customer service is skilled but inconsistent, with support better for users with integrated VMware tools.

I would say they provide the best support for Application Gateway because they own the product, so their support is top-notch.

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

There is room for improvement, specifically in paid support, by providing more direct contact.

Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

I would rate Microsoft support as good because they have a very skilled technical support team in the background

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

Cloud Head at White-Spunner & Associates

The solution architect from VMware side told me that there would be no issue adding them. Here we are with an RFP, and we cannot add them easily.

reviewer2273484

Pre Sales at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

The support for VMWare Avi Load Balancer is really good, and the integration with other tools is really effective, which makes the overall experience smoother.

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

I find their knowledge base limited and very difficult to navigate for finding information.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Vdi Consultant at Garbutt Ltd

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.4

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway provides scalable solutions but has mixed reviews regarding cost and ease of scaling and upgrades.

Sentiment score

6.9

VMWare Avi Load Balancer offers reliable scalability, though some users seek enhancements for seamless integration with existing infrastructure.

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway is a very scalable product.

IT Manager at Chong Hua Hospital

It has the autoscaling feature, so there is not much concern around performance; it can scale significantly.

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway is a scalable solution.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

Cloud Head at White-Spunner & Associates

In my role as a database engineer, scalability works in two layers and rarely becomes a bottleneck.

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

Scalability-wise, VMWare Avi Load Balancer is good.

Vishal Bhatia

Trainer/Consultant at Koenig Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

It does not have built-in failover capabilities.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Vdi Consultant at Garbutt Ltd

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway is stable and reliable, with high ratings, despite occasional issues due to misconfiguration.

Sentiment score

8.0

VMWare Avi Load Balancer is praised for stability, reliability, and efficient traffic handling, with high stability ratings from users.

We have been using it for the past two to three years, and there have been good results with no problems so far.

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

The stability is good, and except for a few instances, I don't see the non-availability of Azure Cloud services.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

Cloud Head at White-Spunner & Associates

VMWare Avi Load Balancer is very reliable and stable.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Vdi Consultant at Garbutt Ltd

From a stability point of view, VMWare Avi Load Balancer is stable.

Vishal Bhatia

Trainer/Consultant at Koenig Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway is criticized for high costs, complexity, lacking documentation, and needing improvements in security, scalability, and support.

VMWare Avi Load Balancer is costly with complex setup, lacking security features, needing improved documentation, and enhanced integration.

One feature I mentioned is the support for non-HTTPS protocols such as TCP, which could allow one endpoint for all kinds of protocols.

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

There is room for improvement in terms of support, such as assigning agents directly for more straightforward engagement.

Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

In future releases of Microsoft Azure Application Gateway, I would like to see more AI functionalities and a better dashboard as well as some customizations.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

IT Manager at Chong Hua Hospital

Multi-cloud capability comes from a configuration called NSX Extended.

reviewer2273484

Pre Sales at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

The need for policy execution tracing to simplify debugging is evident because if connections are routed incorrectly, for example, directly to a replica, debugging can become painful in production.

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

It would also be beneficial to have true VMWare Avi Load Balancer failover at the VMWare Avi Load Balancer level.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Vdi Consultant at Garbutt Ltd

Setup Cost

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway's cost is debated; appreciated for scalability but potentially expensive with additional fees compared to AWS.

VMWare Avi Load Balancer offers competitive, flexible pricing with positive value, avoiding additional hardware costs but requires separate licensing.

We would prefer to have it cheaper, but it is still expensive.

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Azure solutions are quite expensive.

Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

When it comes to pricing for Microsoft Azure Application Gateway, I would rate it a seven out of ten.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

IT Manager at Chong Hua Hospital

it operates on a capacity and consumption model, unlike traditional appliances that charge based on hardware.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

Valuable Features

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway provides secure, efficient traffic management with integration, automation, and scalability benefits for straightforward application deployment.

VMWare Avi Load Balancer is valued for integration, stability, centralized management, traffic distribution, intuitive UI, cloud-native and security features.

We are using it for some of the security features for our applications, particularly for securing traffic in transit with SSL.

Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

The Web Application Firewall (WAF) in Microsoft Azure Application Gateway has been very effective in protecting applications from security threats.

IT Manager at Chong Hua Hospital

The gateway's Web Application Firewall feature enhances security as it is the first entry point to your network from the outside world.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

Cloud Head at White-Spunner & Associates

Since implementing VMWare Avi Load Balancer, we no longer need to manually change IP addresses in our configuration, as Avi automates this process, which controls traffic and network appropriately, adding a layer of security and assurance.

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

The special capability I appreciate about VMWare Avi Load Balancer is its ease of use; it is very lightweight and quite inexpensive to deploy.

For more quotes and insights, download the VMWare Avi Load Balancer report

Vdi Consultant at Garbutt Ltd

The features I find most valuable in VMware Avi Load Balancer are the load balancing part and the WAF part.

Vishal Bhatia

Trainer/Consultant at Koenig Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Azure Application...

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

9th

Average Rating

7.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (9th)

VMWare Avi Load Balancer

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

12th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure Application Gateway is 5.2%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMWare Avi Load Balancer is 4.7%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure Application Gateway	5.2%
VMWare Avi Load Balancer	4.7%
Other	90.1%

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

Featured Reviews

Mutual TLS has secured our web services and now needs broader protocol support

Cloud Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

The most valuable feature we have found in Microsoft Azure Application Gateway is mutual TLS. We find mutual TLS valuable because we can verify the client securely by setting up the trust certificate of the client, and also if we do it at the client side as well. This successfully develops mutual trust, ensuring that we know the client who is calling our service is a legitimate client. That is a very nice feature.Microsoft Azure Application Gateway has helped manage our traffic efficiently because we have many web services that we can put behind the same URL, and we can have different URLs with the same Application Gateway with a limited number of listeners. We can do host-based routing as well as URL-based routing or path-based routing. It supports both, so we can have even a single URL supporting many applications, or we can have different URLs for different applications respectively. We have both use cases.

Read full review

Improved database high availability has simplified failover and optimized read write routing

Senior Database Engineer, SRE at Interswitch Group

In my opinion, VMWare Avi Load Balancer is a complicated tool with many advanced features that can be beneficial, but policies are powerful yet difficult to debug when traffic behaves unexpectedly or becomes heavy. This complexity can make it challenging to pinpoint where a request goes. The need for policy execution tracing to simplify debugging is evident because if connections are routed incorrectly, for example, directly to a replica, debugging can become painful in production. There are still improvements to be made, particularly in simpler policy debugging. A clearer view of traffic routing for each database would greatly enhance the experience.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

18%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What's the difference between Azure Front Door and Application Gateway?

We found Azure Front Door to be easily scaled and very stable. The implementation is very fast and Microsoft provides excellent support. Azure Front Door can quickly detect abnormalities before the...

How does AWS WAF compare to Microsoft Azure Application Gateway?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Amazon’s Web Service Web Application Firewall or Microsoft Azure Application Gateway web application firewall software was the better fit ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Application Gateway?

Regarding the pricing and licensing of Application Gateway, it is not cheap because the version we are using is WAF V2, and we are also using DDoS Premium Protection. I think the price of WAF on Ap...

What needs improvement with Avi Networks Software Load Balancer?

The issue with load balancers is that they are all the same. I would rate it seven. I do not recall VMWare Avi Load Balancer having WAF protection. We use WAF and for this specific case, we use F5....

What advice do you have for others considering Avi Networks Software Load Balancer?

We tested some scripts, but they did not fulfill everything. My recommendation is to reduce the price and make it two separate products, not only as an add-on for VMware. It should not be necessary...

What is your primary use case for Avi Networks Software Load Balancer?

We are using native cloud capability. The issue is not from us. VMware changed their module. They are selling perpetual licenses with multi-year support. The reason for this change is to make their...

F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs Microsoft Azure Application Gateway

Comparisons

Compared 8% of the time

NetScaler vs Microsoft Azure Application Gateway

Compared 6% of the time

HAProxy vs Microsoft Azure Application Gateway

Compared 6% of the time

F5 Advanced WAF vs Microsoft Azure Application Gateway

Compared 5% of the time

Azure Front Door vs Microsoft Azure Application Gateway

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Application Gateway Competitors

F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs VMWare Avi Load Balancer

Compared 19% of the time

NetScaler vs VMWare Avi Load Balancer

Compared 16% of the time

NGINX Plus vs VMWare Avi Load Balancer

Compared 13% of the time

HAProxy vs VMWare Avi Load Balancer

Compared 9% of the time

LoadBalancer Enterprise vs VMWare Avi Load Balancer

Compared 2% of the time

More VMWare Avi Load Balancer Competitors

Product Reports

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway

May 2026

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway report

Download Microsoft Azure Application Gateway product report

Download VMWare Avi Load Balancer product report

VMWare Avi Load Balancer

May 2026

Also Known As

Azure Application Gateway, MS Azure Application Gateway

Avi Software Load Balancer

Overview

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway offers advanced traffic management and security features for web applications. It includes built-in rules, Layer 7 control, autoscaling, and integration options, providing flexibility and security for managing application traffic efficiently.

Azure Application Gateway is utilized by organizations for securing and managing web traffic with its comprehensive web application firewall, load balancing capabilities, and Layer 7 firewall rules. Known for its ease of setup and integration, the platform facilitates external application access and deploys secure services. While it enhances security with customized configurations, users note areas for improvement such as configuration complexity, pricing, third-party tool integration, and automation. Addressing these aspects can improve user experience and performance.

What are the key features of Microsoft Azure Application Gateway?

Built-in Rules: Pre-configured rules help streamline traffic management and enhance security.
Layer 7 Control: Offers detailed traffic routing and policies based on application-level information.
Real-Time Autoscaling: Automatically adjusts resources to meet demand and optimize performance.
Comprehensive WAF Protection: Guards against web vulnerabilities and potential threats.
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with Azure services for enhanced workflow efficiency.

What benefits do users look for in reviews?

Traffic Routing: Efficiently directs application traffic based on defined rules for improved performance.
Security: Provides robust protection for internet-facing applications.
Ease of Setup: Simplifies deployment and management of applications.
Flexibility: Supports different application scenarios with customizable configurations.

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail implement Azure Application Gateway to protect sensitive data and manage significant web traffic. Its application deployment support and security capabilities make it suitable for businesses needing to ensure secure data exchange and reliable access to online services.

Microsoft

VMWare Avi Load Balancer is designed for seamless integration with host environments, providing a user-friendly interface, stable deployment, scalability, and reliable performance.

VMWare Avi Load Balancer offers a potent combination of advanced traffic management, application delivery, and network visualization tools tailored for cloud and modern infrastructures. Its core functionalities revolve around a robust web application firewall and comprehensive analytics, which make it a strong contender against competitors like NetScaler. Despite its expensive nature and certain integration challenges, it supports dispersed services with a single control plane. Its graphic interface aids in efficient network management, yet there's room for improvement in features like WAF, documentation, and multi-cloud environment support.

What are the key features of VMWare Avi Load Balancer?

Integration with Host Environments: Ensures seamless adoption across diverse infrastructure platforms.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies management and accelerates deployment processes.
Scalability: Adapts to growing network demands efficiently.
Robust Web Application Firewall: Provides enhanced security for web applications.
Powerful Analytics: Offers detailed insights for optimal traffic management and performance optimization.
Cluster Visualization: Visualizes network clusters for streamlined management.

What benefits do users find in VMWare Avi Load Balancer reviews?

Enhanced Network Performance: Users experience improved load balancing capabilities.
Simplified Management: The UI simplifies network and cluster operations.
Deployment Flexibility: Offers various options for deploying across cloud infrastructures.
Single Control Plane: Facilitates management of dispersed services effectively.

In the tech industry, VMWare Avi Load Balancer is primarily utilized for application delivery control, taking on roles such as web application firewalls and traffic visibility in cloud infrastructures. Its enhanced interface makes it a preferred choice for organizations transitioning from traditional load balancers, especially in roles like global load balancing and Kubernetes service mesh integration.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Lilly, AccuWeather, AIRFRANCE, Honeywell

Palo Alto Networks, DGDean, Swisslos