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Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs VMware ESXi comparison

Nutanix and VMware are both solutions in the Server Virtualization Software category. Nutanix is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.7, while VMware is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.4. Nutanix holds a 8.2% mindshare in SVS, compared to VMware’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Nutanix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of VMware users who would recommend it.
Nutanix AHV Virtualization
Read 55 Nutanix AHV Virtualization reviews
  • 13,051 Views
  • 8,924 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
VMware ESXi
Read 31 VMware ESXi reviews
  • 442 Views
  • 316 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 6, 2024

Nutanix AHV and VMware ESXi are prominent competitors in the virtualization space. Nutanix AHV seems to have the upper hand in cost-effectiveness due to its free licensing model, whereas VMware ESXi distinguishes itself with high availability and robust performance.

Features: Nutanix AHV provides free, integrated virtualization and excels in disaster recovery, storage, and cloud integration. It offers simplicity and manageability through a single-dashboard, built-in automation, and scalability. VMware ESXi is recognized for its high availability, vMotion, and comprehensive VM management, supporting robust performance features.

Room for Improvement: Nutanix AHV can improve application migration and technical support response time, alongside enhancing stability in VM boot options and software integration. VMware ESXi's main issues revolve around high costs and complex licensing, compounded by the Broadcom acquisition. Users call for simpler patching processes and more competitive pricing.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Nutanix AHV is noted for fast on-premises implementation and efficient technical support, offering real-time issue resolution. Though some response time complaints exist, the service is generally well-regarded. VMware ESXi provides flexible deployment options, including hybrid setups, but faces challenges with support speed and setup complexity after corporate changes.

Pricing and ROI: Nutanix AHV stands out for its cost-effectiveness, benefiting users with its license-free model and lower operational costs, enhancing ROI by reducing hardware needs and simplifying management. VMware ESXi, despite its strong features, is often perceived as expensive due to its licensing model, particularly post-Broadcom acquisition, impacting its ROI appeal.

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To learn more, read our detailed Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs. VMware ESXi Report (Updated: March 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs. VMware ESXi
March 2025
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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
6.3
Nutanix AHV Virtualization reduces costs by 45%, enhances performance, and improves agility with 30% less downtime in three years.
Sentiment score
5.7
VMware ESXi saves time and money initially but may result in higher long-term costs despite improved efficiency.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.8
Nutanix AHV Virtualization is acclaimed for its responsive, knowledgeable 24/7 support, with generally positive feedback despite occasional response delays.
Sentiment score
7.8
VMware ESXi support is responsive and effective, but some users note delays post-Broadcom acquisition, affecting satisfaction.
Their engineers are excellent and provide great supportability.
They provide prompt and quality responses.
For more quotes and insights, download the Nutanix AHV Virtualization report
In the last three or four years, we did not require any support from VMware engineers, indicating its high reliability.
I rate the technical support from VMware as nine or ten out of ten.
Their technical support is good, and I am satisfied with it.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware ESXi report
Zack Baraci - PeerSpot reviewerJames Vailloo - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewerNasrRafiq - PeerSpot reviewerFozia Nurye - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Nutanix AHV Virtualization offers efficient scalability, easily expanding resources for diverse environments, making it ideal for growing businesses.
Sentiment score
7.9
VMware ESXi offers scalable solutions, efficiently managing virtual environments with excellent vertical scalability, despite some licensing challenges.
We can scale our systems easily without any downtime, making it a highly effective solution for dynamic environments.
Nutanix AHV Virtualization is very scalable; however, I might be underutilizing its capabilities.
For more quotes and insights, download the Nutanix AHV Virtualization report
My customers are highly satisfied with its scalability.
vCenter Server can manage up to 1,000 ESXi servers within a single UI interface, allowing extensive deployment and management capabilities.
The solution is scalable, allowing us to scale up or down regardless of infrastructure size.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware ESXi report
Mithun Nidiyenga - PeerSpot reviewerZack Baraci - PeerSpot reviewerAmar Sorro - PeerSpot reviewerMir Gulzar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.5
Nutanix AHV is praised for stability, reliability, seamless virtual management, proactive support, and integration with Nutanix infrastructure.
Sentiment score
8.5
VMware ESXi is praised for stability and reliability, with most users rating it highly despite occasional performance issues.
Issues such as patch delays and the OVF format challenge affect its stability rating.
The solution is very stable.
I would give the stability a seven out of ten at the moment, primarily due to the issues I've had with updates.
For more quotes and insights, download the Nutanix AHV Virtualization report
ESXi is stable, and our business operations depend on it year after year.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware ESXi report
Mithun Nidiyenga - PeerSpot reviewerJames Vailloo - PeerSpot reviewerZack Baraci - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Room For Improvement

Nutanix AHV requires improved integration, interface optimization, better documentation, disaster recovery, automation, Linux support, and competitive pricing.
VMware ESXi requires simpler licensing, improved usability, cost reduction, enhanced support, better scalability, and features like remote access.
This delay in patching creates risk, especially for government projects that require timely updates.
These menus often show options like host, memory, and disk, however, they fail to provide insight into what's happening.
Using Lenovo hardware seems problematic with Nutanix AHV Virtualization, which demands careful consideration during updates.
For more quotes and insights, download the Nutanix AHV Virtualization report
The cost of VMware ESXi is very high, especially after the acquisition by Broadcom, which led to price increases.
It's not cost-effective for small users and creates a gap for alternatives, while favoring larger clients.
Providing a mobile application for remote access to ESXi servers would be beneficial.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware ESXi report
Mithun Nidiyenga - PeerSpot reviewerJames Vailloo - PeerSpot reviewerZack Baraci - PeerSpot reviewerAmar Sorro - PeerSpot reviewerMir Gulzar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Nutanix AHV provides cost-effective virtualization with no hypervisor fees, though additional licenses and high initial prices may apply.
VMware ESXi is often seen as expensive, with high initial and annual costs and a confusing licensing model.
Other solutions like Citrix and VMware have seen a significant price increase, whereas Nutanix hasn't increased as dramatically.
This has been advantageous as it does not require additional licensing costs for the hypervisor, contributing to overall cost savings.
The pricing was reasonable compared to other competitors, though the storage was expensive.
For more quotes and insights, download the Nutanix AHV Virtualization report
The product is very cost-effective, though not fixed, as pricing tends to fluctuate over time.
Changes have made it cost-prohibitive for smaller users.
The pricing is expensive, with the cost for customers ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 yearly.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware ESXi report
Zack Baraci - PeerSpot reviewerMithun Nidiyenga - PeerSpot reviewerJames Vailloo - PeerSpot reviewerAmar Sorro - PeerSpot reviewerMir Gulzar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

Nutanix AHV excels in user-friendliness, cost-efficiency, scalability, flexible management, and robust data protection, enhancing virtual environment operations.
VMware ESXi is highly regarded for its reliability, user-friendliness, resource optimization, and efficient management of virtual machines.
It is easier to manage than VMware in some ways, providing a good level of interaction.
The technology behind the backups is very efficient, enabling a reliable virtual environment.
For more quotes and insights, download the Nutanix AHV Virtualization report
As a level one or bare metal hypervisor, its unmatched scalability depends on underlying hardware, capable of managing large numbers of physical servers with one management platform.
Its capability to move virtual machines to physical machines is very efficient for our live environment.
All the features of VMware ESXi are very beneficial, particularly for virtualizing our infrastructure.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware ESXi report
Zack Baraci - PeerSpot reviewerJames Vailloo - PeerSpot reviewerMir Gulzar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewerSyed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewerFozia Nurye - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

Nutanix AHV Virtualization
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware ESXi
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Server Virtualization Software category, the mindshare of Nutanix AHV Virtualization is 8.2%, up from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware ESXi is 0.6%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Virtualization Software
 

Featured Reviews

Mithun Nidiyenga - PeerSpot reviewer
Achieves seamless upgrades and cost efficiency while managing virtualization
One issue we encountered is with third-party vendors who provide customized images in OVF format, a VMware virtualization format. When we customize these images for Nutanix AHV, some vendors refuse to support them, stating they've been altered. Another area for improvement is in the patching process. Nutanix releases product patches every three months, while the underlying systems like the backend operating system receive weekly updates, causing a gap. This delay in patching creates risk, especially for government projects that require timely updates.
Read full review
Syed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficiently manages development environments with robust network integration
I recommend new users download and evaluate the free version from VMware's website. Once satisfied, they should purchase the professional version for a smooth and secure IT infrastructure. The professional version is cost-effective, allowing one to create multiple servers on a single server. I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
28%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Nutanix AHV compare with VMware vSphere?
To understand which is better - Nutanix AHV or VMware vSphere - you need to do a product comparison. Both products support hypervisors. However, Nutanix supports some of the most popular ones and m...
See all answers
What do you like most about Nutanix AHV Virtualization?
Integration is the most valuable feature of the product.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nutanix AHV Virtualization?
Nutanix offers a lower price compared to other solutions. This has been advantageous as it does not require additional licensing costs for the hypervisor, contributing to overall cost savings.
See all answers
What do you like most about VMware ESXi?
My customers are satisfied with the solution’s performance.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware ESXi?
VMware ESXi operates on a subscription model with core-based licensing; the pricing can change frequently. The product is very cost-effective, though not fixed, as pricing tends to fluctuate over t...
See all answers
What needs improvement with VMware ESXi?
The cost of VMware ESXi is very high, especially after the acquisition by Broadcom, which led to price increases. Improving the cost structure would be beneficial.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 19% of the time
VMware vSphere vs Nutanix AHV Virtualization Logo
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Compared 6% of the time
Odin Virtuozzo Containers vs Nutanix AHV Virtualization Logo
Odin Virtuozzo Containers vs Nutanix AHV Virtualization
Compared 0% of the time
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Compared 25% of the time
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KVM vs VMware ESXi
Compared 20% of the time
Proxmox VE vs VMware ESXi Logo
Proxmox VE vs VMware ESXi
Compared 12% of the time
Hyper-V vs VMware ESXi Logo
Hyper-V vs VMware ESXi
Compared 9% of the time
Oracle VM vs VMware ESXi Logo
Oracle VM vs VMware ESXi
Compared 5% of the time
More VMware ESXi Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Nutanix AHV Virtualization
March 2025
Nutanix AHV Virtualization reportDownload Nutanix AHV Virtualization product report
Buyer's Guide
VMware ESXi
March 2025
VMware ESXi reportDownload VMware ESXi product report
 

Overview

Nutanix AHV is a secure, enterprise-grade solution for intuitive virtualization and container management. It streamlines operations and simplifies management for all your workloads and environments.
Nutanix

VMware ESXi serves as a hypervisor enabling virtualization by transforming physical servers into virtual infrastructures, supporting efficient server management, development, and production environments.

Organizations utilize VMware ESXi for its high availability and ability to host diverse workloads effectively. Known for stability and maturity, it efficiently handles server, networking, and storage demands, with integral features like vMotion and memory compression. ESXi integrates well with data center operations, allowing seamless resource allocation and virtual machine migration. Despite impressive capabilities, users encounter challenges with setup complexity, licensing costs, and technical support delays, leading some to explore different solutions.

What are the main features of VMware ESXi?
  • High Availability: Ensures continuous operation of virtual machines.
  • vMotion Capabilities: Facilitates easy virtual machine migration.
  • Clustering: Enhances resource management and efficiency.
  • Server Management: Offers efficient management with third-party integration.
  • Resource Optimization: Utilizes memory compression technologies.
What benefits and ROI do organizations see with VMware ESXi?
  • Cost Savings: Reduces expenses by consolidating servers.
  • User-friendliness: Offers a stable and manageable interface.
  • Multi-OS Support: Enables running Linux and Windows environments.
  • High Performance: Recognized for speed and efficiency.

Industries deploying VMware ESXi benefit in sectors requiring robust IT infrastructure, including finance, healthcare, and education. Its capability to support high availability and diverse workloads proves essential for critical applications, enhancing productivity and agility in dynamic environments.

VMware
 

Sample Customers

JetBlue, International Speedway Corporation, SAIC Volkswagen
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
Nutanix AHV Virtualization vs. VMware ESXi
March 2025
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