VMware vCenter vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

VMware and Progress Software are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. VMware is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.6, while Progress Software is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.7. Additionally, 96% of VMware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

VMware vCenter

Read 33 VMware vCenter reviews

95 Views
46 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 24 WhatsUp Gold reviews

617 Views
506 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

VMware vCenter

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

WhatsUp Gold and VMware vCenter are established tools for network monitoring and virtualization management respectively. Users are generally happier with WhatsUp Gold's pricing and customer support, but VMware vCenter often stands out due to its comprehensive feature set, which users find worth the investment.

Features: WhatsUp Gold is valued for its simplicity, ease of configuration, and accessibility for small to medium enterprises. VMware vCenter is praised for advanced functionalities such as extensive monitoring capabilities, deep integrations, and a robust, feature-rich environment.

Room for Improvement: WhatsUp Gold users suggest enhancing reporting capabilities, adding more third-party integration options, and improving scalability. VMware vCenter users desire improvements in scalability, interface enhancements, and more intuitive configuration options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WhatsUp Gold has a straightforward deployment process, allowing quick setup and ease of use. Customer service is frequently responsive and helpful. VMware vCenter's deployment is more complex, reflecting its advanced feature set but requires extensive planning. Users appreciate VMware’s depth of support resources available, although immediate customer service satisfaction can vary.

Pricing and ROI: WhatsUp Gold tends to have a lower initial setup cost, making it attractive for smaller budgets and offering rapid ROI. VMware vCenter, while more costly upfront, is deemed a worthwhile investment due to its extensive features and strong long-term ROI track record, particularly in larger, more complex environments.

To learn more, read our detailed VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

December 2024

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Helped 824,129 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

VMware vCenter

Ranking in Server Monitoring

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in Server Monitoring

13th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (31st), Network Monitoring Software (33rd), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (31st)

Featured Reviews

Carlos Andres Campo

VMware/ Storage Specialist at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees

Offers highly valuable centralized features and has significantly simplified VM deployment and management processes

vCenter has significantly simplified VM deployment and management processes, making tasks easier and more efficient. Its centralized features are highly valued, especially when compared to other solutions like Microsoft's System Center Virtual Machine Manager, which lacks certain functionalities. The scalability feature of vCenter has supported our growth by providing flexibility and efficiency. As an expert, I have found it invaluable in resolving issues and managing growth, especially during transitions to cloud-based infrastructures like Azure, which have reduced the need for extensive on-premises resources. Our experience with vCenter backup and recovery functionalities involved integration issues with our existing tool. Currently, we use Commvault for backup, which is straightforward to configure but lacks full integration capabilities. I would recommend VMware vCenter to others because it is a stable and reliable product. However, new users should consider the costs associated with the subscription model. Overall, I would rate VMware vCenter as a ten out of ten.

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Tom Condo

Supervisor Information Services Operations at Seminole County Public Schools

If CPU, memory, or disk space is over-utilized, it alerts us immediately via text or email if there is an issue

When it comes to the intuitiveness of the topology mapping feature, our network architect created a vision diagram of our entire network and then created the links tied into the WhatsUp active monitoring to different spots on our topology map. It's one of the more critical functions we do here. We have the map displayed in different places in our room and help desk. We get alerted via emails but we can also see it visually. It does what it says it's going to do. We find this feature very helpful. The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one link. You can go into a particular part of the topology map, scroll in, and see exactly which module it is. All the information is provided. This feature really helps. You can see the correlation between that link and what failed. This feature is very helpful. The interface is fairly intuitive. Some of our users used SolarWinds and Nagios, and WhatsUp is easy in comparison. Once you get set up, the look, feel, and configuration are good. Our network architect had never used it before but he was able to create the Visio and map. It was very simple. He has no problems with it.

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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 user-friendliness and stability are the product’s most valuable features."

"The integration of vCenter server with any software, whether from VMware or a third party, is smooth and straightforward."

"Some of the most valuable features of vCenter are LACP and vSphere Distributed Switches, as they simplify VLAN propagation between hosts and enable networking duplication and replication."

"The initial setup is a very user-friendly process. Installation and configuration are easy."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of migrating services from one host to another during maintenance."

"The tool is helpful because it gives us excellent control, maximizing server usage and resources. We can create numerous virtual machines and servers that host many services. Overall, we have had a very good experience. The most valuable feature for us is its elasticity. We can easily ramp up resources and bring in more processes for specific workloads, which was a nightmare earlier. This ability to extend resource availability for virtual users is particularly beneficial."

"The most valuable features are DRS, cluster management, vCenter management, and logs management."

"It has significantly impacted our organization by facilitating troubleshooting and monitoring processes."

More VMware vCenter pros

"It is easy to access and discover devices, as well as monitor them automatically. The topology discover is also a useful feature."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"The threshold alerting is the most valuable feature."

"I use it on premises to monitor my network database. We monitor the link up/down and use the SNMP traps as well."

"The interface in the last few years it has been a lot greater, they are much more user-friendly. I like the interface."

"The most valuable feature is the auto-discovery function."

"The documentation is very good."

"The most valuable feature of WhatsUp Gold is NetFlow and the virtualized maps."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"The product's technical support services could be better."

"VMware vCenter does not have a centralized security dashboard, and it is pretty tedious to configure."

"There needs to be improvement in the pricing model, as the host license is already very high, and customers should have more open options for creating automation scenarios out of the box."

"The monitoring features are limited."

"There is a feature called Fault Tolerance (FT), which has been part of vCenter servers since the product's inception. However, it has a lot of complexity, and when my team tested it, we found it difficult to manage. It also has some bugs. Consequently, we decided not to offer any fault tolerance features to our customers."

"It could display the status of the storage space in terabytes, the number of VMs, etc."

"One area where VMware vCenter has room for improvement is its transition to Broadcom. The change in licensing structure and pricing, particularly the shift from perpetual licenses to subscription-only models, is a significant drawback."

"The licensing model of VMware vCenter can be improved"

More VMware vCenter cons

"One of the biggest things that made us start to look at another product is we're not able to have an end to end monitoring from a user perspective throughout the system and back to the user. All the monitoring is from inside out, we need something that also can give us from outside in."

"Integrations with other devices. I want to have a product that has full integration with my active directory so I can track user activity. I want to track my complete user activity, so I'm looking for a product to implement in the near future, which will have full integration with my network and active directory users. It became very difficult to track user activity."

"The licensing model could be improved. Right now, the levels are too far apart. This causes the solution to be more expensive than it needs to be."

"The interface needs some work."

"The tool should focus on increasing its market share, as it is the only area of concern where improvements are needed."

"Pricing is too high relative to how many devices we use. The price list is not linear to number of devices."

"You have to invest a few days to become an expert in this solution."

"WhatsUp Gold should work on real-time monitoring and configuration management. If they succeed in doing this, the solution will cover all the network troubleshooting aspects and will be a benefit."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The platform is expensive."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."

"We utilize the basic licenses of the product."

"The solution is pretty expensive for small businesses because there are few lower-scale VMware vCenter solutions."

"The product is expensive."

"The licensing model was a bit complex, but thanks to the vCenter product usage program, which VMware introduced, it's kind of easy for us to use a pay-as-you-go model."

"For the healthcare industry, the price is considerably higher than the education industry."

"VMware vCenter is not expensive."

More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice

"It is per device, per year. The pricing is very clear. If you have a service agreement, you get all of your major upgrades and minor upgrades. It was under $10,000 to go all-in with all of the different add-ons for it."

"The tool's price is reasonable. WhatsUp Gold is cheaper than SolarWinds."

"This is a well priced solution."

"There is a license needed to use WhatsUp Gold."

"The most valuable feature is the cost compared to other solutions."

"There are some subscription charges that are quite heavy. I need to pay for support every year and these charges can be quite expensive. Aside from the initial cost for the tool, you need to pay additionally for support."

"I'm not sure, but it's expensive. We don't pay any additional fees."

"Pricing is reasonable compared to other products."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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824,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about VMware vCenter?

The filtering capabilities also enhance scalability by optimizing resource allocation.

See all answers

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

The pricing and setup cost are rated seven out of ten. It is mentioned that the price might be a little lower to increase customer adoption. The specific details of the financial cost were not prov...

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What needs improvement with VMware vCenter?

The licensing model needs improvement, especially with the transition to Broadcom. The change from core-based to appliance-based licensing is causing confusion for partners and users. There should ...

See all answers

What do you like most about WhatsUp Gold?

The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one l...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WhatsUp Gold?

Clients find the licensing calculator confusing, but we simplify this for them by collecting relevant information first. The licensing is based on devices, providing better cost-effectiveness than ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with WhatsUp Gold?

Improvements are needed in integration, especially for WhatsApp call and messages. Our region heavily uses WhatsApp Messenger for communication, and integration with this platform would be benefici...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs VMware vCenter

Compared 100% of the time

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Grafana vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 16% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 9% of the time

Zabbix vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 8% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 7% of the time

ManageEngine OpManager vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter

December 2024

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Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

December 2024

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

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VMware

Progress Software

Overview

VMware vCenter is essential for managing virtual machines, deploying systems for customers, and centralizing ESXi servers' management. It aids in monitoring hosts, handling backups, recovering data, and virtualizing compute resources.

Organizations leverage VMware vCenter to oversee virtual infrastructure, automate administrative tasks, and provide self-service portals. It simplifies the management of IT environments by offering features like host profiles, high availability, and cluster configuration. Other notable features include scalability, resource management, performance monitoring, cloning, snapshots, DRS, LACP, and lifecycle management. VMware vCenter ensures continuous system availability, benefiting sectors like healthcare through efficient server management and process automation. The platform's alerting mechanisms, backup and restore functionalities, and elastic resource allocation enhance operational efficiency.

What are the key features of VMware vCenter?

Host Profiles: Simplifies and standardizes host configurations.
High Availability: Ensures system uptime and reliability.
Centralized Management: Allows comprehensive control over multiple ESXi servers.
Scalability: Adapts to growing infrastructure needs.
Performance Monitoring: Assesses and optimizes virtual machine performance.
Cloning & Snapshots: Facilitates quick deployment and recovery.
DRS: Distributes resources efficiently across the cluster.
LACP: Enhances network performance and reliability.
Lifecycle Management: Manages software updates and hardware lifecycles effectively.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Operational Efficiency: Automates routine tasks and improves resource management.
System Availability: Minimizes downtime and ensures continuous operations.
Cost Management: Optimizes resource usage and reduces operational costs.
Scalability: Grows with the company's infrastructure needs.
Enhanced Performance: Monitors and optimizes virtual machine performance.

Healthcare organizations use VMware vCenter to ensure uninterrupted access to critical applications and patient data. It helps manage large volumes of virtual servers, providing necessary performance and reliability. This platform's automation and monitoring capabilities are crucial for maintaining efficient IT operations and supporting healthcare needs.

Explore and manage your entire network infrastructure effortlessly with WhatsUp Gold's robust layer 2/3 discovery, creating a detailed interactive map from the edge to the cloud. Monitor devices, wireless controllers, servers, virtual machines, applications, and traffic flows across various environments. Real-time alerts ensure optimal performance, allowing you to meet or exceed SLAs. The platform offers customizable maps, dashboards, and alerts for easy network management. Quickly resolve issues with intuitive workflows, reducing Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR). WhatsUp Gold's integrated log management provides easy visibility and control of device log data, allowing monitoring, filtering, searching, and alerting on syslogs or Windows logs. Archive logs to comply with regulatory requirements and preserve historical data, all through a user-friendly interface. Streamline network monitoring and issue resolution with WhatsUp Gold, making network management efficient and hassle-free.

Sample Customers

1. Amazon 2. Apple 3. ATT 4. Bank of America 5. Cisco Systems 6. CocaCola 7. Dell 8. ebay 9. Facebook 10. Google 11. HP 12. IBM 13. Intel 14. JPMorgan Chase 15. LinkedIn 16. Microsoft 17. Netflix 18. Oracle 19. PayPal 20. SAP 21. Siemens 22. Tesla 23. Toyota 24. Twitter 25. Visa 26. Walmart 27. WeWork 28. World Bank

Artoni Trasporti, Austin Independent School District, Banca Marche, Burke County North Carolina, Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine, Clayco, Community Integrated Care, Desca, Deutsche Bergbau, Flexi-Van, Gropper, Hamleys, Hammonds Furniture, Knowledge IT, Idras S.P.A., Sibeg, Swann Engineering, Trivium Lindenhof

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

December 2024

Free Report: VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

Find out what your peers are saying about VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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