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VMware vCenter vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

VMware and Progress Software are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. VMware is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.6, while Progress Software is ranked #14 with an average rating of 9.5. VMware holds a 0.6% mindshare in SM, compared to Progress Software’s 1.5% mindshare. 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 35 VMware vCenter reviews
  • 187 Views
  • 80 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
WhatsUp Gold
Read 24 WhatsUp Gold reviews
  • 503 Views
  • 399 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
 

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.

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To learn more, read our detailed VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold
April 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

VMware vCenter
Ranking in Server Monitoring
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
WhatsUp Gold
Ranking in Server Monitoring
14th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (24th), Network Monitoring Software (26th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (27th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of VMware vCenter is 0.6%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 1.5%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

SivaKuppala - PeerSpot reviewer
Performance monitoring tools help track resource usage, identify performance bottlenecks, and optimize the efficiency of virtual environments
It is like a single point of failure. In an environment, vCenter is deployed as a single instance, which represents a single point of failure. The concern here is that tasks such as provisioning, monitoring, and maintenance may be impacted until the server is restored. This only affects management; users are not impacted. But, again, management capabilities will be impacted. The entire system goes down until recovery is completed. You will not be able to provision new VDI. Also, vCenter requires a lot of additional resources for managing capabilities. It uses a significant amount of CPU, memory, and network bandwidth, which can sometimes slow down. Proper sizing is important for vCenter so that it does not impact end-users. vCentre licensing cost is on the higher side as well.
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Tom Condo - PeerSpot reviewer
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 alerting mechanism is very good. VMware vCenter simplifies infrastructure management with its intuitive interface."
"I am using vMotion for live migration and storage migrations. I can use vCenter for both now."
"The performance monitoring tools within vCenter help track resource usage, identify performance bottlenecks, and optimize the efficiency of virtual environments."
"We manage practically everything using the solution."
"The product has improved our system's proactive support for in-built AI tools."
"We must create a VIN on each node. You want to make the VIN ten times if you have a thin host. We mostly create VMs, and the vCenter publishes the template on all hosts."
"The most valuable feature of VMware vCenter is the centralized management that allows us to see resources from different data centers and VMware clusters in a single dashboard."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of migrating services from one host to another during maintenance."
More VMware vCenter pros
"The interface in the last few years it has been a lot greater, they are much more user-friendly. I like the interface."
"This is a good, stable network monitoring solution for devices."
"It is stable."
"WhatsUp Gold is very easy to deploy."
"The most valuable features are network bandwidth monitoring and monitoring device health."
"The user interface is good enough."
"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."
"It handles the basics of monitoring."
More WhatsUp Gold pros
 

Cons

"If VMware integrates some features of their other solution into VMware vCenter, operational managers might find it beneficial. Many organizations prefer to maintain separate solution sets based on specific needs and data requirements."
"Enhancing the product's capabilities on the backend could be beneficial."
"Sometimes, vCenter management can be difficult if you forget the password. You can't change or recover the password easily. We then have to reinstall vCenter, which means reconfiguring everything. That's a challenge we've encountered."
"The stability could be better."
"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."
"vCentre licensing cost is on the higher side as well."
"The technical support team could respond faster."
"It could display the status of the storage space in terabytes, the number of VMs, etc."
More VMware vCenter cons
"I would like to see better integration with switches so that you can see what is connected to each port, what the traffic is, and have a network map automatically generated."
"Improvements are needed in integration, especially for WhatsApp call and messages."
"Pricing is too high relative to how many devices we use. The price list is not linear to number of devices."
"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."
"I think there are a few bugs now. Although they give some resolution for this, we cannot share the network remotely because of our company policy."
"We can never achieve or get a good picture of the network topology."
"The pricing for this solution has gone up quite recently, which has led some of our customers to buy an alternative product."
"Importing the maps and being able to customize them could be easier."
More WhatsUp Gold cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The platform is expensive."
"VMware vCenter is not expensive."
"The platform has reasonable pricing."
"The tool used to be worth the money, but after Broadcom acquired it and changed the pricing structure to subscription-only, it became too expensive for us to continue using. Unfortunately, we haven't found any alternative solutions that meet our needs, so this is a significant drawback for us as we explore other options."
"The product is expensive."
"The product is affordable for now."
"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."
"For the healthcare industry, the price is considerably higher than the education industry."
More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice
"There is a license needed to use WhatsUp Gold."
"The pricing can be on the expensive side when considering competing products."
"This is a well priced solution."
"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."
"The tool's price is reasonable. WhatsUp Gold is cheaper than SolarWinds."
"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 most valuable feature is the cost compared to other solutions."
"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."
More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
 

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...
See all answers
What needs improvement with VMware vCenter?
The performance is well, however, i didnot use different products to say my opinion.
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 Logo
Microsoft Configuration Manager vs VMware vCenter
Compared 100% of the time
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Grafana vs WhatsUp Gold Logo
Grafana vs WhatsUp Gold
Compared 13% of the time
PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold Logo
PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold
Compared 9% of the time
Zabbix vs WhatsUp Gold Logo
Zabbix vs WhatsUp Gold
Compared 9% of the time
SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold Logo
SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold
Compared 8% of the time
Nagios XI vs WhatsUp Gold Logo
Nagios XI vs WhatsUp Gold
Compared 6% of the time
More WhatsUp Gold Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
VMware vCenter
March 2025
VMware vCenter reportDownload VMware vCenter product report
Buyer's Guide
WhatsUp Gold
March 2025
WhatsUp Gold reportDownload WhatsUp Gold product report
 

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.

VMware

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.

Progress Software
 

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
April 2025
Free Report: VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold
Find out what your peers are saying about VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
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