VMware vSphere is primarily used for server virtualization and automation.
Manager of Solutions and Support at Esconet Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Good virtualization performance, reliable, scales well, and has responsive technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are the virtualization and the performance on the virtualization platform."
- "Virtualization fulfills the requirements very well."
- "Both the price and the licensing fee are expensive, especially for our clients with a smaller workload."
- "Both the price and the licensing fee are expensive, especially for our clients with a smaller workload."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the virtualization and the performance on the virtualization platform.
What needs improvement?
Both the price and the licensing fee are expensive, especially for our clients with a smaller workload.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with VMware vSphere for 14 years.
We have versions ranging from ESX 3.0 to the most recent one.
We have clients who use various deployment methods, including cloud, hybrid, and on-premises.
Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,880 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware vSphere is a reliable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to scale.
We scale with VMware vSphere as well as vSAN.
We have customers with hundreds of servers running on vSphere.
How are customer service and support?
We have contacted technical support many times.
Technical support is responsive. I would rate them an eight or nine out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are system integrators. We use a wide range of hardware and products.
On a daily basis, we work with servers, virtualization, VMware, and EMC storage boxes, as well as pure storage.
Our clients have tried Hyper-V as well and other solutions, but the consistency is better and there are fewer issues with the vSphere interface.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex.
It may be complex for the users, but not for the IT person; it is not a problem, and at all difficult
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing and pricing need to be improved.
The price is not an issue for our mid-sized or large-sized customers, but it can be expensive for our smaller customers.
What other advice do I have?
Virtualization fulfills the requirements very well.
I would rate VMware vSphere a 10 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Senior Buyer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Easy to install and scalable, but should have better stability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is scalable."
- "We use it for virtual machines, and it is a platform which can be used to provide infrastructure for virtualization."
- "The solution could be more stable."
- "The solution could be more stable."
What is our primary use case?
We are using the latest version.
We use it for virtual machines. It is a platform which can be used to provide infrastructure for virtualization.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be more stable.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using VMware vSphere for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
While the solution is stable, it would be nice if it were more so.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
We have plans to increase our usage.
How are customer service and support?
I have not had occasion to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used a virtual machine prior to the solution.
How was the initial setup?
As the the solution is cloud-based, it is easy to install.
The installation took, perhaps, four days.
What about the implementation team?
Installation can be done on one's own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution comes with a yearly subscription license.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is cloud-based.
There are around four people using the solution in our organization.
I rate VMware vSphere as a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,880 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Principal Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reliable, scales well, and is easy to install
Pros and Cons
- "VMware vSphere is a very stable product."
- "VMware vSphere is a very stable product."
- "VMware vSphere could be more secure and well-known to everyone."
- "VMware vSphere could be more secure and well-known to everyone."
What is our primary use case?
Except for the Oracle Database, our environment is run on VMware vSphere. We also use this solution for connection tests.
What needs improvement?
VMware vSphere could be more secure and well-known to everyone.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with VMware vSphere for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware vSphere is a very stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution.
We have ten users in our organization.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have some experience with Hyper-V and KVM.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay our licensing fees on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I would rate VMware vSphere a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Administrator at self-employed
Useful management tools, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "VMware vSphere has useful tools for management and support."
- "The scalability of VMware vSphere has been very good for what we use it for."
- "We have had some problems setting up the monitoring with vSphere. The process could be simplified."
- "We have had some problems setting up the monitoring with vSphere. The process could be simplified."
What is our primary use case?
We are using VMware vSphere for our internal management systems. Additionally, we are running the Acronis backup solution, which is partly running on vSphere.
What is most valuable?
VMware vSphere has useful tools for management and support.
What needs improvement?
We have had some problems setting up the monitoring with vSphere. The process could be simplified.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware vSphere for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware vSphere is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of VMware vSphere has been very good for what we use it for.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted the technical support personally but my colleagues have and it has been satisfactory.
What other advice do I have?
I rate VMware vSphere a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
General manager at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
Scalable and easy to set up with good stability
Pros and Cons
- "The installation process is very straightforward."
- "We haven't had any issues with stability."
- "The solution should offer more integration capabilities."
- "The solution should offer more integration capabilities."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the product for server virtualization. We have multiple VMs for different environments for our business needs.
What is most valuable?
The solution is scalable.
We haven't had any issues with stability.
The installation process is very straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The solution should offer more integration capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for four or five years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution seems to be stable. We haven't had any issues. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
You can scale the solution very well if you need to. It's not a problem at all.
How are customer service and technical support?
As I am not directly involved with the product, I've never had to reach out to technical support to troubleshoot any issues. Therefore, I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
How was the initial setup?
We have found the solution to be straightforward. It's pretty simple and not overly complex.
A different team handled the setup and deployment. I can't say exactly how long it took to get everything up and running.
We have some engineers that can handle the deployment and maintenance aspects of the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
While I'm sure we are paying some sort of licensing fee, I cannot speak to any exact details. That's handled by management and is not something that I have to deal with directly.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I am not familiar with the company looking at or evaluating other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
We're end-users and customers.
I'm not sure which version of the solution we're currently on. I don't manage that aspect of it.
Overall, I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We've mostly been very happy with its capabilities.
I would recommend the solution to others.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Manager at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Feature-rich, stable, scalable, easy to install, and has good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The roadmap for the product itself covers all of the features that we are looking for."
- "It is user-friendly, easy to deploy, and easy to maintain."
- "It would be great if VMware could have a consolidated way of delivering this as software rather than pieces and several add-ons so that you could enjoy the product in its entirety."
- "It would be great if VMware could have a consolidated way of delivering this as software rather than pieces and several add-ons so that you could enjoy the product in its entirety."
What is most valuable?
It is user-friendly, easy to deploy, and easy to maintain.
The roadmap for the product itself covers all of the features that we are looking for.
It has what we need.
What needs improvement?
There are many add-on modules for it.
It would be great if VMware could have a consolidated way of delivering this as software rather than pieces and several add-ons so that you could enjoy the product in its entirety.
There are many add-ons that you have to plugin to enjoy the feature or experience the full power of it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware vSphere for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware vSphere is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
They were very helpful in resolving the issue that we had.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. It is considered to be a leader within the industry.
I would rate VMware vShpere an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior System Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Is user friendly, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "VMware vSphere is user friendly. It is scalable and stable."
- "VMware vSphere is user friendly, and it is scalable and stable, which are very important attributes for us."
- "VMware vSphere needs to increase the datastore volume."
- "The installation is a little bit complex."
What is most valuable?
VMware vSphere is user friendly. It is scalable and stable, which are very important attributes for us.
What needs improvement?
The installation is a little bit complex.
VMware vSphere needs to increase the datastore volume.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not overly complex. The integration project took two months, and the upgrade to version 6.7 took a lot of time.
For deployment and maintenance, you need a team of three or four admins and engineers.
What about the implementation team?
We worked with an integrator.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Hyper-V.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution and rate it at ten on a scale from one to ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Infrastructure Specialist at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
A cloud computing virtualization platform that's pretty stable
Pros and Cons
- "It's a very useful solution. It's easy to set up, and it's pretty stable."
- "It's a very useful solution. It's easy to set up, and it's pretty stable."
- "It could be more scalable."
- "It could be more scalable."
What is our primary use case?
We use VMware vSphere for virtualization, especially server virtualization.
What is most valuable?
It's a very useful solution. It's easy to set up, and it's pretty stable.
What needs improvement?
It could be more scalable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware vSphere for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware vSphere is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
VMware vSphere can be scalable. We can scale it as much as we want, but it could be more scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty good. It took us about an hour to implement this solution.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented VMware vSphere. We need about two people to set up and maintain this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay for our license.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to new users.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give VMware vSphere a ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
Product Categories
Server Virtualization SoftwarePopular Comparisons
Hyper-V
Proxmox VE
Red Hat OpenShift
Nutanix AHV Virtualization
Oracle VM VirtualBox
Oracle VM
Citrix XenServer
XCP-ng virtualization platform
IBM PowerVM
VMware ESXi
Virtuozzo Hybrid Server
VMware vSphere Foundation
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- VMware ESXi or VMware Workstation?
- What is the biggest difference between KVM and vSphere?
- VMware vs. Hyper-V - Which do you prefer?
- How does VMware ESXi compare to alternative virtualization solutions?
- VMware has been positioned in the Leaders Quadrant of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for four years. Agree/Disagree? Why?
- Proxmox vs ESXi/vSphere: What is your experience?
- Oracle VM vs. latest VMWare?
- Which is the most suitable blade server for VMware ESXi?
- What do each of the VMware and Citrix products do?
- What is the biggest difference between Nutanix Acropolis and VMware vSphere?















