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Arista Networks Platform vs VMware NSX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
6.5
Arista Networks offers excellent ROI with higher costs, being cheaper than Cisco and requiring less deployment time and staff.
Sentiment score
6.4
VMware NSX enhances infrastructure efficiency, CAPEX savings, cybersecurity, and ROI, but initial costs and security effectiveness have mixed reviews.
I saved between five to six hours using Arista Networks Platform, as it takes less time to actually add your APs to the dashboard and deployment is quite fast and easy.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
I have seen a return on investment from using Arista Networks Platform in terms of fewer employees needed during installation and deployment.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.6
Arista Networks Platform offers highly regarded, prompt technical support, though some users note documentation lacks depth and concern over initial costs.
Sentiment score
6.7
VMware NSX customer service is praised for efficiency and expertise, but improvements in accessibility and responsiveness are desired.
They provide instant support and maintain commitments regarding replacement products.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
We would rate the customer support as a nine to 9.5 out of ten.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
All network engineers from the organization were present in the program, and the Arista engineer provided a solution in less than five minutes.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
They were always helpful.
Senior VMware Administrator at Johnson Controls, Inc.
They are quick and understand things easily, so the support is aligned very effectively.
Windows Redhat Linux Vmware & Azure & Cloud & Nutanix Ahv-Vmware & Backup Senior System Administrator at AlDawaa Medical Services
Our technicians have a good support experience from the company.
Joint Staff Officer at Hellenic National Defence General Staff
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Arista Networks Platform offers seamless scalability and ease of expansion to support diverse and large-scale data center environments.
Sentiment score
7.7
VMware NSX is praised for its scalability, robust performance, and efficient network integration, despite some complexity in scaling.
Scalability is a key feature of Arista, owing to the possibilities to manage the entire data center network from a single console.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
We can easily scale up with Arista Networks Platform, as it is not difficult, and they have a platform that encourages scalability.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
There is a high level of satisfaction with its ability to scale.
Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Arista Networks Platform is stable and reliable, with minimal downtime, supported by strong performance and a robust customer base.
Sentiment score
8.1
VMware NSX is highly stable, with strong performance, scalability, and frequent updates addressing most bugs and integration concerns.
I have not had any downtime using Arista Networks Platform.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
We have been working with Arista Networks Platform for the past five years, and we can say it is stable.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
The product performs at 99% efficiency without any showstoppers or significant issues.
Windows Redhat Linux Vmware & Azure & Cloud & Nutanix Ahv-Vmware & Backup Senior System Administrator at AlDawaa Medical Services
For stability, I would rate VMware NSX as a nine out of ten.
Services Presales Solutions Architecture - UAE & Gulf at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Arista Networks needs improved documentation, integration, pricing, and features like microsegmentation to align better with user expectations.
VMware NSX faces challenges in costs, complexity, and user satisfaction, needing enhancements in automation, scalability, and security features.
Feature-wise, it addresses most customer requirements.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
The initial configuration and integration within our existing environment were not easy.
Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
The pricing for the product is another area for improvement as I'm not satisfied nowadays.
Senior VMware Administrator at Johnson Controls, Inc.
The licensing model is expensive and could be more flexible, especially after Broadcom bought VMware.
Services Presales Solutions Architecture - UAE & Gulf at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Arista Networks is often seen as expensive, but some find its value and features competitive against Cisco.
VMware NSX is viewed as costly, with complex licensing and high initial costs, particularly impacting smaller organizations.
Compared to Cisco, Arista routers are significantly cheaper.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
Arista products are perceived as costly, especially compared to competitors like Cisco.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
The cost of VMware NSX is considered high.
Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
VMware NSX is a little higher in price compared to the competition.
Joint Staff Officer at Hellenic National Defence General Staff
There is room for improvement in terms of pricing.
Senior VMware Administrator at Johnson Controls, Inc.
 

Valuable Features

Arista Networks Platform excels in cost-efficiency, scalability, and advanced features with reliable management, deployment, and support.
VMware NSX offers enhanced security, seamless management, and flexibility with automation, scalability, and integration for cloud and on-premises solutions.
Features include plug-and-play auto-discovery, allowing centralized configuration and management.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
The best features Arista Networks Platform offers are the dashboards where you can see all your APs that have been deployed and installed across all locations, making it quite unique to access, manage, and monitor performance from that dashboard.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
The most valuable features of Arista include low latency, scalability, and sustainability of the products.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Micro-segmentation enhances security and provides more secure data in your data center.
Services Presales Solutions Architecture - UAE & Gulf at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The most powerful feature of VMware NSX is the micro-segmentation that allows us to separate the different protocols our application works with.
Joint Staff Officer at Hellenic National Defence General Staff
I value the ability to dynamically configure our network on the fly using VMware NSX.
Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (10th), Data Center Networking (3rd)
VMware NSX
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (2nd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (5th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (7th), Network Automation (3rd), Microsegmentation Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Arista Networks Platform is designed for Ethernet Switches and holds a mindshare of 3.1%, down 3.2% compared to last year.
VMware NSX, on the other hand, focuses on Network Virtualization, holds 33.8% mindshare, down 45.5% since last year.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Arista Networks Platform3.1%
Cisco Ethernet Switches10.0%
Aruba Switches8.2%
Other78.7%
Ethernet Switches
Network Virtualization Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
VMware NSX33.8%
Cisco ACI36.5%
Cisco Elastic Services Controller8.7%
Other21.0%
Network Virtualization
 

Featured Reviews

Adeagbo Olamide - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Cloud-managed access points have simplified deployments and saved significant installation time
I have been using Arista Networks Platform for three years now. Arista Networks Platform is easy to use, and after deployment of the access points, the dashboard makes it easy and convenient to use with easy navigation, which is excellent. The access points on Arista Networks Platform operate in the cloud through the GUI where you operate the access points and perform all configurations for the access points on the platform. In terms of performance with Arista Networks Platform, I would give it a perfect score as it has not failed me before. The only time I had an issue with Arista was when the access point went into rest mode, probably after a power outage in an infrastructure. After contacting Arista and attending an Arista program, I was guided through a solution via the Arista GUI, which I implemented, and since then, the performance has been excellent. In terms of security, I have no issues with Arista; it performs really well in terms of security. Arista Networks Platform is very convenient overall. Arista Networks Platform has really boosted our organization to the extent that our organization does not want to think about any other platform except Arista in terms of access points and switches. We are just diving into the switch area. In terms of time saved with Arista Networks Platform, the access points are easy to install and the switches are easy to install. I can install seven or eight access points in less than two hours. It is really easy to install and time-saving. In terms of cost, I think it is cost-efficient compared to others in the same field.
TAIYAB HASAN - PeerSpot reviewer
Windows Redhat Linux Vmware & Azure & Cloud & Nutanix Ahv-Vmware & Backup Senior System Administrator at AlDawaa Medical Services
Has improved network visibility and security through micro-segmentation and SDN capabilities
This feature gives us flexibility and allows us to manage everything under one pane. We can see everything on one console, including network operations and behavior. Monitoring and security are among the best features for VMware NSX. For micro-segmentation, it's integrated with our endpoint security. If there are any issues with servers or VMs, it notifies us so we can isolate the servers and investigate. It provides distributed security features such as firewall and intrusion, IDS, IPS. The security level with IPS and IDS in VMware NSX is excellent. It also provides logical switching and routing which gives an extra layer for Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching requirements. The solution provides flexibility, automation, and self-service capabilities, resulting in cost savings as extensive expertise isn't required. Once automation and self-service are implemented, many tasks can be completed automatically. Load balancing is another excellent feature. Multiple servers can run on load balancing features, which is particularly useful since we have many application servers running. Sharing loads between servers provides the best performance.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
6%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business33
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise69
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
I do not handle the pricing for Arista Networks Platform as other departments handle the costing. I am a network engineer in my company.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
I have not had any issues with Arista Networks Platform in terms of improvements. I would only advise that they should dive deeper into the Nigerian market and make it easily accessible.
What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?
There are some very major differences between both the Products and to name a few. -Cisco ACI have physical network gear (9K Switches) where the Code runs in ACI Policy Mode & the UCS server wh...
What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?
Once you know your way around the Cisco ecosystem, using Cisco ACI is not so difficult. It is a global product, so when you change one interface, changes are automatically reflected on every switch...
What do you like most about VMware NSX?
The product has valuable features for security and network extension.
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
City of Avondale, Lumeta, Kroll Ontrack, Heartland Payment Systems, Baystate Heallth, Exostar, Tribune Media, iGATE, NTT Communications, Synergent, California Natural Resources Agency, Bloomington Public Schools, Columbia Sportswear, Join Experience S.A, Schuberg Philis
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. VMware NSX and other solutions. Updated: February 2023.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.