Cisco APIC-EM [EOL] vs VMware NSX comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cisco and Broadcom are both solutions in the Network Virtualization category. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

Cisco APIC-EM [EOL]

Read 1 Cisco APIC-EM [EOL] review

100% willing to recommend

VMware NSX

Read 107 VMware NSX reviews

14,984 Views
899 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco APIC-EM [EOL]

VMware NSX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco APIC-EM [EOL] and VMware NSX based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Broadcom, ZeroTier, Inc. and others in Network Virtualization.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Virtualization Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Network Virtualization

October 2026

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Helped 920,336 peers since 2012

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

Cisco APIC-EM [EOL]

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

VMware NSX

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

107

Ranking in other categories

Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (5th), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (7th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (8th), Network Automation (5th), Microsegmentation Software (3rd)

Featured Reviews

it_user817026

Sr. IT & Business Consultant at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Enabling business agility and accelerated time to market with the automated service delivery

Infrastructure as a Service for managed services and other customers, including computing, storage, and networking Business agility and accelerated service delivery Automated processes/workflow automation Better manageability Eliminating the IT administration silos for our datacenter and…

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Mahesh Bhadoriya

Technical Manager at Allianz Cloud Private Limited

Micro segmentation has strengthened zero trust security and isolates production from test environments

The advantages of VMware NSX include its micro-segmentation for internal security at the firewall and VM levels, which is very powerful and helps us comply with complete Zero Trust security models. We are able to achieve this and configure network level virtualization with no dependency on VLANs. Micro-segmentation helps improve our security significantly. We are not totally dependent upon our physical upfront firewall, and it makes sense to configure everything using VMware NSX, leading to multiple improvements in our organization. We moved from traditional networking such as VLANs from the firewall and switches to VMware NSX segmentation. We achieve one firewall per VLAN and can stop lateral movement such as ransomware control. The Zero Trust model is the main functionality and architecture it offers, allowing application isolation, such as having a separate production and test environment. Consistent networking and security policies across different environments have a major and very positive impact on our business operations, allowing us to achieve the security posture we want with compliance and regulations.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Enabling business agility and accelerated time to market with the automated service delivery."

"The environment enables a DevOps culture, continuous delivery, and automated processes."

"Eliminating the IT administration silos for our datacenter and infrastructure by providing a single managed and converged infrastructure which provides unified compute, storage, and networking environment with a single point of management."

"The micro-segmentation and the ability to create policy rules are valuable."

"Their technical support is very good. They help us figure out solutions when we have problems."

"NSX is one of the simplest network solutions that I've ever worked with."

"We saw ROI within the first year and a half."

"The most valuable and unique feature of the solution is Micro-segmentation achieving better security, through enabling security architects to divide data centre into different segments, one being the VMS within the on-premises, the other one on the Cloud."

"The ease in which to install this product and make it work straight away without minimum changes in your physical network is simply astonishing."

"The microsegmentation is a good feature, and you can segment details, products, or hardware information."

"The solution is very stable and reliable."

More VMware NSX pros

Cons

"Need a better workflow definition tool with tracking on existing provisioned services, and to improve multitasking in the workflow automation."

"The training costs a minimum of $3,000, which is expensive and should be reduced."

"They have to work more and more on the integration for public cloud services and have cyber security platform integration."

"The VMware technical support could be better. They're not always reachable and expertise is not widespread."

"It's a good product, but the way that it has got so many multiple levels that need to be purchased makes it expensive and cumbersome."

"Tech support is nice. It could be a little bit better."

"To those who say this solution is complex, I would say it is but not for the key user."

"The solution could improve by having a more streamlined setup."

"The integration with other brands is not the best and could be better."

More VMware NSX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"VMware NSX isn't cheap."

"We have saved man-hours and decreased our security exposure."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable."

"It is an expensive product, but cheaper than some competing solutions."

"The implementation of VMware NSX can be cost-intensive, especially if an organization is looking for a comprehensive solution. The costs can vary based on factors like the level of conversation and discounts obtained during negotiations. Some government organizations, for instance, may find the prices relatively high, leading to concerns about budget hikes, especially when deploying the solution across the entire organization. Regarding maintenance and support, they are typically included in the standard licensing costs for enterprise-level businesses. While these costs can be significant, many companies opt for standard licensing to ensure they have access to necessary support and maintenance services."

"The subscription is on a yearly basis."

"The solution is free and the price for the support can be expensive."

"VMware has a subscription and perpetual license. In the New Year, they're changing many things about the licensing model. Previously, NSX was licensed according to the number of sockets inside the appliance, so we bought VMware licenses based on that. However, that may have changed this year. We are still contacting the vendors to understand the new licensing strategy."

More VMware NSX pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Outsourcing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	23
Large Enterprise	70

Questions from the Community

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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...

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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...

See all answers

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

When measuring complexity and costs for our organization, we consider some parameters for effectiveness. In terms of effectiveness in reducing operational complexity, I measure it to be high on the...

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Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Network Virtualization

October 2026

Download Cisco APIC-EM [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware NSX

October 2026

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Also Known As

Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module

VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender

Overview

APIC-EM is a central part of Cisco Digital Network Architecture. It delivers software-defined networking to the enterprise branch, campus, and WAN. Its simple user interface lets you automate policy-based application profiles. With this module, IT can respond rapidly to new business opportunities.

Cisco

VMware NSX is a comprehensive tool for network virtualization and security, offering advanced features like micro-segmentation and multi-cloud networking to enhance scalability and management efficiency within enterprises.

VMware NSX revolutionizes enterprise networking by integrating security and scalability into one streamlined platform. With capabilities like dynamic policy updates and automation, it simplifies complex configurations and provides robust API integration. Its support for Layer 4 and 7 load balancing, along with its seamless integration in multi-cloud environments, makes it a preferred choice among companies. Although deployment speed and management console features require refinement, NSX is an effective solution for private cloud and hybrid environments, enabling centralized orchestration and management of complex networks.

What are the key features of VMware NSX?

Micro-segmentation: Provides secure, granular network segmentation for enhanced security.
Distributed Firewall: Offers policy-driven firewall capabilities across all network endpoints.
Automation: Enables dynamic policy updates and simplifies network configurations.
API Integration: Facilitates seamless third-party integrations and improves configuration processes.
Multi-Cloud Networking: Supports seamless integration across various cloud environments.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Scalability: Offers significant improvements in network scalability and management efficiency.
Security: Ensures enhanced security through advanced features like micro-segmentation.
Cost-Effectiveness: Potential to reduce costs through network automation and efficiency improvements.
Flexibility: Supports various enterprise requirements with its comprehensive feature set.

In the tech industry, VMware NSX is instrumental in managing private and hybrid cloud environments, allowing companies to replace traditional networking with software-defined networks. In finance, it helps secure transactional data through micro-segmentation. Healthcare organizations leverage its flexibility for managing sensitive patient information securely and integrating cloud services.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Buyer's Guide

Network Virtualization

October 2026

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