Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] vs HPE SimpliVity comparison

Cisco and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the HCI category. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [...

Read 90 Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] reviews

89% willing to recommend

HPE SimpliVity

Read 155 HPE SimpliVity reviews

10,046 Views
9,745 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [...

HPE SimpliVity

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] and HPE SimpliVity based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Broadcom, Nutanix and others in HCI.

To learn more, read our detailed HCI Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HCI

April 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 893,244 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 HyperFlex HX-Series [...

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

HPE SimpliVity

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

155

Ranking in other categories

HCI (6th)

Featured Reviews

Nuno Mendes

IT Manager - Resp.Department at Parvalorem

High performance solution that makes it easy to efficiently manage VM resources

In our case as a credit recovery company working with the state, our infrastructure is fixed and stable as we don't have the same need for growth as other types of companies. That said, one of the biggest problems with HyperFlex HX is that if you want to adjust your solution in terms of processing power, memory, or disk capacity, you have to buy completely new hosts. From a financial perspective, it can be very expensive to do so, and from a legal perspective, there are all kinds of compliance issues we would have to sort out before buying any new solution or application. Since we as a company will only be operating for perhaps the next ten years, when our HyperFlex solution comes to its end-of-life in 2024 our next step will likely not be with HyperFlex or any other solution from Cisco. Instead, from a financial point of view, we will likely turn toward a cloud solution because, that way, we won't have to spend so much money on physical infrastructure. We are, after all, only a small company and HyperFlex can be very expensive for other companies of our size, whether in Portugal or elsewhere like the United States. One other area for improvement is in regard to HyperFlex's integration with VMware. HyperFlex integrates with a specific version of VMware in such a way that HyperFlex doesn't always resolve security issues with VMware at the same pace as what you see in native implementations of VMware. This has happened in one or two situations in the past. On the other hand, the integration is otherwise adequate, especially in terms of availability and virtualization features (such as being able to split up each of our four hosts within VMware).

Read full review

Mohammed Lokman Hossen

Senior Manager, Enterprise Technology Services at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Has integrated solutions and rapid recovery made management smoother and more reliable

There is the latest update from HPE regarding HPE SimpliVity. For virtualization, HPE has to depend on other manufacturers, OEMs such as VMware or Hyper-V. Recently, HPE declared the VM essential virtualization solution. In the future, if HPE integrates HPE SimpliVity with VM essential, that will be a great combination. Functionality-wise, I am totally satisfied with HPE SimpliVity, but for improvement, if HPE integrates its own virtualization solution, this combination and integration will be beneficial because this integration can be configured with the cloud-based system. A VM can be uploaded to the cloud from this, which will be advantageous for backup to other sites.

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

"This kind of solution adds a lot of value because it helps the IT department to align with the business' view."

"Cisco HyperFlex is the best appliance-based product."

"Deduplication is a valuable feature available in Cisco HyperFlex."

"I find the usability very valuable."

"The primary use case is for backup virtualization, active directory servers, and backup file servers."

"Cisco HyperFlex is helping us to put everything in centrally so that we can manage in one place."

"The scalability of the product is quite good overall - as long as you plan correctly from the outset."

"It allows us to authorize our residents to come in using their own personal devices to access any of our clinical applications and ensure that the PHI is secure and protected."

More Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] pros

"I have found backup and replication to be useful. We have a 10 megabit line between the data center and our main site. The backup and replication are very good. Additionally, the solution runs on VMware which is a benefit."

"While the implementation is difficult, once you get past that, it's an excellent solution."

"My day-to-day experiences are better now that my backups are no longer running into production."

"Comparing this solution to some of the other competitors that we've been going up against, they like the ease of use, the centralized management, and big cost-savings."

"SimpliVity is integrated with the hypervisor, and you have a single pane of glass."

"The most valuable features are the backup and restore capability, the speed with which it can back-up, and restores can be done in seconds."

"It has lessened our burden on multiple different products, so they are under one umbrella."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of use and the storage virtualization layer, together with the built-in backups."

More HPE SimpliVity pros

Cons

"Ultimately we've noticed the updates and upgrades take a bit of an impact on the solution, more so having to reboot the solution and having to restart it."

"I would like to see them expand onto the cloud."

"The utilization needs to be better. It needs more options."

"Sometimes when there are multiple technologies involved in a support case, this is when there is a bit of a lag."

"It would have been nice if the product provided some cloud integrations."

"Maybe a better version is required to gather all of the information to allow HyperFlex to bring everything online more rapidly."

"It was really painful, and we couldn't sort out the reason."

"The primary improvements should be made in the cluster storage controller VMs so that they don't break the upgrade process."

More Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] cons

"There is a file size limitation when you want to do an individual file restore, but they might have resolved this in newer versions. As I'm taking backups at the VM server level, I can restore a file from any one of those without standing up the VM, and I can restore it to any mounted VM that I want. The problem is that there is a file size limitation. It becomes problematic when I'm trying to restore. When I want to restore a backup of a SQL database, my backups are considerably larger than 10 gigs. So, the only way to restore that backup file is to mount the entire VM somewhere and then copy it, which doesn't take long at all."

"As for the infrastructure of the product as it relates to customer size, it is not very good at this moment in Peru."

"The solution must provide other hypervisors."

"There are some maintenance features (replica copy load-balancing) that could stand to be automated and/or streamlined for customer execution."

"The biggest feature, which should be included, is some method to handle archival backup or cloud-based backup."

"The product is expensive."

"The technical support is weak. It is a layered product. It has a software solution on top of the SimpliVity solution, which is built on top of the hardware of the HPE DL380s. When we call for a problem that we know is related to the DL380, we get a SimpliVity guy trying to solve a SimpliVity problem. If it is not a SimpliVity problem, it's a hardware problem. So, it takes awhile for them to figure out which part of the organization should really be helping us."

"It would be better if it could integrate more easily with other vendors."

More HPE SimpliVity cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's much more expensive than rack servers. It was an issue, but when you compare it to the number of people who were administrative assistants before, it's on the positive ROI side. It's much cheaper."

"It's roughly $30,000 per Hyperflex license, so that would be about $60,000 a year."

"There is a license required to use this solution."

"There is a recurring cost for the VMware license and the HyperFlex licenses."

"HyperFlex is relatively expensive, but you get good value for money."

"Our licensing is Hybrid. We have all of our applications for billing and outage management through this."

"Cisco is quite expensive, but not in the initial first buy."

"Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series is a bit pricier compared to other brands in the market...There is a need to make additional payments towards the maintenance and support of the solution."

More Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] pricing and cost advice

"Its price is pretty good as compared to the other solutions, but it is quite expensive if we compare it with non-HCI solutions."

"Scaling isn't cheap"

"One big advantage with SimpliVity is that you don't need the higher license cost or VMware to put together a simple SimpliVity solution."

"The pricing of HPE SimpliVity is comparable with other solutions so the price is good."

"Cost of this product is high."

"ESXi licensing is a big part of initial investment if you do not already have that covered."

"We did get some quotes from Nutanix, and they were ballparks. So, it is not cheap, and there is nothing free, but those two were comparable."

"It is not expensive. We bought its license for two years. For support, we pay yearly."

More HPE SimpliVity pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which HCI solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Marketing Services Firm

13%

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	57

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	67
Midsize Enterprise	49
Large Enterprise	80

Questions from the Community

How do I choose between Cisco Hyperflex HX Series and Nutanix Acropolis AOS?

Cisco HyperFlex HS series vs Nutanix Acropolis AOS Cisco HyperFlex gives extended hyper-convergence functions from core to edge and multi-cloud environments. It helps IT and OT teams deploy hyper...

See all answers

How does VxRail compare with Cisco HyperFlex HX Series?

VxRail provides stable solutions for technical problems while at the same time not being too expensive for a company to invest in. Even if you are working with a limited budget, this platform offer...

See all answers

How does HPE Simplivity compare with VMware vSAN?

HPE SimpliVity is a hyper-converged infrastructure solution that is primarily geared to mid-sized companies. We researched VMware vSAN but found HPE was a better option for us. HPE SimpliVity has ...

See all answers

What do you like most about HPE SimpliVity?

The solution's technical support is good.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE SimpliVity?

Standalone HPE SimpliVity is more expensive than other OEMs and solutions. Regarding the software side, VMware is costing significantly more nowadays compared to other solutions in the market. The ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

VMware vSAN vs Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

VxRail vs Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

Dell PowerFlex vs Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL]

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] Competitors

VxRail vs HPE SimpliVity

Compared 27% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs HPE SimpliVity

Compared 15% of the time

VMware vSAN vs HPE SimpliVity

Compared 10% of the time

HPE Alletra dHCI vs HPE SimpliVity

Compared 6% of the time

Dell PowerFlex vs HPE SimpliVity

Compared 4% of the time

More HPE SimpliVity Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL]

May 2026

Download Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE SimpliVity

May 2026

Download HPE SimpliVity product report

Also Known As

No data available

SimpliVity, HPE HCI

Overview

The Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform is a purpose-built, high-performance, scale-out file system with a wide array of enterprise-class data management services. The data platform’s innovations redefine distributed storage technology, giving you complete hyper-convergence with enterprise storage features:

Enterprise-class data management
Continuous data optimization
Securely encrypted storage
Dynamic data placement
Clusterwide parallel data distribution
Linear and incremental scaling
API-based data platform architecture
A simplified approach

Cisco

HPE SimpliVity provides businesses with advanced features such as inline deduplication, compression, and instant recovery, enabling efficient backup and scalability. Its integration with VMware and centralized management fosters ease of use, establishing a streamlined IT infrastructure.

HPE SimpliVity stands as a comprehensive solution for organizations seeking a robust infrastructure capable of handling diverse workloads. Its features like integrated backup and disaster recovery ensure quick restores and high availability. Known for its efficient use of storage and data processing capabilities, it helps reduce operational costs. This system offers a reliable framework for virtualized environments, enhancing disaster recovery processes, IT operations, and application hosting while supporting workloads such as Oracle, SAP, and SQL.

What are HPE SimpliVity's key features?

Inline Deduplication: Minimizes data redundancy, enhancing storage efficiency.
Compression: Optimizes storage, reducing space requirements.
Instant Recovery: Facilitates rapid restoration of data and applications.
Centralized Management: Simplifies IT operations with unified management.
Scalable Architecture: Adapts to business growth seamlessly.

What benefits should users seek in HPE SimpliVity reviews?

Cost Reduction: Achieves savings through efficient data processing and storage utilization.
High Availability: Ensures consistent service and data accessibility.
VMware Integration: Provides compatibility and smooth operations in VMware environments.
Quick Disaster Recovery: Enables swift restoration processes for continued business operations.

Organizations deploy HPE SimpliVity mainly for virtualized environments, focusing on disaster recovery, IT operations, and application hosting. Extensively used in sectors for VDI, backups, and data center tasks, it supports major workloads like Oracle and SAP, simplifying infrastructure management while ensuring high availability.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Sample Customers

BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Ready Pac Foods, Bryant University, Bellevue Group, KPIT Technologies, City Harvest

Red Bull Racing, Mandarin Oriental, Brigham Young University, UCLA, Merlin Entertainments, Sasa Cosmetics, Travelport, St. John’s Riverside Hospital, Princess House

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Broadcom, Nutanix and others in HCI. Updated: April 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best HCI vendors.

We monitor all HCI reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.