Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs Sunlight comparison

Nutanix and Sunlight.io are both solutions in the HCI category. Nutanix is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.7, while Sunlight.io is ranked #30. Nutanix holds a 9.0% mindshare in HCI, compared to Sunlight.io’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Nutanix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sunlight.io users who would recommend it.

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructur...

Read 200 Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) reviews

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7,893 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Sunlight

Read 2 Sunlight reviews

408 Views
408 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructur...

Sunlight

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure and Sunlight compete in the cloud infrastructure market. NCI has an edge with user satisfaction in pricing and support, while Sunlight attracts due to advanced features.

Features: Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure offers robust scalability, integrated security features, and efficient support for diverse workloads. Sunlight impresses with its lightweight footprint, high-performance capabilities, and edge computing compatibility. NCI focuses on comprehensive ecosystem integration, whereas Sunlight prioritizes performance efficiency with minimal resource consumption.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure provides a mature deployment process, supported by extensive documentation and responsive customer service, beneficial for enterprises seeking streamlined implementation. Sunlight offers simplified deployment tailored for edge computing but may lack the level of customer support detail that NCI provides. The main difference is NCI's broader support infrastructure compared to Sunlight's targeted deployment focus.

Pricing and ROI: Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure generally involves higher upfront costs due to its extensive capabilities and support network, potentially delivering substantial long-term ROI through scalability and resource optimization. Sunlight offers a more cost-effective initial setup, promising rapid ROI through its focus on performance and efficiency at lower operational costs. NCI's proposition leans towards extensive long-term ROI, while Sunlight offers immediate cost benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs. Sunlight Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs. Sunlight

February 2026

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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

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructur...

Ranking in HCI

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

200

Ranking in other categories

Software Defined Storage (SDS) (6th), Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) (1st), Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms (4th)

Sunlight

Ranking in HCI

30th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the HCI category, the mindshare of Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) is 9.0%, up from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sunlight is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

HCI Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)	9.0%
Sunlight	0.8%
Other	90.2%

HCI

Featured Reviews

Obasanjo Biliaminu

Head Systems Administration/Security at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System PLC

Infrastructure efficiency has improved significantly with quick server provisioning, though physical to virtual migrations need a streamlined in-house tool

From my experience with Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI), there is one area that needs improvement. When moving a critical infrastructure from a physical machine to Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI), we currently have to use a third-party tool to convert the physical machine to a VM. We have to use VMware converter to perform this conversion before moving it to Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI). I would suggest that Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) should develop their own P2V (physical to VM) tools instead of requiring users to rely on third-party solutions.

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RajeshKANUMURY

Chief Executive Officer at GniYes Inc.

Performs well, effective, and has responsive remote technical support

Sunlight is a scalable solution. It supports on-premises and distributed deployments, as well as public deployments. It has a single pane of management so I can manage all of my VM installations in a distributed manner. It also has a footprint, that allows me to operate on Edge. If for example, you have a retail shop with 2,000 locations and they use a networked point of sale system, or if you are Chipotle and they have so many locations and they have to use a backend system at each location. At the moment, these are all standalone systems that operate with very little connection to the central. We could, however, connect and create a network using Sunlight. We can virtualize and run with Edge thanks to Sunlight. This allows us to operate and obtain high-end computing on Edge for retail. Sunlight is a startup. I am not sure how many users they have, but we have been using it constantly and using the technology to bring in customers.

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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 infrastructure has improved our turnaround time."

"The product is easy to manage."

"The fact that there is only one interface to deploy a complete solution for maximum storage is fantastic."

"We went on Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) and were able to improve performance, but it did not really change how things worked."

"Single click actions is definitely the most important. They were not even aware that they wanted this."

"It allows us to have a cloud-based ecosystem."

"It's easy to use and has a very smooth onboarding process."

"The speed of the operations and of creation of VM is fantastic."

More Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) pros

"The performance and small footprint of this solution are its most valuable features. I am able to obtain and use more than 90 percent of the physical hardware capacity."

"It supports the latest technology of NVMe SSD, which is PCIe-based SSD. It has a very good IOPS performance as compared to vSAN. For the same system, I get 1,000 IOPS with vSAN, and with Sunlight, I am able to get almost 10,000 IOPS. In terms of features, it has almost all the features, such as HA and centralized dashboards. It can be managed centrally, and the visibility of the system is very good. They also have very good technical support and customer or partner training."

Cons

"The One-Click Upgrade process could/should offer the ability to integrate with 3rd party drivers. For example, we use NVIDIA Grid graphics cards. It would be amazing if, during the One-Click Upgrade process, we could "slipstream" additional VIB drivers for ESXi into the upgrade process."

"The pricing model for software and hardware subscription renewals can be improved."

"I would like to see a fuller integration with the public cloud. It would help the user enter the hybrid cloud infrastructure."

"They could improve the graphical user interface."

"In the next release, I would like better and more competitive pricing."

"I think some of the tasks that must be done using CLI could be added to the web interface."

"While the customer support is truly incredible, for Spanish speakers it would be appropriate to have support in their native language to further improve problem-solving conditions."

"Pricing and varieties of options could be better."

More Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) cons

"Its reporting and dashboards need to be improved. It currently has very basic reporting options. It should also be made easier to deploy on Unix operating systems. It is easy to deploy on Windows and Linux, but it is currently not easy to deploy on Unix."

"My recommendation would be to add this technology to Azure, Microsoft Azure so that we can bring it to the market, or deploy it on public clouds such as Microsoft Azure and Google. It is currently only available on Amazon's public cloud."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the license for Nutanix Acropolis AOS is less expensive than the competition. There is a favorable cost saving. Having only the need to deal with a single vendor, the management of the customer's entire stack is cost-effective."

"My advice is to get the ultimate license, as it is worth it."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure's pricing is higher now."

"It is less expensive than the VMware alternative."

"If they could further reduce the cost, that would be great. I would like to see the cost be less than the equivalent three-tier architecture."

"Its licensing model is easy, but the bad thing is that we need to pay for the whole capacity at once. With VMware vSAN, we only have to pay for the capacity that we are using, which is not the case with Nutanix. So, we have more overhead for the licensing cost with Nutanix."

"Reconsidering the licensing packages could reduce the price, especially for companies that may not need all the bells and whistles. Many of the features are based on open-source software, so there's potential to offer more flexible pricing options. Additionally, with the right expertise, companies could potentially create similar environments themselves, reducing the need for extensive support and licensing costs. I rate its pricing a six out of ten. The tool costs around 300,000 dollars per year."

More Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) pricing and cost advice

"There is an operating cost for the VDIs, which is an additional cost. However, the licensing fee is half that of VMware or Nutanix."

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Comparison Review

it_user244362

Managing Consultant with 51-200 employees

Aug 30, 2015

Nutanix vs. VMware EVO:RAIL vs. FlexPod

Originally posted at www.storagegaga.com/dont-get-too-drunk-on-hyper-converged/ I hate the fact that I am bursting the big bubble brewing about Hyper Convergence (HC). I urge all to look past the hot air and hype frenzy that are going on, because in the end, the HC platforms have to be aligned…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	92
Midsize Enterprise	77
Large Enterprise	82

No data available

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...

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What makes Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) worth using?

NCI is a product with many tools and services but the one that, in my opinion, makes it better than similar products and worth using, is the full-stack lifecycle management. This capacity allows u...

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Have you received reliable help from Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure's support when you contacted them?

NCI is one of the best out there. For any software, no matter how good it is, technical support makes it or breaks it for me. You may have an amazing product but if there is not anyone to help you ...

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Comparisons

VMware vSAN vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)

Compared 9% of the time

VxRail vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)

Compared 7% of the time

HPE SimpliVity vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)

Compared 6% of the time

Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)

Compared 5% of the time

Azure Local vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)

Compared 5% of the time

More Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) Competitors

StarWind HyperConverged Appliance vs Sunlight

Compared 15% of the time

Azure Local vs Sunlight

Compared 15% of the time

VMware vSAN vs Sunlight

Compared 13% of the time

Huawei FusionCube Hyper-Converged Infrastructure vs Sunlight

Compared 13% of the time

Red Hat Hyperconverged Infrastructure vs Sunlight

Compared 11% of the time

More Sunlight Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)

January 2026

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) report

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Buyer's Guide

HCI

January 2026

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Also Known As

Nutanix Acropolis AOS, Nutanix AOS, Nutanix Acropolis

No data available

Overview

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure delivers high performance and scalability with central management and one-click upgrades. It enhances data protection and reduces deployment complexities, perfect for businesses seeking efficient virtualization.

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure offers a comprehensive platform integrating compute, storage, and network for optimal infrastructure management. It supports multiple hypervisors, offering flexibility, efficiency, and ease of use. With features like Prism for centralized management, organizations can manage resources effectively while benefiting from data protection enhancements such as deduplication and compression. Hyper-convergence enables seamless integration, reducing operational costs and increasing scalability. Though the pricing is high, and setup and administration can be complex, the ability to support hybrid cloud implementations and critical infrastructures like VDI and databases provides notable advantages.

What are the key features of Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure?

Prism for Centralized Management: Simplifies resource management with a single control interface.
High Performance: Offers efficient I/O operations to enhance processing efficiency.
Scalability: Easily adjusts to growing business needs with one-click upgrades.
Data Protection: Uses deduplication and compression for secure data handling.
Hyper-Convergence: Integrates compute, storage, and network to optimize infrastructure.
Multi-Hypervisor Support: Provides flexibility to choose preferred hypervisors.

What benefits should users look for in Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure?

Cost Effectiveness: Reduces operational costs through resource optimization.
Ease of Management: Centralized control enhances administrative efficiency.
Scalability: Grows seamlessly with business demand.
Data Protection: Increases security and reliability of data management.
Performance Improvement: Streamlines server provisioning and resource management.

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure finds adoption across industries for virtualization, cloud services, and infrastructure consolidation. Organizations utilize it for hybrid clouds and virtual server hosting, supporting applications like databases and virtual desktop infrastructures. They report enhanced data protection, disaster recovery capabilities, and improved performance, facilitating effective resource management.

Nutanix

Sunlight is a complete HCI stack that can be deployed on-premise on standard data center hardware, in AWS and on resource-constrained far-edge devices.

Sunlight.io

Sample Customers

St. Lukes Health System, the City of Seattle, Yahoo! Japan, Sligro, Empire Life, Hyundai AUS, and many others.

Lavazza, Infraspace

Buyer's Guide

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs. Sunlight

February 2026

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