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Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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 Flow Network Security
Ranking in Microsegmentation Software
5th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware NSX
Ranking in Microsegmentation Software
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
107
Ranking in other categories
Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (6th), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (6th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (10th), Network Automation (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Microsegmentation Software category, the mindshare of Nutanix Flow Network Security is 6.7%, up from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware NSX is 14.4%, down from 16.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsegmentation Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
VMware NSX14.4%
Nutanix Flow Network Security6.7%
Other78.9%
Microsegmentation Software
 

Featured Reviews

Vishnu Mohan - PeerSpot reviewer
Service Delivery Manager Cloud And Datacenter Operations at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Cloud-style segmentation has improved hybrid security but integration with on-prem tags still needs work
I would like to see better micro-segmentation capabilities in Nutanix Flow Network Security. It has to work with our Cisco on-premises tooling. We use something called tagging on-premises, so if the same tags could be used in Nutanix Flow Network Security, then that would make life easier. The Cisco part was a challenge in terms of how it integrates with third-party vendors and tools, so we have kept it for the next release.
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Flow Network Security's most valuable features are user-friendliness, the console, and policy creation."
"Nutanix Flow has a lot of data protection features. It's also valuable for operations and management. It's a big solution that works well with different solutions and is suitable for most business cases."
"When comparing the costs of Nutanix Flow versus managing multiple VLANs and many other firewalls, it is far less expensive."
"What I like about Nutanix Flow Network Security is that it features cloud-like segmentation, which is available in a hybrid environment for us."
"The micro-segmentation feature helps to manage network security effectively because it helps the virtual machines that are already on the cluster and the applications inside the cluster itself, protects them and helps them communicate with each other without needing a complex external or internal firewall in this use case."
"It allows for policies that enable complete visibility and traffic control."
"The network view was excellent as it allowed us to expand the server view and visualize all connections it made within the environment. This was particularly useful in identifying the path of our data and not just its location within the data center."
"Nutanix Flow Network Security is a simple solution that is usable, easy to understand, and easy to deploy."
"The dashboard is comprehensive and easy to use."
"The solution is great for controlling virtual switches and it is easy to establish VLANs and micro-segmentations."
"The most valuable feature is to control application behavior, and it provides us with features that other products have not."
"Has a great firewall."
"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 most valuable features are the micro-segmentation and integrated security options."
"If the new user is looking for micro-segmentation in the network space, then VMware NSX is the best solution."
"The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the ability to set up virtual networking environments."
 

Cons

"I would like to see better micro-segmentation capabilities in Nutanix Flow Network Security."
"I would rate Flow Network Security's stability seven out of ten - it could be improved."
"While the graphical interface of Nutanix Flow Network Security could have been improved, and some of the reporting features needed extra work, the product's features were similar to VMware's NSX. The difference lay more in the presentation and user interface."
"For customers who are running Nutanix Flow and AHV, the largest area for improvement is in the disaster recovery environments."
"For customers who are running Nutanix Flow and AHV, the largest area for improvement is in the disaster recovery environments. To automate the populate of rules from one side to the other side in case of disaster you report everything on the disaster recovery site, and you have all the rules automatically applied. This was something that was being built when I left Nutanix. It might already be available. Additionally, the usability of the rules editor could improve."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"Nutanix Flow's networking features could use some improvement. Also, I don't know if it's currently supporting load balancing or not."
"The most difficult part is the configuration of the initial blueprints."
"The solution is only sold as part of a bundle and not as an individual product."
"It might be nice to have more AI in the future."
"I would like to see automation capabilities in the deployment process."
"Their licensing model should make it easier to purchase licenses."
"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
"There could be an improvement in regards to security. This solution cannot migrate all assets smoothly and continuously, for example, sometimes the physical hosts are not able to be converted into virtual ones, which needs to be fixed."
"NSX V has less security features than NSX T just so you are aware"
"Everybody needs a network to connect to, and VMware doesn't readily provide one."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are different licensing models."
"In comparison to other options available in the market, I would rate their pricing as very competitive, probably a two or three out of ten for cost."
"This model is very accessible to implement."
"Flow Network Security is available on a three-year license, with annual renewals of the maintenance fee."
"The product is available for free use."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."
"There is an annual subscription to use this solution. There is a 60-day trial to use the solution, it gives you time to decide if you want to continue using the solution."
"The price of this product is too high."
"I was not involved in the purchase of the solution but I hear it is on the expensive side."
"The licensing fees are expensive and we pay on a yearly basis."
"We haven't had to hire a dedicated network engineer because NSX handles 90 percent of it. The reduced overhead in terms of managing networks has been the biggest plus."
"The subscription is on a yearly basis."
"The solution is very expensive."
"I would rate the pricing of VMware NSX as seven out of ten"
"The price is pretty high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Healthcare Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
Government
8%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business34
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise69
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Nutanix Flow?
I would like to see better micro-segmentation capabilities in Nutanix Flow Network Security. It has to work with our Cisco on-premises tooling. We use something called tagging on-premises, so if th...
What advice do you have for others considering Nutanix Flow?
I cannot think of any weak sides, drawbacks, or something to improve. We have not implemented the impact on Nutanix Flow Network Security's zero-trust security model on our threat control processes...
What is your primary use case for Nutanix Flow?
I have experience with Nutanix Flow Network Security, and I have just started working with it this year. What I like about Nutanix Flow Network Security is that it features cloud-like segmentation,...
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 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...
 

Also Known As

Nutanix Flow Microsegmentation
VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

JetBlue, International Speedway Corporation, Volkswagen SAIC, Brighton and Hove City Council, Foresters Financial, Janus International Group, Cloud Comrade, Serco
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 Nutanix Flow Network Security vs. VMware NSX and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.