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VMware vCenter pros and cons

Vendor: Broadcom
4.3 out of 5

Pros & Cons summary

Buyer's Guide

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

VMware vCenter offers centralized management, enabling efficient handling of virtual machines across multiple ESXi hosts.
VMware vCenter enhances system support with built-in AI tools and integrates smoothly with third-party software.
The platform's high availability and DRS capabilities ensure resource optimization and system reliability.
VMware vCenter facilitates virtualization, allowing remote management and eliminating the need for physical server access.
VMware vCenter provides elasticity, enabling easy resource ramp-up for specific workloads, enhancing virtual user experience.

CONS

VMware vCenter's main issue is its pricing and licensing model, which has seen significant cost increases, particularly affecting smaller organizations.
The license model transition to a subscription-only structure after Broadcom's acquisition has been a drawback.
Fault Tolerance features in VMware vCenter are difficult to manage, complex, and have bugs, according to user feedback.
Organizations may need to purchase additional VMware products to fully utilize centralized management.
The technical support services provided by VMware vCenter need considerable improvement in response time and efficiency.
 

VMware vCenter Pros review quotes

VinayKumar7 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Data Centre at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Feb 12, 2026
The initial setup for VMware vCenter is very simple because we migrated from open-source to VMware long back.
Hoang Long Nguyen - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Infrastructure And Architect Specialist at Cmit
Aug 22, 2025
The high availability feature is particularly valuable when a host goes down or experiences high usage, as it automatically migrates VMs to other hosts to balance performance.
SivaKuppala - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited
Apr 30, 2024
The performance monitoring tools within vCenter help track resource usage, identify performance bottlenecks, and optimize the efficiency of virtual environments.
Learn what your peers think about VMware vCenter. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Muhammad Fahad - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Tech. & Support (Information Technology) at Texitech
Jan 20, 2025
I am using vMotion for live migration and storage migrations. I can use vCenter for both now.
AN
Technology Solution Consultant at DWP Technologies
Apr 26, 2024
The DRS, high availability and manageable switches are the most valuable features of VMware vCenter
Mir Gulzar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Synergy Computers
Apr 28, 2025
VMware vCenter is the best from a management perspective, scoring ten on a scale of one to ten.
Mangesh  Parjane - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Manager at Owens & Minor, Inc.
Oct 4, 2024
The most valuable features are DRS, cluster management, vCenter management, and logs management.
Mohamed_Hussein - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Information Technology Engineer, Datacenter Administrator at GAFI
Jul 1, 2024
We must create a VIN on each node. You want to make the VIN ten times if you have a thin host. We mostly create VMs, and the vCenter publishes the template on all hosts.
Gaurav Sharma. - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technology Officer at a cloud solution provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Aug 18, 2025
The integration of vCenter server with any software, whether from VMware or a third party, is smooth and straightforward.
Shaijith KB - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Specialist at General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)
Oct 8, 2024
The most valuable feature is the ease of migrating services from one host to another during maintenance.
 

VMware vCenter Cons review quotes

VinayKumar7 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Data Centre at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Feb 12, 2026
The pricing of VMware vCenter is high. Now, they bundle it with vSAN, which many organizations may not use.
Hoang Long Nguyen - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Infrastructure And Architect Specialist at Cmit
Aug 22, 2025
The license cost has increased significantly, which is the primary negative aspect of VMware vCenter.
SivaKuppala - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited
Apr 30, 2024
vCentre licensing cost is on the higher side as well.
Learn what your peers think about VMware vCenter. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Muhammad Fahad - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Tech. & Support (Information Technology) at Texitech
Jan 20, 2025
Efficiency and redundancy can be increased, minimizing or mitigating downtime.
AN
Technology Solution Consultant at DWP Technologies
Apr 26, 2024
The licensing model of VMware vCenter can be improved
Mir Gulzar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Synergy Computers
Apr 28, 2025
The main issue with VMware vCenter is its pricing and licensing model. The licensing model has shifted, leading to higher costs, particularly for smaller organizations.
Mangesh  Parjane - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Manager at Owens & Minor, Inc.
Oct 4, 2024
The licensing model needs improvement, especially with the transition to Broadcom.
Mohamed_Hussein - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Information Technology Engineer, Datacenter Administrator at GAFI
Jul 1, 2024
The process of creating VLANs or any similar tasks requires following a specific procedure, which must be executed accurately to ensure successful deployment. That's the main concern.
Gaurav Sharma. - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technology Officer at a cloud solution provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Aug 18, 2025
There is a feature called Fault Tolerance (FT), which has been part of vCenter servers since the product's inception. However, it has a lot of complexity, and when my team tested it, we found it difficult to manage. It also has some bugs. Consequently, we decided not to offer any fault tolerance features to our customers.
Shaijith KB - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Specialist at General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)
Oct 8, 2024
There needs to be improvement in the pricing model, as the host license is already very high, and customers should have more open options for creating automation scenarios out of the box.