Cisco DNA Virtualization [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 DNA Virtualization [EOL]

Read 2 Cisco DNA Virtualization [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

VMware NSX

Read 107 VMware NSX reviews

14,984 Views
899 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Virtualization [EOL]

VMware NSX

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco DNA Virtualization [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 920,223 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 DNA Virtualization [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

reviewer902526

Vice Chairman at a construction company with 11-50 employees

Good support, feature-rich, and works well from a technical perspective

We are a system integrator and we are currently working on a project with a client who is using this solution. It is used for private cloud or data center virtualization We make use of all of the features that are available. It would be helpful to have better information on how to implement this…

Read full review

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

"The management aspect of the solution is its most valuable feature; software-defined issues have been good for us, and it makes the management process easy."

"Overall, from a technical perspective, this product is good, but it could be improved with respect to pricing."

"Cisco has a good technical support team."

"It's a solid product. Very easy to use out-of-the-box."

"The security offered by VMware NSX is the most valuable, plus it's a feature-rich product that's straightforward to install and configure."

"I have found VMware NSX to be easy to use."

"It has allowed our customers to scale extend their existing IP subnets and spin up new subnets on-demand for new app web DB tiers, increasing overall VM-to-VM security and policy deployments and helping increase operational efficiency from a network management perspective."

"We have many advantages with the cloud infrastructure."

"NSX extends Layer-2 scalability on Layer 3, covering the vRO and extending the capability on Layer 3 by decapsulating using a new mechanism."

"Visibility, because on our environment, it's impossible mapping end to end, and we don't have any tools that provide this integration."

"The initial setup was straightforward. It follows a certain structure and you won't miss a step. It's all on the same level, step by step."

More VMware NSX pros

Cons

"The initial setup is not easy."

"The stability of the solution isn't ideal. It could be vastly improved."

"It would be helpful to have better information on how to implement this product."

"Sometimes, it can be difficult to get to a higher level engineer if you need to, but it takes some work to make that case."

"The network-extending capabilities for the physical environment need improvement."

"Everybody needs a network to connect to, and VMware doesn't readily provide one."

"It's not feature-rich."

"Lacks integration with other solutions."

"The product is quite complex and that could be an area where improvements could be made."

"The scalability is not perfect."

"It should be more adapted to the physical side of network topology in order to prevent unavailability."

More VMware NSX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco products are not cheap."

"VMware NSX isn't cheap."

"You can scale NSX if you have the resources, but it's usually expensive and complex to scale up."

"The licensing is renewed every three years. The cost for implementation and renovation are a huge portion of that price."

"Pricing and licensing could be improved as we are a government entity. Lower pricing could always help."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable."

"If five is a good price and one is a high price, I would rate the price a one out of five."

"There is a license required for this solution and there is also a support license available. The price of the solution could be better."

"We can't go without NSX, so it's invaluable from this perspective."

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

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

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

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...

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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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Comparisons

Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization vs Cisco DNA Virtualization [EOL]

Compared 100% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX

Compared 6% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs VMware NSX

Compared 6% of the time

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs VMware NSX

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Secure Workload vs VMware NSX

Compared 4% of the time

More VMware NSX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Network Virtualization

October 2026

Download Cisco DNA Virtualization [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware NSX

October 2026

Download VMware NSX product report

Also Known As

Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) Virtualization

VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender

Overview

Connect users to applications with one seamless network using Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) Virtualization

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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