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Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs vCenter Orchestrator comparison

Microsoft and VMware are both solutions in the Process Automation category. Microsoft is ranked #19 with an average rating of 9.0, while VMware is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.1. Microsoft holds a 1.0% mindshare in PA, compared to VMware’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 33% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of VMware users who would recommend it.
Microsoft System Center Orc...
Read 2 Microsoft System Center Orchestrator reviews
  • 1,029 Views
  • 1,029 Comparison Views
33% willing to recommend
vCenter Orchestrator
Read 51 vCenter Orchestrator reviews
  • 803 Views
  • 153 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

vCenter Orchestrator and Microsoft System Center Orchestrator are automation management products for virtual environments. System Center Orchestrator appears to have an advantage due to its comprehensive feature set and integration capabilities.

Features: vCenter Orchestrator integrates smoothly with VMware, enhancing workflow automation and resource management. Its simplicity makes it a strong choice for users seeking efficient VMware automation. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator offers integration across multiple systems, facilitating diverse automation tasks and operational agility, with its variety in integration showcasing adaptability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: vCenter Orchestrator provides a streamlined deployment process for VMware users, supported by a robust service network. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator also features easy deployment, particularly in Microsoft environments, benefiting from comprehensive documentation and customer support. It shows flexibility in deployment options, supporting extensive implementation assistance.

Pricing and ROI: vCenter Orchestrator has a straightforward pricing structure with competitive setup costs, positively affecting ROI for VMware users. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator may entail higher initial costs but its extensive functionality and integration offer long-term value, reflecting a favorable ROI through versatile automation capabilities. The decision may depend on budget constraints versus future-proof automation investments.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. vCenter Orchestrator Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. vCenter Orchestrator
July 2025
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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

Microsoft System Center Orc...
Ranking in Process Automation
19th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
vCenter Orchestrator
Ranking in Process Automation
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of Microsoft System Center Orchestrator is 1.0%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of vCenter Orchestrator is 0.3%, down from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Process Automation
 

Featured Reviews

Dan Campeanu - PeerSpot reviewer
Automates tasks and manages multiple servers from a central location
The initial setup was quite complex. It required careful preparation of installation steps, as many tasks were not automated as expected. Special attention was needed to prepare groups, users, and permissions at each step to ensure a smooth setup process. Please do so accurately to avoid having to start over. Challenges encountered during deployment included issues with installation and configuration and difficulties detecting machines and executing tasks as expected. Some solutions were found through trial and error during installation, while others were discovered through recommendations from other users. Despite these challenges, the deployment and rollout of Orchestrator took approximately one and a half months to ensure proper functionality.
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Gerhard Gmelch - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhance automation efficiency with cost-effective graphical workflow design
I use vCenter Orchestrator for automation purposes, specifically to run automation workbooks The most valuable features are the graphical UI for designing the workflows and the interfaces that come out of the box. Additionally, it is included in the VMware Vitalization Stack, which means there…
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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

"Automation is the most valuable feature of the solution."
"It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location."
"In regards to the workflows, the fact that we can actually have a full dashboard library of all the existing workflows on this is great. We can see all the workflows and what all the actions do and can work with scripts."
"The most valuable feature is how easy it makes it to manage the VM."
"The solution is pretty stable and reliable."
"If I need to do DR, VMware can enable me to use vMotion, which requires use of vCenter. You cannot do vMotion without vCenter. We do a lot of automation, orchestration, and simplification for that purpose."
"I find that managing all my vCenters from one console is the most valuable feature."
"The hardware abstraction layer, being able to make the VMs portable when moving to a different platform or over a WAN."
"vCenter Orchestrator's best features are the workflows, integration with third-party applications, and the workflow library."
"I am impressed with the tool's easiness to work with VMware solutions."
More vCenter Orchestrator pros
 

Cons

"The product's management aspect needs enhancement."
"I find the Orchestrator UI to be problematic."
"Mainly VMware integrates with other products, but there is no easy way to link with other products from a different vendor. We can integrate with other products from the same vendors fairly well, but if they could make it so integration is easier with other vendors, that would really help."
"It is too expensive. One of the main issues is the price."
"The snapshot technology of VMware is not good compared to other solutions in the market, like Nutanix."
"Its technical support team takes a long time to escalate the issues."
"I would like to have an interface that can manage both on-premises and cloud solutions from a single console, where we can easily manage the resources that are being used or at least applications. Whereby clicking here and there from on-premises to cloud, or cloud to on-premises, depending on the requirements. If that can be accomplished, it will be extremely beneficial."
"The only point for improvement is the price, which has increased by 135%, making it very expensive."
"Enhancing the platform's setup process intuitiveness and offering more flexible pricing options could further improve its accessibility across different company sizes."
"Many times, customers' licenses are not used because the client is not aware of the features and the product benefits. When somebody is buying a product, they just do a default configuration."
More vCenter Orchestrator cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost."
"I give the cost of the solution a five out of ten."
"The solution is a bit expensive."
"vCenter Orchestrator is an expensive solution."
"We renew the solution's license every one or two years."
"The licensing module is somewhat complex. Calculating the cost is complicated. Many of our clients are unclear about the billing system and the traffic metering."
"I rate the product price a seven to eight out of ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The price is reasonable, and one of the reasons that this product was selected."
"vCenter Orchestrator could be more affordable."
"The licensing cost is manageable because they have different versions available, standard, essential, and advanced."
More vCenter Orchestrator pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
Insurance Company
9%
Computer Software Company
20%
Government
11%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?
It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?
The platform was almost free of cost for us. We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?
The product's management aspect needs enhancement. It affects the visibility of powerful scripts that were previously accessible. Furthermore, the focus is shifting towards cloud-based features, sp...
See all answers
What do you like most about vCenter Orchestrator?
The stability of the product is very good.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for vCenter Orchestrator?
We're running a low-profile budget. This is not our main focus on investment technology, so we're trying to reduce costs due to the change from perpetual to subscription licenses.
See all answers
What needs improvement with vCenter Orchestrator?
For our environment, I do not see any areas of vCenter Orchestrator that could be improved or enhanced. We are currently satisfied with the orchestrator. If any improvements are needed, I will prov...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 15% of the time
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Compared 13% of the time
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BMC TrueSight Orchestration vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator
Compared 10% of the time
BizTalk Server vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator Logo
BizTalk Server vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator
Compared 10% of the time
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Compared 44% of the time
VMware Aria Operations vs vCenter Orchestrator Logo
VMware Aria Operations vs vCenter Orchestrator
Compared 26% of the time
VMware Cloud Director vs vCenter Orchestrator Logo
VMware Cloud Director vs vCenter Orchestrator
Compared 17% of the time
More vCenter Orchestrator Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Process Automation
July 2025
Microsoft System Center Orchestrator reportDownload Microsoft System Center Orchestrator product report
Buyer's Guide
vCenter Orchestrator
July 2025
vCenter Orchestrator reportDownload vCenter Orchestrator product report
 

Also Known As

MS System Center Orchestrator
No data available
 

Overview

As an IT administrator, you probably perform a lot of tasks and procedures to keep your computing environment healthy. You may have automated individual tasks, but typically, not the whole process. With System Center - Orchestrator you tie disparate tasks and procedures together using a graphical user interface Runbook Designer to create reliable, flexible, and efficient end-to-end solutions in your IT environment.

Microsoft
VMware vCenter Orchestrator simplifies the automation of complex IT tasks and integrates with VMware vCloud Suite components to adapt and extend service delivery and operational management, effectively working with existing infrastructure, tools and processes.
VMware
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Beiersdorf Shared Services
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. vCenter Orchestrator
July 2025
Free Report: Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. vCenter Orchestrator
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