No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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
4th
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
3rd
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)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Microsegmentation Software category, the mindshare of Nutanix Flow Network Security is 6.5%, up from 5.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware NSX is 14.1%, down from 15.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsegmentation Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
VMware NSX14.1%
Nutanix Flow Network Security6.5%
Other79.4%
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.
Mahesh Bhadoriya - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What I like about Nutanix Flow Network Security is that it features cloud-like segmentation, which is available in a hybrid environment for us."
"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"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."
"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."
"When comparing the costs of Nutanix Flow versus managing multiple VLANs and many other firewalls, it is far less expensive."
"Nutanix Flow Network Security is a simple solution that is usable, easy to understand, and easy to deploy."
"It allows for policies that enable complete visibility and traffic control."
"Nutanix Flow is straightforward to install. You only need to select a checkmark that you want to enable Nutanix Flow."
"NSX has improved our organisation in many ways, by securing it with micro-segmentation, and by allowing us to implement logical equipment in a matter of seconds instead of waiting for the physical material to implement and configure."
"We enjoy the micro-segmentation and the ability to extend the network on Layer Two."
"The Distributed firewall is simple to add to the network and rules are easy to implement."
"They developed the hypervisor, which is very valuable to us, because it has saved us a lot of money just on the micro-segmentation piece."
"Their technical support is very good. They help us figure out solutions when we have problems."
"The most valuable feature is to control application behavior, and it provides us with features that other products have not."
"I have found the solution to be stable."
"Visibility, because on our environment, it's impossible mapping end to end, and we don't have any tools that provide this integration."
 

Cons

"Last time I used it, it was not handy to see or to analyze traffic logs."
"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."
"The most difficult part is the configuration of the initial blueprints."
"We would like the reporting functionality of this solution to be improved."
"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 documentation offered by the product is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required."
"For customers who are running Nutanix Flow and AHV, the largest area for improvement is in the disaster recovery environments."
"We've have had good and bad experiences with them. We don't always find them to be so impactful. Sometimes the support guy isn't so on top of resolving the issue and it can take a while to sort out."
"VMware NSX can improve the migration tools from the older environments to the new environment. For example, the NSX-V has become a legacy solution, it's out of support, but customers are able to keep using it. For migration purposes, it's better for them to provide a proper tool. It will be easy to migrate from an old environment to a new one."
"A room for improvement in VMware NSX is that it has some security vulnerabilities, which means my company has to apply the patches every once in a while."
"The routing functionality needs to be improved, as there are lots of bugs in the system."
"We have been satisfied with the technical support. They were able to solve our problems. However, they could be faster."
"Since most people are very much used to physical networking, they find it difficult to use VMware NSX in the initial stage."
"We have done three installations and we have not had any critical issues. The time it took for the installation was approximately two days. However, they should provide better documentation."
"The engineering team has room for improvement. They should have have more of a Knowledge Base about different case studies and should develop more advanced features. These kinds of improvements will change the way things get done."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is available for free use."
"This model is very accessible to implement."
"There are different licensing models."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"Flow Network Security is available on a three-year license, with annual renewals of the maintenance fee."
"All the institutions have to pay monthly for the services in the cloud. They have to pay $30,000 every month for this service every three years."
"The solution is very expensive."
"We have saved man-hours and decreased our security exposure."
"The implementation of VMware NSX can be cost-intensive, especially if an organization is looking for a comprehensive solution. The costs can vary based on factors like the level of conversation and discounts obtained during negotiations. Some government organizations, for instance, may find the prices relatively high, leading to concerns about budget hikes, especially when deploying the solution across the entire organization. Regarding maintenance and support, they are typically included in the standard licensing costs for enterprise-level businesses. While these costs can be significant, many companies opt for standard licensing to ensure they have access to necessary support and maintenance services."
"The pricing is higher than other options from Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Cisco because it is sold in a bundle."
"The price is significantly high and it can be a hurdle for many potential users."
"This solution requires a licence."
"The price is based on the virtual desktop infrastructure(VDI) side and also is dependant on the size of the environment. The price is expensive and it could attract more purchasers in smaller organisations if it was reduced."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Microsegmentation Software solutions are best for your needs.
921,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Healthcare Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
 

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 Enterprise70
 

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.
921,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.