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SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer vs VMware NSX comparison

SolarWinds and Broadcom are both solutions in the Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) category. SolarWinds is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.8, while Broadcom is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.9. SolarWinds holds a 5.1% mindshare in NTA, compared to Broadcom’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of SolarWinds users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic ...
Read 43 SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer reviews
  • 1,825 Views
  • 584 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
VMware NSX
Read 106 VMware NSX reviews
  • 6,667 Views
  • 200 Comparison Views
88% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer and VMware NSX are both popular network traffic analysis tools, competing in the network management category. Users are leaning towards VMware NSX due to its advanced features and direct support, while SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is appreciated for its intuitive interface and ease of use.

Features: SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer provides real-time network traffic monitoring, comprehensive analytics, and an intuitive interface. VMware NSX offers network virtualization capabilities, integration with VMware's ecosystem, and advanced security features favoring complex network environments.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer could benefit from better scalability, more third-party integrations, and improved documentation. VMware NSX needs a simpler learning curve, reduced deployment complexity, and enhanced training resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer has a straightforward deployment with good customer support. VMware NSX, while more complex to set up, benefits from extensive customer service and a sophisticated deployment model advantageous for advanced networking needs.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is noted for its cost-effectiveness and quicker ROI. VMware NSX, although more expensive, offers higher value through its comprehensive features and extended network virtualization capabilities, justifying its pricing.

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To learn more, read our detailed SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer vs. VMware NSX Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer vs. VMware NSX
September 2025
Download the complete report
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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.0
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer offers ROI through bandwidth management, yet budget-conscious users consider cheaper alternatives with similar features.
Sentiment score
6.4
VMware NSX enhances infrastructure efficiency, CAPEX savings, cybersecurity, and ROI, but initial costs and security effectiveness have mixed reviews.
There is a return on investment when purchasing SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, as in the long run, there is a return on investments.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.5
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer's customer service receives mixed feedback, with varying response times and expertise contributing to inconsistent experiences.
Sentiment score
6.7
VMware NSX customer service is praised for efficiency and expertise, but improvements in accessibility and responsiveness are desired.
They often say that only premium subscribers receive support within one or two hours.
I would rate support eight out of ten.
I received efficient responses to many questions.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
They were always helpful.
They are quick and understand things easily, so the support is aligned very effectively.
Our technicians have a good support experience from the company.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
RM
DeepakVyas - PeerSpot reviewer
RA
TB
TAIYAB HASAN - PeerSpot reviewer
EB
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.6
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is scalable but costly, with performance challenges in large infrastructures due to licensing and capacity limits.
Sentiment score
7.7
VMware NSX is praised for its scalability, robust performance, and efficient network integration, despite some complexity in scaling.
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is a scalable solution, and by adding licenses, I can use the same deployment and instance to onboard more elements and nodes.
The license is based on the count of the ports.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
There is a high level of satisfaction with its ability to scale.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
Raja Xabi - PeerSpot reviewerDeepakVyas - PeerSpot reviewerDanielBass - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
6.4
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is stable and reliable, though occasional performance issues exist, especially in demanding environments.
Sentiment score
8.1
VMware NSX is highly stable, with strong performance, scalability, and frequent updates addressing most bugs and integration concerns.
The solution is quite stable.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
The product performs at 99% efficiency without any showstoppers or significant issues.
For stability, I would rate VMware NSX as a nine out of ten.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
RK
TAIYAB HASAN - PeerSpot reviewerMagdyRaafat - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Room For Improvement

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer needs improved integration, AI, documentation, performance, security, UI, and reduced licensing costs for better user experience.
VMware NSX faces challenges in costs, complexity, and user satisfaction, needing enhancements in automation, scalability, and security features.
Ideally, NetFlow should have a robust alerting mechanism.
It should be like a Meraki cloud, where if you are familiar with Meraki devices, you can locate any device directly on the world map.
Deployment needs improvement; the process is complicated, requiring attention to infrastructure settings and installation of components like the origin application server, platform, close storage, and policy agents.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
The initial configuration and integration within our existing environment were not easy.
The pricing for the product is another area for improvement as I'm not satisfied nowadays.
The licensing model is expensive and could be more flexible, especially after Broadcom bought VMware.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
RM
DeepakVyas - PeerSpot reviewer
RA
DanielBass - PeerSpot reviewer
TB
MagdyRaafat - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise users find SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer valuable, though its pricing can be high compared to alternatives, especially when scaling.
VMware NSX is viewed as costly, with complex licensing and high initial costs, particularly impacting smaller organizations.
provide a rating of nine out of ten
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer's model is quite costly compared to other brands.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
The cost of VMware NSX is considered high.
VMware NSX is a little higher in price compared to the competition.
There is room for improvement in terms of pricing.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
RA
Raja Xabi - PeerSpot reviewerDanielBass - PeerSpot reviewer
EB
TB
 

Valuable Features

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer provides traffic analysis, bandwidth monitoring, and customizable reporting for efficient network management and performance tracking.
VMware NSX offers enhanced security, seamless management, and flexibility with automation, scalability, and integration for cloud and on-premises solutions.
It provides proactive monitoring, rather than waiting for applications to go down due to heavy bandwidth or latency.
This tool provides insights into top utilization applications or it identifies which circuit or application is consuming the most on the complete one-gig circuit traffic path.
The bandwidth indicates the utilization of the devices; if any issue occurs, it triggers an alert for me.
For more quotes and insights, download the SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer report
Micro-segmentation enhances security and provides more secure data in your data center.
The most powerful feature of VMware NSX is the micro-segmentation that allows us to separate the different protocols our application works with.
I value the ability to dynamically configure our network on the fly using VMware NSX.
For more quotes and insights, download the VMware NSX report
RK
RM
DeepakVyas - PeerSpot reviewerMagdyRaafat - PeerSpot reviewer
EB
DanielBass - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic ...
Ranking in Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
4th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware NSX
Ranking in Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (3rd), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (9th), Network Automation (5th), Microsegmentation Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) category, the mindshare of SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is 5.1%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware NSX is 2.4%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer5.1%
VMware NSX2.4%
Other92.5%
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
 

Featured Reviews

Raja Xabi - PeerSpot reviewer
Improved bandwidth management and network visibility have resulted in financial benefits and streamlined operations
There is always room for improvement in SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, such as implementing instant reporting based on business intelligence reports and more granular filters in their dashboard to improve the GUI view and reporting. The licensing model of SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is always an issue for users because competitors offer unlimited and perpetual licenses, and SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer's model is quite costly compared to other brands. If users are comfortable with SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, they have to make the hard decision to invest, and it's suggested from a user's perspective that SolarWinds should improve their financial model and licensing to become competitive, especially for small to medium businesses.
Read full review
TAIYAB HASAN - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Healthcare Company
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise26
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business33
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise69
 

Questions from the Community

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?
I have worked from 1973 with all kind of systems in large enterprises across the world. And have experience with all kind of software in monitoring from infra to end to end, it depends on the funct...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer?
The licensing model of SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is always an issue for users because competitors offer unlimited and perpetual licenses, and SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer's model i...
See all answers
What needs improvement with SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer?
Regarding improvement, the application monitoring capabilities are not exceptional. If SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer could improve in that area, it would be helpful. It is less AIOps driven a...
See all answers
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...
See all answers
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...
See all answers
What do you like most about VMware NSX?
The product has valuable features for security and network extension.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Wireshark vs SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
Compared 10% of the time
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Plixer Scrutinizer vs SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
Compared 9% of the time
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SolarWinds NPM vs SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
Compared 8% of the time
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Compared 18% of the time
Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX Logo
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Compared 16% of the time
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Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs VMware NSX
Compared 14% of the time
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Cisco Secure Workload vs VMware NSX
Compared 8% of the time
Cisco ACI vs VMware NSX Logo
Cisco ACI vs VMware NSX
Compared 6% of the time
More VMware NSX Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
September 2025
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer reportDownload SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer product report
Buyer's Guide
VMware NSX
September 2025
VMware NSX reportDownload VMware NSX product report
 

Also Known As

Netflow Traffic Analyzer
VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender
 

Overview

SolarWinds Netflow Traffic Analyzer enables you to capture data from continuous streams of network traffic and convert those raw numbers into easy-to-interpret charts and tables that quantify exactly how the corporate network is being used, by whom, and for what purpose.
SolarWinds

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

Oceaneering International, Asia Pacific Network Information Centre, 335th Signal Command, Immofori
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
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer vs. VMware NSX
September 2025
Free Report: SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer vs. VMware NSX
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