VMware vCenter vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

Broadcom and Progress Software are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. Broadcom is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6, while Progress Software is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.7. Broadcom holds a 1.0% mindshare in SM, compared to Progress Software’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

VMware vCenter

Read 37 VMware vCenter reviews

463 Views
463 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

2,686 Views
457 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

VMware vCenter

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

WhatsUp Gold and VMware vCenter are established tools for network monitoring and virtualization management respectively. Users are generally happier with WhatsUp Gold's pricing and customer support, but VMware vCenter often stands out due to its comprehensive feature set, which users find worth the investment.

Features: WhatsUp Gold is valued for its simplicity, ease of configuration, and accessibility for small to medium enterprises. VMware vCenter is praised for advanced functionalities such as extensive monitoring capabilities, deep integrations, and a robust, feature-rich environment.

Room for Improvement: WhatsUp Gold users suggest enhancing reporting capabilities, adding more third-party integration options, and improving scalability. VMware vCenter users desire improvements in scalability, interface enhancements, and more intuitive configuration options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WhatsUp Gold has a straightforward deployment process, allowing quick setup and ease of use. Customer service is frequently responsive and helpful. VMware vCenter's deployment is more complex, reflecting its advanced feature set but requires extensive planning. Users appreciate VMware’s depth of support resources available, although immediate customer service satisfaction can vary.

Pricing and ROI: WhatsUp Gold tends to have a lower initial setup cost, making it attractive for smaller budgets and offering rapid ROI. VMware vCenter, while more costly upfront, is deemed a worthwhile investment due to its extensive features and strong long-term ROI track record, particularly in larger, more complex environments.

To learn more, read our detailed VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 2025

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Helped 872,778 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

VMware vCenter

Ranking in Server Monitoring

3rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in Server Monitoring

16th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (31st), Network Monitoring Software (32nd), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (30th), Configuration Management (17th), Log Management (28th), Cloud Monitoring Software (23rd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of VMware vCenter is 1.0%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 1.6%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
VMware vCenter	1.0%
WhatsUp Gold	1.6%
Other	97.4%

Server Monitoring

Featured Reviews

Hoang Long Nguyen

IT Infrastructure and Architect Specialist at a transportation company with 201-500 employees

Automation and technical support impress with seamless migration and high availability management

We are in the process of implementing Zerto, which is currently in the purchase order phase. While we haven't fully implemented it yet, we have completed the POC. We use VMware vCenter and ESXi. The solution manages high availability effectively, with excellent automation for migration and patch management. The support is good, though the recent license change after the Broadcom acquisition has significantly increased costs. Patch management is controllable and can be managed individually, with automatic downloads available. We use it primarily for managing hosts and updates, without any integration. The performance is excellent, running very smoothly. I rate VMware vCenter a 9 out of 10.

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Tom Condo

Supervisor Information Services Operations at Seminole County Public Schools

If CPU, memory, or disk space is over-utilized, it alerts us immediately via text or email if there is an issue

When it comes to the intuitiveness of the topology mapping feature, our network architect created a vision diagram of our entire network and then created the links tied into the WhatsUp active monitoring to different spots on our topology map. It's one of the more critical functions we do here. We have the map displayed in different places in our room and help desk. We get alerted via emails but we can also see it visually. It does what it says it's going to do. We find this feature very helpful. The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one link. You can go into a particular part of the topology map, scroll in, and see exactly which module it is. All the information is provided. This feature really helps. You can see the correlation between that link and what failed. This feature is very helpful. The interface is fairly intuitive. Some of our users used SolarWinds and Nagios, and WhatsUp is easy in comparison. Once you get set up, the look, feel, and configuration are good. Our network architect had never used it before but he was able to create the Visio and map. It was very simple. He has no problems with it.

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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

"We use VMware vCenter for centralization and to manage all the VMs."

"The integration of vCenter server with any software, whether from VMware or a third party, is smooth and straightforward."

"The filtering capabilities also enhance scalability by optimizing resource allocation."

"The most valuable aspect for us is the ability to monitor all servers simultaneously and effortlessly move them between hosts."

"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."

"The most valuable features of the solution are virtualization and ease of backing up the virtual and on-premises servers."

"We typically manage VMs after the OS is installed. vCenter simplifies VM management by allowing for the configuration and operation of VMs once an OS, like Windows, is installed."

"The product has improved our system's proactive support for in-built AI tools."

More VMware vCenter pros

"The solution effectively monitors network devices and servers."

"It handles the basics of monitoring."

"WhatsUp Gold is very easy to deploy."

"The user interface is good enough."

"NetFlow monitoring, real-time monitoring, and surveys have been the most valuable features for our business."

"The installation and configuration process are easy."

"Auto scanning is most valuable. It looks for rogue devices on your network."

"The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one link. You can go into a particular part of the topology map, scroll in, and see exactly which module it is."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"Areas for improvement with vCenter include changes in licensing models."

"Sometimes, vCenter management can be difficult if you forget the password. You can't change or recover the password easily. We then have to reinstall vCenter, which means reconfiguring everything. That's a challenge we've encountered."

"One notable area for enhancement revolves around cost considerations, as introducing features such as DDoS protection or data compression could reduce expenses."

"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."

"VMware vCenter does not have a centralized security dashboard, and it is pretty tedious to configure."

"We face some upgrade patch management issues."

"Enhancing the product's capabilities on the backend could be beneficial."

"The web interface is not convenient."

More VMware vCenter cons

"I would like to see them do an enhancement to the application monitoring. A lot of other products do better application monitoring so they should do some improvements to the application monitoring."

"You have to invest a few days to become an expert in this solution."

"The technical support does not bother to respond."

"Regional product team support is not very good."

"WhatsUp Gold should work on real-time monitoring and configuration management. If they succeed in doing this, the solution will cover all the network troubleshooting aspects and will be a benefit."

"I might like to see a better interface in the future."

"The new release cadence needs to be improved. It takes a while for them to add new features and functionality. There should be a quicker turnaround with new versions."

"Integrations with other devices. I want to have a product that has full integration with my active directory so I can track user activity. I want to track my complete user activity, so I'm looking for a product to implement in the near future, which will have full integration with my network and active directory users. It became very difficult to track user activity."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool used to be worth the money, but after Broadcom acquired it and changed the pricing structure to subscription-only, it became too expensive for us to continue using. Unfortunately, we haven't found any alternative solutions that meet our needs, so this is a significant drawback for us as we explore other options."

"The pricing is significantly high."

"The product is expensive."

"The platform is highly-priced."

"The solution is pretty expensive for small businesses because there are few lower-scale VMware vCenter solutions."

"The solution is expensive."

"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."

"The product's three-year license package is inexpensive."

More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice

"This is a well priced solution."

"The tool's price is reasonable. WhatsUp Gold is cheaper than SolarWinds."

"There is a license needed to use WhatsUp Gold."

"It is per device, per year. The pricing is very clear. If you have a service agreement, you get all of your major upgrades and minor upgrades. It was under $10,000 to go all-in with all of the different add-ons for it."

"The pricing can be on the expensive side when considering competing products."

"The choice of version depends on the number of points, or devices, that you want to monitor, and this makes the product expensive."

"I'm not sure, but it's expensive. We don't pay any additional fees."

"There are some subscription charges that are quite heavy. I need to pay for support every year and these charges can be quite expensive. Aside from the initial cost for the tool, you need to pay additionally for support."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Performing Arts

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about VMware vCenter?

The filtering capabilities also enhance scalability by optimizing resource allocation.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware vCenter?

The initial package for VMware vCenter is not less than $10,000, which can be prohibitive for smaller organizations. The licensing model now requires purchasing 96-core solutions, even if fewer cor...

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware vCenter?

The main concern is the license change following the sale to Broadcom. The license cost has increased significantly, which is the primary negative aspect of VMware vCenter. While technical support ...

See all answers

What do you like most about WhatsUp Gold?

The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one l...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WhatsUp Gold?

Clients find the licensing calculator confusing, but we simplify this for them by collecting relevant information first. The licensing is based on devices, providing better cost-effectiveness than ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with WhatsUp Gold?

It would be great if WhatsUp Gold could add features that simplify management with AI, as it is currently too complicated to manage.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 14% of the time

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Compared 14% of the time

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Compared 11% of the time

Grafana vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 10% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 8% of the time

ManageEngine OpManager vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 6% of the time

Zabbix vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter

October 2025

Download VMware vCenter product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

October 2025

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

Overview

VMware vCenter provides centralized management for virtual machines, offering enhanced resource control, high availability, and data protection. Its integration with NSX and vSAN simplifies infrastructure management, although improvements in pricing, licensing, and technical support are needed.

VMware vCenter streamlines the management of virtual infrastructures, facilitating scalability and elasticity through features like DRS, vMotion, and snapshot capabilities. While users appreciate its centralized control and extensive integration options, complexities in interface and upgrades are seen as challenges. Issues like fragmented licensing, difficult Fault Tolerance management, and high resource demands have been highlighted, alongside the need for enhanced security, monitoring, and seamless cloud integration. vCenter is widely used in data centers for overseeing large virtual environments, integrating cloud services, and providing infrastructure as a service.

What are the main features of VMware vCenter?

Centralized Management: Enables efficient control of virtual infrastructures.
High Availability: Ensures minimal downtime for critical applications.
DRS and vMotion: Enhances resource scheduling and migration capabilities.
Data Protection: Offers robust backup and recovery tools.
Integration: Seamlessly works with NSX and vSAN for simplified management.
Snapshot Capabilities: Facilitates quick recovery and testing scenarios.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Resource Efficiency: Optimizes CPU and memory usage within the infrastructure.
Operational Efficiency: Streamlines management tasks, reducing manual efforts.
Scalability: Supports growing enterprise needs through flexible infrastructure management.
Cost Management: While improvements are needed, centralized control can lead to reduced operational costs.

Industries such as IT, finance, healthcare, and government deploy VMware vCenter to manage their extensive virtual environments. Users rely on its automation and centralized management capabilities to ensure high performance and uptime in data center operations, often leveraging it to integrate with cloud services.

Broadcom

Explore and manage your entire network infrastructure effortlessly with WhatsUp Gold's robust layer 2/3 discovery, creating a detailed interactive map from the edge to the cloud. Monitor devices, wireless controllers, servers, virtual machines, applications, and traffic flows across various environments. Real-time alerts ensure optimal performance, allowing you to meet or exceed SLAs. The platform offers customizable maps, dashboards, and alerts for easy network management. Quickly resolve issues with intuitive workflows, reducing Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR). WhatsUp Gold's integrated log management provides easy visibility and control of device log data, allowing monitoring, filtering, searching, and alerting on syslogs or Windows logs. Archive logs to comply with regulatory requirements and preserve historical data, all through a user-friendly interface. Streamline network monitoring and issue resolution with WhatsUp Gold, making network management efficient and hassle-free.

Progress Software

Sample Customers

1. Amazon 2. Apple 3. ATT 4. Bank of America 5. Cisco Systems 6. CocaCola 7. Dell 8. ebay 9. Facebook 10. Google 11. HP 12. IBM 13. Intel 14. JPMorgan Chase 15. LinkedIn 16. Microsoft 17. Netflix 18. Oracle 19. PayPal 20. SAP 21. Siemens 22. Tesla 23. Toyota 24. Twitter 25. Visa 26. Walmart 27. WeWork 28. World Bank

Artoni Trasporti, Austin Independent School District, Banca Marche, Burke County North Carolina, Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine, Clayco, Community Integrated Care, Desca, Deutsche Bergbau, Flexi-Van, Gropper, Hamleys, Hammonds Furniture, Knowledge IT, Idras S.P.A., Sibeg, Swann Engineering, Trivium Lindenhof

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 2025

Free Report: VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

Find out what your peers are saying about VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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