VMware vCenter vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Broadcom and Progress Software are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. Broadcom is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.5, while Progress Software is ranked #18 with an average rating of 7.0. Broadcom holds a 2.1% mindshare in SM, compared to Progress Software’s 3.8% 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 38 VMware vCenter reviews

3,289 Views
3,157 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

16,207 Views
2,593 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

VMware vCenter

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

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: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

November 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 920,939 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

6th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in Server Monitoring

18th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (44th), Network Monitoring Software (25th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (23rd), Configuration Management (22nd), Log Management (41st), Cloud Monitoring Software (27th), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of VMware vCenter is 2.1%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 3.8%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
VMware vCenter	2.1%
WhatsUp Gold	3.8%
Other	94.1%

Server Monitoring

Featured Reviews

VinayKumar7

Manager Data Centre at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Centralized control has improved data center virtualization and streamlined DC DR replication

The pricing of VMware vCenter is high. What was earlier, before it was acquired by Broadcom, was different. Now, Broadcom has acquired it, and the earlier arrangement was that we used to bundle the license and purchase it according to our choice. Now, they bundle it with vSAN, which many organizations may not use. Although we purchase it along with the bundled license, we pay for something which is of no use to us because we have our own storage. If they had separate pricing for each module, organizations could purchase only the modules they need, and the price would lower. For smaller organizations, this can become a huge cost issue. For larger organizations, there is no issue, but for medium-sized organizations, they have to shell out a lot.

Read full review

Erik Cheng

Technical Manager at Quan Hung Gourmet

Efficient monitoring with detailed customization, yet complexity remains

The best feature of WhatsUp Gold is the automatic generation of topology and its integration with virtualization and wireless. I have used the automated device discovery with this topology feature. The interactive map feature helps me manage the topology because sometimes we cannot draw the topology correctly, so we need to manually edit the connections. The alerting system is very tunable and customizable, but it's a little complicated to use. Many customers cannot manage it by themselves and need support from us, the provider. We always use the dashboards in the SOC, where we constantly display a dashboard or multiple dashboards. This allows us to know immediately if the connection or bandwidth is full or if the connection is broken.

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 product's emphasis on high availability and DRS aligns with our priorities, making vCenter an integral component in our virtualized environment."

"I am using vMotion for live migration and storage migrations. I can use vCenter for both now."

"I integrated with VMware products, which makes integration easy."

"It is easier to manage a larger number of nodes per cluster. Currently, if we are managing a minimum of 64 nodes in a single cluster, that capacity can be increased."

"The high availability feature is particularly valuable when a host goes down or experiences high usage, as it automatically migrates VMs to other hosts to balance performance."

"It's a very good tool for centralized management."

"It has significantly impacted our organization by facilitating troubleshooting and monitoring processes."

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

More VMware vCenter pros

"The new version has a lot of improved features."

"The most valuable feature is the auto-discovery function."

"Their tech support is very good."

"You have to invest a few days to become an expert in this solution, but after that, it's possible to do almost anything with it."

"The most valuable features are network bandwidth monitoring and monitoring device health."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"WhatsUp Gold is very easy to deploy."

"Overall, we have been satisfied with the functionality of the product."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

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

"The protocol interface or web page is not easy to use, and the personal portal is difficult to navigate."

"The main issue with VMware vCenter is its pricing and licensing model. The licensing model has shifted, leading to higher costs, particularly for smaller organizations."

"The product's technical support services need improvement."

"We face some upgrade patch management issues."

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

"They could provide an easier way to learn NSX and troubleshooting processes for the product."

"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."

More VMware vCenter cons

"The interface needs some work."

"Improvements are needed in integration, especially for WhatsApp call and messages. Our region heavily uses WhatsApp Messenger for communication, and integration with this platform would be beneficial."

"Importing the maps and being able to customize them could be easier."

"This product should add other options for monitoring. It does not currently meet the broader needs of the banking industry in the version we have deployed."

"There is a very big gap in the support."

"The tool should focus on increasing its market share, as it is the only area of concern where improvements are needed."

"The technical support does not bother to respond."

"There are some subscription charges that are quite heavy. I need to pay for support every year and these charges can be quite expensive."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have purchased monthly licenses for the platform. There are additional costs involved."

"We utilize the basic licenses of the product."

"The solution is expensive."

"The product is expensive."

"The platform is highly-priced."

"The licensing model was a bit complex, but thanks to the vCenter product usage program, which VMware introduced, it's kind of easy for us to use a pay-as-you-go model."

"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 is affordable for now."

More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice

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

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

"The most valuable feature is the cost compared to other solutions."

"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."

"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."

"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Server Monitoring solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

920,939 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

21%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
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 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?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for VMware vCenter?

My main use case for VMware vCenter is mainly for virtualization and what we call DCDR replication. I can say we are not using all the features. Our main aim is only that we are using it for virtua...

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

What is your primary use case for WhatsUp Gold?

My use case for WhatsUp Gold includes all device availability checks, bandwidth usage, CPU, and memory usage, as well as alarm notifications.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs VMware vCenter

Compared 11% of the time

Zabbix vs VMware vCenter

Compared 10% of the time

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs VMware vCenter

Compared 6% of the time

HPE Integrated Lights Out (iLO) vs VMware vCenter

Compared 6% of the time

DX Unified Infrastructure Management vs VMware vCenter

Compared 4% of the time

More VMware vCenter Competitors

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 2% of the time

SCOM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 2% of the time

Splunk Enterprise Security vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 2% of the time

More WhatsUp Gold Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter

October 2026

Download VMware vCenter product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

October 2026

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

Overview

VMware vCenter offers centralized management to optimize virtualized environments. It focuses on resource balancing, live migrations, and integration with VMware products, making it an essential tool for experts handling multiple ESXi hosts and clusters.

VMware vCenter is designed for organizations to efficiently manage virtual machine operations, including deployment, monitoring, and administration across ESXi hosts. Its centralized platform supports functions such as high availability, fault tolerance, and resource distribution. Users find that it simplifies tasks like configuration management and system updates within data centers, providing a comprehensive view of the virtual environment. Despite its advanced capabilities, users express concerns over pricing, licensing costs, and upgrade complexities. There is a demand for improvements in scalability, redundancy, and automation features, particularly in light of Broadcom's acquisition.

What are the key features of VMware vCenter?

Centralized Management: Streamlines resources and tasks.
High Availability: Ensures uninterrupted service.
DRS and vMotion: Facilitates live migrations.
Automation: Enhances efficiency in workflows.
Monitoring: Provides insightful analytics.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in VMware vCenter reviews?

Improved Efficiency: Streamlines virtualization management.
Cost Management: Assesses pricing and licensing impacts.
Scalability: Accommodates growing IT needs.
Integration: Seamlessly connects with existing VMware tools.

In data centers, VMware vCenter is pivotal for managing and optimizing infrastructure. By overseeing tasks such as patch management and server migration, it integrates into IT ecosystems, promoting performance oversight. Industries relying on virtual environments extensively implement VMware vCenter to streamline operations and align with IT strategies.

Broadcom

WhatsUp Gold stands out with its comprehensive network monitoring, dynamic mapping, and real-time alerts, offering essential tools for managing extensive IT infrastructures.

WhatsUp Gold provides robust capabilities in network visibility through dynamic mapping and NetFlow analysis. The platform's interactive topology aids in pinpointing issues effectively. Auto-discovery ensures complete network device tracking. While offering an intuitive interface and integration with Cisco ServiceNow, users find server performance monitoring useful for incident handling. However, improvements are anticipated in application monitoring and Active Directory integration. The pricing model and customization options leave room for enhancement. Despite these, users benefit from its integrated dashboards for immediate device health checks and network updates, making it beneficial for large-scale infrastructure management.

What features does WhatsUp Gold offer?

Network Monitoring: Provides continuous oversight of network components
Dynamic Mapping: Offers visual representation of network topology
NetFlow Analysis: Delivers insights into bandwidth utilization
Threshold Alerts: Notifies users upon reaching set performance thresholds
Auto-Discovery: Detects devices automatically for complete network coverage

What benefits should users expect from reviews?

Comprehensive Visibility: Enhanced understanding of network elements
Real-Time Monitoring: Immediate insights into network and device status
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive solution suitable for expansive networks
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the management of complex networks

Organizations in sectors like telecommunications, education, and healthcare utilize WhatsUp Gold for their network monitoring needs. Telecom companies track switches and routers, educational institutions manage bandwidth usage, and healthcare facilities monitor device availability to ensure seamless operations.

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

November 2026

Free Report: VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

Find out what your peers are saying about VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

920,939 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold report.

See our list of best Server Monitoring vendors.

We monitor all Server Monitoring reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.