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 #14 with an average rating of 7.0. Broadcom holds a 2.1% mindshare in SM, compared to Progress Software’s 3.9% 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

2,832 Views
2,719 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

14,156 Views
2,407 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 2026).

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 2026

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:

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

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (37th), Network Monitoring Software (25th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (20th), Configuration Management (21st), Log Management (41st), Cloud Monitoring Software (26th), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of VMware vCenter is 2.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 3.9%, up from 1.7% 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	3.9%
Other	94.0%

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

"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 platform is very effective for managing virtual infrastructure. It has improved our virtual infrastructure and virtual machine deployment in several ways."

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

"The most valuable feature of VMware vCenter is the centralized management that allows us to see resources from different data centers and VMware clusters in a single dashboard."

"It is easy to create and manage virtual infrastructure."

"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 performance monitoring tools within vCenter help track resource usage, identify performance bottlenecks, and optimize the efficiency of virtual environments."

"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."

More VMware vCenter pros

"We no longer have to manually search for problems because we are alerted when something in the network goes down."

"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 important features of WhatsUp Gold are the server health and uptime it provides. Additionally, WhatsUp Gold is a Windows-based solution which is a benefit."

"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."

"Our local support team provides excellent service."

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

"We primarily use the solution to check the state of the network, monitoring thousands of devices and all of the internal network, and it is the first tool we use to see the state of the network for real-time monitoring."

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

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"The licensing model needs improvement, especially with the transition to Broadcom."

"We have to buy more VMware products to leverage the centralized management."

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

"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."

"The solution’s pricing could be improved."

"The scalability could be enhanced."

"There have been some ongoing conflicts since VMware was taken over by Broadcom."

"The license cost has increased significantly, which is the primary negative aspect of VMware vCenter."

More VMware vCenter cons

"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."

"My understanding is that there are better products out there that do a better job."

"Adding on services increases the cost and on the version we have there is no option for ATM monitoring."

"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."

"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."

"We can never achieve or get a good picture of the network topology."

"The point system is not clear and clarity around this would improve our understanding of the system."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"VMware vCenter is not expensive."

"The platform is highly-priced."

"We utilize the basic licenses of the product."

"The platform has reasonable pricing."

"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."

"For the healthcare industry, the price is considerably higher than the education industry."

More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice

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

"This is a well priced solution."

"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."

"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."

"Pricing is reasonable compared to other products."

"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

Outsourcing Company

24%

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

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

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

ServiceNow Discovery vs VMware vCenter

Compared 6% of the time

Oracle Enterprise Manager vs VMware vCenter

Compared 3% of the time

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PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

LibreNMS vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

SCOM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

NinjaOne vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 2% of the time

More WhatsUp Gold Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter

August 2026

Download VMware vCenter product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

August 2026

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

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

September 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: September 2026.

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