I use VMware vSAN mainly for managing storage in my virtualization environment. It lets me pool local disks from ESXi hosts and create a shared datastore without needing external SAN hardware, which has been very useful for running critical VMs, HA/DRS clusters, and migration projects. What I like is the easy integration with vSphere and vCenter, plus the scalability when adding new hosts. The built-in health checks and alerts help me catch disk group issues early. Performance has been solid, and troubleshooting things like disk group degradation or multipath failures is much easier with the built-in tools. The best thing about vSAN for me is how well it integrates with vSphere and vCenter. I don't have to deal with separate storage systems; everything is managed from the same console, which saves a lot of time. I also like that scalability by adding new hosts or disks is easy and doesn't require any complex reconfiguration. Also, initial setup was manageable with straightforward enabling through vCenter if you already have VMware experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find the licensing costs to be on the higher side compared to other storage solutions, which can be challenging for smaller environments. Hardware compatibility is another factor that complicates things, making it necessary to carefully plan and validate hardware against the VMware HCL. Additionally, the initial learning curve can be steep with VMware vSAN. Setting up disk groups, configuring fault domains, and tuning performance requires careful planning and isn't just a plug-and-play experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like how simple VMware vSAN is once it's set up since everything lives right inside vCenter, allowing me to manage storage from the same place I manage the VMs without needing a separate storage tool. I appreciate the ability to set storage policies per VM, and scaling out by adding nodes just works. The deduplication and compression on the all-flash setup saved us a good chunk of space, which is vital since flash isn't cheap. The maintenance process is low drama, letting me patch hosts without downtime. The health checks in vCenter provide great peace of mind, warning me before small issues become big problems. Together, these features make storage something I mostly don't have to think about, which is exactly what I want. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The licensing cost is the main pain point for us; it's not cheap and the pricing changes lately have made budgeting harder. Sizing can also be tricky at first; if we don't plan our disk groups and network right, we can run into performance issues, so it has a bit of a learning curve. We really need fast networking, like 10Gb at minimum, or it drags. When something does go wrong, digging into the logs to figure out why isn't always straightforward. Nothing is dealbreaking, but those are the rough edges. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

VMware vSAN offers an easy-to-use interface and integrates smoothly with vSphere and vCenter. From a single console, I can manage storage and compute resources, monitor performance and capacity, and keep an eye on overall health.

It delivers reliable performance and helps simplify day-to-day infrastructure operations through policy-based management and automated health monitoring. While the licensing can be expensive, it still provides solid value and ROI for organizations that are already invested in the VMware ecosystem. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The main drawback is the licensing cost, which can be high for smaller environments. vSAN also requires careful hardware compatibility checks, proper sizing, and experienced resources during the initial setup. Troubleshooting performance or cluster-related issues can also be complex at times. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find VMware vSAN very easy to manage and deploy, and it's incredibly fast—it's the fastest thing I’ve ever used. I love that it creates a bigger volume by using local disks in a hyperconverged infrastructure, which is amazing. The seamless integration with existing VMware products means there's no need for extra plugins or installations; it just works. This makes it easy to learn and manage, especially if you're familiar with VMware vSphere and other products. I also appreciate that the setup is super straightforward and simplifies things like rack space by using local disks instead of purchasing cabinets. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think VMware vSAN could improve by including more features in the entry-level licensing. Right now, I feel like the entry-level doesn't have everything I'd like it to include. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like VMware vSAN's ease of use and reliability in a cluster setting. It's been really easy to change the virtual SAN to scale storage needs and implement high-availability in our VMware clusters. The initial setup was very easy using the integrated setup utility. Also, it's a great solution for utilizing storage with redundancy in our cluster without needing a physical SAN. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The biggest caveat for me with VMware vSAN, and really the VMware platform in general, is the cost of the licenses. It's now part of bundles that cost quite a lot compared to previous licensing models, which means it's not as cost effective versus using a hardware SAN as it used to be. Also, it needs overhead from the hosts since it runs on the software layer, so you have to ensure you prepare your hosts with that overhead in advance, though this is not exclusively tied to VMware but virtual SANs in general. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I love how VMware vSAN simplifies storage management and integrates well with VMware, making it easy to manage. It provides good performance and has been reliable in our daily operations. I find expanding our infrastructure much easier with vSAN, as it scales more smoothly compared to traditional storage solutions. The health monitoring tools are useful, and the straightforward updates add to its reliability. Additionally, its integration with the VMware ecosystem simplifies administration tasks. The initial setup was pretty easy, especially since it felt familiar with VMware, and with proper planning, it was up and running without major issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Main downside for us is the licensing cost. It would also be nice if troubleshooting and some advanced options were easier. Other than these things, it's very good. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find VMware vSAN particularly valuable due to its ability to simplify storage problems by consolidating local and server storage into a single solution. I really like its incremental scalability, which is a huge advantage for us because we don't need to make large investments in storage as our virtual environment grows. We can add additional local disks to the cluster, and VMware vSAN automatically incorporates these resources, which is fantastic. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The initial setup process of VMware vSAN is a little complex. We managed to get through it using support articles from the website and FAQs, which helped a lot. But if the process were simpler or if there were some official video tutorials available, it would definitely help. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I mainly use VMware vSAN for managing storage in our virtualized env, and it makes it easy to pool storage across our hosts. I really like how well it integrates with the VMware environment, allowing me to manage compute, VMs, and storage from the same place instead of juggling multiple systems. Provisioning and managing storage for new VMs becomes much easier with it. The policy-based approach is really helpful, and the high availability and flexibility it provides for managing my VMs workload are great. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find the cost to be a concern, especially for larger environments. The initial setup and configuration can also be challenging; you really need a good understanding of the VMware ecosystem to get started. It would be nice if there were some kind of click-through tutorial or guided steps, like those offered by AWS. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I love the integration with vSphere because everything is integrated in the same place, including alerts, performance graphs, and storage. It's really convenient to be able to add storage or change the RAID without interrupting the service, which avoids production losses and satisfies everyone, whether it's the IT department or the users. The initial installation was made easier by the integrated deployment wizard, which was done without complications. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

As with everything today, the problem is the cost of licenses. From my experience, I sometimes have issues with vSAN health check displaying error messages that are not really understandable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like the seamless integration of VMware vSAN with VMware vSphere and vCenter, which lets us manage compute and storage from a single interface, simplifying day-to-day administration. I find the policy-based storage management very useful because it allows us to define availability, performance, and redundancy requirements for individual machines. It's easy to scale by adding hosts or drives, and it provides good visibility into storage health, capacity, and performance. The integration with monitoring and backup tools simplifies troubleshooting and recovery operations and provides a centralized view of the environment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

From our perspective what could be improved is the overall cost, especially licensing and the requirement for compatible hardware. Initial deployment and troubleshooting can also be complex, as VMware vSAN performance and stability depend heavily on proper network design, disk configuration, and hardware compatibility. When an issue occurs, identifying whether it is related to storage, networking, or the ESXi host can sometimes take time. Simplified troubleshooting tools, clearer error messages, and more flexible licensing options would make the solution easier to manage. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.