--- title: VMware vSphere Reviews meta\_title: 'VMware vSphere Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta\_description: Filter 769 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how VMware vSphere works for a business like yours. aggregate\_rating: rating\_value: 4.5 review\_count: 769 scale: '5' date\_modified: '2026-08-11' parent\_category: name: IT Infrastructure url: https://www.g2.com/categories/it-infrastructure --- # VMware vSphere Reviews & Product Details Visit Website VMware vSphere with VCF 9.1 is the enterprise workload engine that modernizes compute infrastructure with a future-ready, scalable infrastructure and simplified management that enables organizations to extract maximum value from their current server investments and hardware footprint, rather than requiring a total refresh. vSphere provides a powerful foundation for modern, AI and traditional workloads, while enabling intrinsic security out-of-the-box. * * * Product Website VMware vSphere Seller [Broadcom](https://www.g2.com/sellers/broadcom-ab3091cd-4724-46a8-ac89-219d6bc8e166) Discussions [VMware vSphere Community](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/discuss) Solution Type Best-of-Breed Overview by Harshad Kolte Show More ## Value at a Glance Averages based on real user reviews. ### Time to Implement 2 months [ View More Pricing Information ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/pricing) ## VMware vSphere Integrations (5) What do users say about integrations? Verified by VMware vSphere [ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Acronis Cyber Protect ](https://www.g2.com/products/acronis-acronis-cyber-protect/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Veeam Data Platform ](https://www.g2.com/products/veeam-data-platform/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") VMware NSX ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-nsx/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") VMware vSAN ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsan/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Zabbix ](https://www.g2.com/products/zabbix/reviews) Show More ![Verified User in Information Technology and Services](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Information Technology and Services") UI Verified User in Information Technology and Services Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 8/7/2026 "Robust, Scalable Virtualization with a Clean, Unified vSphere Console" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? The biggest advantage of vSphere is that it pulls infrastructure management into a single, unified console that’s easy to navigate. Performance remains consistently strong, uptime feels dependable, and vMotion makes it possible to move live workloads around without interrupting service. Resource allocation is handled intelligently across the cluster, which helps keep things balanced. The admin console is clean and straightforward to learn, the initial setup doesn’t come with a steep ramp-up, and it integrates smoothly with the rest of the VMware stack—vSAN in particular—without any friction. With the automation tools and the way it scales, it works just as well for a lean IT team as it does for a large enterprise deployment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? That said, a few pain points stand out. Licensing and subscription costs have crept up noticeably, and getting comfortable with the deeper features takes real time—the learning curve is definitely there. When something breaks in a non-obvious way, you often need niche expertise that isn’t always available on the team. Compatibility issues during upgrades across different VMware products can also slow down rollout timelines. Even so, none of this really takes away from what vSphere delivers overall. It remains a robust, scalable platform built for serious enterprise virtualization work. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? Fundamentally, vSphere solves the headache of managing servers one by one by letting you consolidate multiple workloads onto virtual machines instead. This improves resource utilization, simplifies infrastructure oversight, and reduces both hardware spend and operational overhead. Capabilities like HA, vMotion, and centralized management help minimize downtime and support business continuity. For our team, the payoff has been tangible: smoother day-to-day operations, an infrastructure footprint that’s easier to manage, and a scalable foundation we can keep building on as the business grows. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerSource: Organic ![Verified User in Information Technology and Services](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Information Technology and Services") UI Verified User in Information Technology and Services Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 8/6/2026 "Rock-Solid vSphere for Mixed Production Workloads and Seamless DR" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? VMware vSphere’s biggest strength is how effectively it consolidates infrastructure management into a single, centralized platform. It provides strong performance, high availability, and non-disruptive workload migration via vMotion, along with intelligent resource allocation across the environment. The administrative interface feels polished and intuitive, the initial deployment process is straightforward, and integration with the broader VMware ecosystem—especially vSAN—is smooth and seamless. With its scalability and built-in automation capabilities, it remains a dependable option whether you’re supporting a small IT footprint or operating in a large-scale enterprise environment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? Despite its strengths, vSphere does have a few notable drawbacks. Licensing and subscription costs have become significant, and getting comfortable with the more advanced features takes a real investment of time—the learning curve isn’t always straightforward. When complex problems arise, diagnosing them often requires specialized expertise that not every team has in-house. On top of that, upgrade compatibility across different VMware products can add friction and slow things down. Even with these limitations, they don’t outweigh vSphere’s overall reliability. It remains a feature-rich, scalable platform for enterprise virtualization. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? At its core, vSphere tackles the inefficiency of managing physical servers one by one by consolidating multiple workloads into virtual machines. This improves overall resource utilization, streamlines infrastructure oversight, and helps reduce both hardware and day-to-day operational costs. Features such as high availability, vMotion, and centralized administration help keep downtime to a minimum and reinforce business continuity. In our organization, this has translated into clear gains in operational efficiency, a server environment that’s easier to manage, and a scalable, dependable foundation that supports ongoing business growth. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerSource: Organic Review from User Profile SS Sanjeev S. Cybersecurity Engineer Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 5/9/2026 "Robust Virtualization with Centralized Management" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? I like VMware vSphere's stability and how it simplifies managing virtual infrastructure through a centralized console. I find features like live migration, resource allocation, and high availability very effective in daily operations. It makes provisioning and managing virtual machines much easier compared to dealing with physical servers individually. Once the environment is properly set up, it's generally reliable and doesn't require constant intervention. I also appreciate how the centralized console facilitates easier administration by allowing monitoring, provisioning, and managing multiple systems from one place, unlike managing individual physical servers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? One area where VMware vSphere could improve is licensing and overall cost, especially for small environments. The centralized console is useful, but troubleshooting certain issues can sometimes feel complex and take time. Also, upgrades and compatibility checks between different VMware components need careful planning to avoid unexpected issues during maintenance. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? I use VMware vSphere for virtualization, consolidating workloads into VMs, improving resource utilization, simplifying server management, and facilitating faster system provisioning. It reduces dependency on physical hardware and enhances uptime with minimal disruption during upgrades. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Nayan G.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Nayan G.") NG Nayan G. Linux Administrator Information Technology and Services Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 3/31/2026 "Reliable, Complete Virtualization with vMotion, HA/DRS, and Scalable vCenter Management" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? What I like most about VMware vSphere is its reliability and overall completeness. It stays very stable even under heavy workloads, and vMotion makes it possible to migrate VMs with zero downtime. I also appreciate how HA and DRS automate failover and load balancing, which reduces manual effort. On top of that, vCenter keeps management straightforward, even when you’re operating at scale. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? The licensing cost is high. I also worry about vendor lock-in, and the setup can feel complex—especially when trying to understand and choose between the different licensing tiers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? VMware vSphere helps solve several key infrastructure problems. It reduces server sprawl by consolidating multiple VMs onto fewer hosts. It also minimizes downtime, since HA and vMotion help keep services running. For day-to-day operations, it cuts down on manual management through centralized control via vCenter. Finally, it addresses resource imbalance by using DRS to automatically balance workloads across the environment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Information Technology and Services](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Information Technology and Services") AI Verified User in Information Technology and Services Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 7/31/2026 "Stable, Mature Hypervisor with Powerful Ops Tooling and Real Visibility" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? The foundation everything else builds on—stable, mature hypervisor with strong operational tooling (vROps, DRS, HA) that lets us manage CPU/memory contention and rightsizing across a large multi-tenant fleet with real visibility, not guesswork. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? Broadcom's licensing changes have made cost planning less predictable, and some legacy operational quirks—like AD authentication issues from stale SIDs or GPU driver friction with newer hardware (H200/GPU Operator)—still require manual troubleshooting rather than being resolved natively. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? vSphere gives us a stable, mature virtualization layer to run a large multi-tenant fleet, with tooling (vROps) that turns CPU/memory contention data into concrete rightsizing decisions. This benefits us by avoiding both over-provisioning and performance risk across client workloads, backed by real metrics rather than assumptions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More 8/2/2026 Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Ben S.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Ben S.") BS Ben S. Senior Systems Engineer / Infrastructure Architect Information Technology and Services Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 9/20/2019 "vSphere is the most comprehensive and easiest to use management for hyper-visors. " 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? The interface is 100% web based so it is easy accessible from anywhere. Integrates directly into Active Directory for easy role based access and authentication. All management was moved from the client to the web interface. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? The management interface can be slow to load and takes a while to find some of the settings. Overall they did a good job making it self explanatory. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Recommendations to others considering VMware vSphere: In comparing hyper-V to vSphere look at the total cost of management, support, licensing, as well as downtime and the complexity of management. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? We are now able to add and manage all hyper-visors in a single management interface. We have now gained the ability to vMotion and storage vMotion all of our virtual machines. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More 2/19/2026 Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Jasvinder S.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Jasvinder S.") JS Jasvinder S. Sr. Technical Engineer Information Technology and Services Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 1/16/2026 "Reliable Virtualization, High Cost Barrier" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? I use VMware vSphere to run and manage all our virtual machines, and it makes virtualization easy to handle. The platform is very stable and reliable, allowing us to adjust VM configurations whenever we need without any hassle. I appreciate how vSphere lets us manage our entire virtual environment, including virtual networks, VMs, and physical hosts, all from a single console. This makes day-to-day operations much easier and more efficient. The initial setup was straightforward, and following the documentation made installing, connecting the ESXi hosts, setting up vCenter, and starting VM management easy. Managing our environment has been smooth, and I didn't face major challenges during the setup. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? VMware vSphere is great, but it can still improve in a few areas. The licensing and pricing are on the higher side, which makes upgrades expensive. Some advanced features also feel a bit complex for new users. In some cases, updates and compatibility checks take time, so simplifying that experience would make it even better. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? I use VMware vSphere to manage our virtual machines, solving hardware dependency issues, reducing server downtime and physical load. It simplifies virtualization, allowing easy resource scaling and system maintenance from a single console, making operations efficient and reliable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerSource: Organic PD Peter D. CIO and System engineer Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 10/7/2024 "The best virtualisation in the world" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? Its very easy, all has integrated, or is possible to integrate to have it complete running ecosystem for virtualisation will all other needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? Only what I dont dislike is that each extras is needed to install manualy that there isnt more integration automatisation and more user friendly interface with better overviews. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? Its solve all our problem and needes for our privat datacenter. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More 3/27/2026 Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: Seller invite ME Milton E. Senior Director, Information Services and Strategy Non-Profit Organization Management Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 3/10/2026 "vSphere Centralizes VMware Administration Seamlessly" 4/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? vSphere places all VMWare administration in one place. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? The current sales policy of Broadcom makes continuing with VMWare an impossibility. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? vSphere reduces the labor needed to maintain our VMWare installation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Our network of Icons are G2 members who are recognized for their outstanding contributions and commitment to helping others through their expertise.G2 Icon 4/14/2026 Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite DC Dave C. Senior Technical Operations Engineer Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 2/18/2026 "Centralized VMware Management" 3.5/5 What do you like best about VMware vSphere? Manage and view all your existing VMware hosts and clients from a single portal Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about VMware vSphere? At times, it’s difficult to understand how certain configuration options work, such as how VM clustering is set up for a site. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is VMware vSphere solving and how is that benefiting you? We need on-premise virtualisation for several sites that can’t be cloud-based, and vSphere is meeting that requirement. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerSource: Organic ## Questions about VMware vSphere? Ask real users or explore answers from the community Get practical answers, real workflows, and honest pros and cons from the G2 community or share your insights. [ Ask about VMware vSphere ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/discussions/new) GU Guest User • Last activity 4 months ago Is ESXi software free? 1 Upvote 4 [ Join the conversation ](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-esxi-software-free) GU Guest User • Last activity almost 2 years ago What is ESXi used for? 1 Upvote 1 [ Join the conversation ](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-esxi-used-for) [ View all Discussions ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/discuss) ## Pricing Insights Averages based on real user reviews. ### Time to Implement 2 months ### Return on Investment 13 months ### Average Discount 13% ### Perceived Cost $$$$$ [ View More Pricing Information ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/pricing) ## How much does VMware vSphere cost? Data powered by [BetterCloud](https://www.bettercloud.com). Estimated Price ### $$k - $$k Per Year Based on data from 26 purchases. Get Price Estimate VMware vSphere Comparisons ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_00ed9359853dde05cd4c34e2bc47ec95/proxmox-ve.png "Product Avatar Image") Proxmox VE 4.6/5(37) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/proxmox-ve-vs-vmware-vsphere) ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-virtual-machines.jpg "Product Avatar Image") Azure Virtual Machines 4.4/5(393) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/azure-virtual-machines-vs-vmware-vsphere) ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_7fbe4aba5c3b2a2d5c6a9229c045efa8/xenserver.png "Product Avatar Image") XenServer 4.2/5(49) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/vmware-vsphere-vs-xenserver) ##### ##### VMware vSphere Features Functionality OS Integration Resource Saving Performance Management Performance Scalability Portability Data Recovery Agentic AI - Server Virtualization Autonomous Task Execution Multi-step Planning Cross-system Integration [ View More Features ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/features) ## Top-Rated Alternatives [ ![Azure Virtual Machines](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Azure Virtual Machines") Azure Virtual Machines 4.4/5(393) ](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-virtual-machines/reviews) [ ![Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)") Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) 4.5/5(333) ](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) [ ![SC// HyperCore Virtualization Suite](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "SC// HyperCore Virtualization Suite") SC// HyperCore Virtualization Suite 4.7/5(329) ](https://www.g2.com/products/sc-hypercore-virtualization-suite/reviews) [ View All Alternatives ](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/competitors/alternatives) ##### Categories on G2 [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas)[Server Virtualization](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization)[Container Orchestration](https://www.g2.com/categories/container-orchestration) [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas)[Server Virtualization](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization)[Container Orchestration](https://www.g2.com/categories/container-orchestration)[Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) Solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/hyperconverged-infrastructure-hci-solutions) [Show MoreShow Less](javascript:void(0);) ##### Explore More [Which insurance agency software has the most compliance-focused features and audit support for regulated environments?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/which-insurance-agency-software-has-the-most-compliance-focused-features-and-audit-support-for-regulated-environments)[What product analytics tools can your team actually get insights from quickly rather than spending weeks on instrumentation and setup?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-product-analytics-tools-can-your-team-actually-get-insights-from-quickly-rather-than-spending-weeks-on-instrumentation-and-setup)[What is the smartest programmatic job advertising solution for cutting cost-per-click on Indeed and LinkedIn rather than just increasing spend to get more applicants?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-smartest-programmatic-job-advertising-solution-for-cutting-cost-per-click-on-indeed-and-linkedin-rather-than-just-increasing-spend-to-get-more-applicants) [Which enterprise-grade digital advertising intelligence platforms work best for brands running heavy programmatic buys that need competitive spend data without paying for a custom data vendor?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/which-enterprise-grade-digital-advertising-intelligence-platforms-work-best-for-brands-running-heavy-programmatic-buys-that-need-competitive-spend-data-without-paying-for-a-custom-data-vendor%20)[What commenting systems with AI-powered moderation work best for publishing companies managing high-volume reader discussions?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-commenting-systems-with-ai-powered-moderation-work-best-for-publishing-companies-managing-high-volume-reader-discussions%20)[Pros and Cons Details](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) [Show MoreShow Less](javascript:void(0);)