nutanix-vs-vmware-vsan

Nutanix AOS and VMware vSAN are hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) products. VMware vSAN is a software-defined storage system designed to be used with other VMware products, such as vSphere and vCenter, to form a complete HCI system. Nutanix AOS, on the other hand,  is sold as a single-pane-of-glass HCI solution. Both products are used primarily (and nearly equally) by mid-size and enterprise-level organizations, probably because smaller businesses are less likely to be able to afford or gain significant benefits from software-defined IT solutions.

Features

Both Nutanix AOS and VMware vSAN offer data availability and speed benefits as compared to traditional data storage, but they have important differences.

First and foremost, Nutanix AOS is a fully-integrated HCI solution offering software-defined storage, compute, and networking capabilities. Users appreciate Nutanix AOS’s one-click upgrade system, which makes it simple to keep the platform up-to-date. The product’s single-pane-of-glass management UI is popular with administrators, and the system is backed up with a solid, responsive support team.

Rather than being a complete solution on its own, VMware vSAN is the storage component of a HCI platform. It’s designed to integrate with vSphere, vCenter, and the rest of the VMware ecosystem, making it a natural choice for IT departments with existing VMware products. Its fault tolerance tools help keep critical data safe, and once implemented, it runs on its own without requiring much attention or dedicated management.

Limitations

Despite their strengths, it’s important to consider the drawbacks of both VMware vSAN and Nutanix AOS before committing to one or the other.

VMware vSAN (and the VMware suite in general) can be costly. Licenses are expensive on their own, and some advanced features require an upgraded license. Additionally, VMware vSAN requires at least one physical storage drive on every node in the system, adding additional hardware costs when scaling up. VMware’s support can also be spotty at times, with some users experiencing long response times or no response at all.

Nutanix AOS, however, can be difficult to set up initially. Users migrating from existing HCI systems report a rocky setup experience, even with support from Nutanix. Their one-click upgrade system isn’t perfect, and can fail at times or experience interference from certain hardware drivers. Additionally, Nutanix AOS’s GUI and command-line interface aren’t at parity, leaving some users frustrated that they have to resort to console commands for certain features.

Pricing

Nutanix AOS offers a free Community Edition intended for internal and non-production testing only. Pricing information for the paid version of Nutanix AOS and for VMware vSAN is available via a quote from the vendors or their sales partners.