Most organizations, especially the IT industry, are heavily dependent on the modern software-driven data center. Working as the backbone to such data centers, Hyperconverged infrastructures (HCI) provide an easy way to compute, store, and network into a single and easy-to-manage platform.
For a long time, VMware has been serving as the key player in the market, holding almost the top position as the provider of hyperconverged infrastructures.
However, constant market shifts and evolving business needs have prompted many organizations to think beyond VMware when considering HCI solutions for organizational needs.
If you’re out on the market exploring options and wondering which options suit you best, consider reading this article. We have listed the best alternatives to VMware in this blog post. Most importantly, we’ve described how to choose the right alternative, helping you make an informed decision.
Why Look Beyond VMware Hyperconverged Infrastructure?
Coming to the most important question of this topic: why should you consider an alternative to VMware if it’s already working out fine?
As a hyperconverged infrastructure, VMware combines servers, storage, and networking into a single, unified space. Organizational users typically get such functionalities from multiple VMware competitors with the same job, including a few additional benefits.
Some competitors offer more affordable licensing models and greater flexibility in various scenarios. Additionally, some alternatives are open-source and come with potentially lower costs.
Therefore, finding VMware alternatives is a wise solution for most businesses in 2025. The following are three key reasons why a vast number of VMware users are considering alternatives:
- Rising licensing costs and complex fee structures
- Concerns about vendor lock-in
- The need for more flexible, open, or cost-effective solutions
- Desire for integrated features like advanced security or automation
Furthermore, following the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom, their licensing model and pricing structures changed. This is a major reason why many organizations are considering an alternative to VMware’s hyperconverged infrastructure.
The good news is, there’s a wide range of efficient providers providing converged infrastructure systems.
1. Sangfor Hyperconverged Infrastructure
As a compelling Hyperconverged infrastructure, Sangfor has gained traction in Asia and is coming out as an emerging name in the global market. As a VMware HCI alternative, Sangfor focuses on performance, reliability, and security. They have a strong focus on reliability and performance while prioritizing ease of use for their users.
The Sangfor platform integrates with a wide range of hardware and includes built-in features for backup, disaster recovery, and an endpoint protection platform, helping organizations secure their virtualized environment from modern threats.
The good news is that Sangfor provides a flexible deployment option and competitive pricing, making it an attractive choice for VMware HCI alternatives.
Reasons for Choosing Sangfor HCI
- Ease of Management: Sangfor users manage their virtualized platform with minimal manual inputs. It’s easy to deploy, thanks to a user-friendly interface and smooth features.
- Built-in Security Features: Sangfor comes with built-in security features like endpoint protection and physical firewall capabilities, making the virtualized platform impenetrable.
- Built-in Security Features: Flexible subscription and perpetual licensing options of Sangfor make it a great option for organizations that need a cost-effective VMware HCI alternative.
2. Nutanix
Nutanix is a pioneer in the HCI landscape. They have built a strong reputation for simplifying infrastructure management. It’s a platform that uses a KVM-based hypervisor called AHV, which delivers robust performance and flexibility.
Also, the Nutanix Prism interface has gained prominence thanks to its intuitive management and analytics capabilities. IT teams and professionals seeking simplicity without compromising on efficiency love the HCI solutions provided by HCI.
Reasons for Choosing Nutanix’s HCI
- One-click simplicity: Nutanix Prism provides a one-click deployment, scaling, provisioning, and troubleshooting option.
- Linear Scalability: Users can add nodes to the cluster as per their needs, making Nutanix Prism efficient for scalability.
- Software-defined storage (SDS): The use of software-defined data centres makes data access smoother and latency-free for their users.
- Cloud-like Agility: Easy and smooth deployment options of HCI make it a worthwhile option for a vast range of users. The hyperconverged infrastructure of Nutanix optimizes resource utilization through seamless consolidation, reducing operational costs.
3. HPE SimpliVity
HPE SimpliVity has built a reputation for its deep integration with HPE servers. In addition, it focuses on efficiency and performance, making it a great option for a fast-paced IT environment. The built-in deduplication and compression features of SimpliVity reduce storage requirements drastically. In addition, the automation features help streamline management. Organizations that are already invested in HPE hardware will find SimpliVity a natural fit for their requirements.
Reasons for Choosing SimpliVity HCI
- The VM-centric management features on top of standard HCI capabilities make SimpliVity HCI stand out. The platform makes it easy to manage and move virtual machines.
- SimpliVity also provides a cost-effective solution where the users enjoy up to a 43% reduction on their total cost of ownership (TCO) according to VLCM.com. Additionally, it reduces the need for storage capacity by 90%.
- Built-in backup and disaster recovery are among the security features that also attract a vast audience group.
4. Scale Computing
Small and mid-sized organizations can also choose Scale Computing HCI. It’s easy to deploy and manage. Scale Computing focuses on reliability and simplicity, making it a strong option for businesses with limited IT resources.
Reasons for Choosing SimpliVity Scale Computing
- Reliable performance and efficient for small IT companies with limited resources.
- Scale Computing offers an easy-to-manage and reliable HCI solution.
- It avoids the operational complexity coming with other VMware HCI alternatives like Nutanix.
5. Microsoft Hyper-V
Organizations that are already heavily reliant on the Microsoft ecosystem would find Hyper-V hyperconverged infrastructure useful. Integrated with the Windows server, it’s a reliable option enabling strong management compatibility with the services from Microsoft and its applications.
Reasons for Choosing Hyper-V
- Cost-Advantages: Hyper-V by Microsoft is usually included in the Windows server licensing, making it cost-effective for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.
- Scalability: Hyper-V supports large VMs and physical hosts. In fact, some versions support close to 48TB of RAM. This makes it a scalable option for organizations that are growing rapidly.
- Software Defined Networking (SDN): Many organizations choose VMware due to one important reason, its SDN capabilities. This feature allows for dynamic management and monitoring of virtual networks and subnets. Thereby, it enables flexible and efficient network configuration for virtual machines.
Key Factors to Consider when Choosing an HCI Solution
Selecting the right HCI platform requires more than understanding some features. It’s all about finding the best fit for organizational requirements and needs. Consider the following parameters when choosing a hyperconverged infrastructure for your organizational needs:
1. Licensing Costs
The subscription and licensing costs for VMware HCI solutions are significant. Comparatively, other providers emphasize a transparent and predictable pricing model. It’s a way to help you reduce your total cost of ownership and increase ROI.
2. Learning Curve
Implementation of the HCI platforms is a big challenge for many organizations. On the other hand, platforms such as Nutanix or Sangfor provide a user-friendly interface, making it easy to manage and deploy HCI solutions.
3. Scalability and Performance
HCI for organizational needs must be easy to scale. It must be able to easily accommodate increased workloads. It must deliver the performance your applications require.
4. Integration Features
Hypeconverged infrastructure is all about integrating the organizational network, storage, and hardware environment. It’s important to check if the HCI solution you’re choosing is compatible with your current hardware and the software you use.
5. Different & Specific Use Cases
Choose HCI platforms depending on the type of workload your machine will handle. For example, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), remote branch offices, and mission-critical databases require different types of HCI solutions tailored to specific levels of needs. So, when considering your options, prioritize your needs.
Are You too Late to Reconsider?
Given the rising cost of tools and essential cybersecurity software, it’s essential to keep track of your operational costs. If costly tools and infrastructure are eating into your ROI, it’s time to reconsider your options, even if it’s the HCI solution.
Already, plenty of reliable and cost-effective VMware alternatives like Sangfor, Nutanix, and Scale Computing are storming the market, and it’s never too late to reconsider. Keep your requirements in mind and choose a solution that meets your organization’s size, technical expertise, and strategic goals.
So, are you ready to explore different HCI options? If yes, reach out to vendors for demos and trial versions to choose the right HCI that meets your business needs.
