# VMware NSX alternatives: what AI models name instead, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. 461 of the 504 answers in the 2 categories where VMware NSX holds a standing named it neither first nor as an alternative; these are the first choices those answers made. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/vmware-nsx/alternatives

## Named instead, most often (every category and segment added)

- Arista Networks: 73
- Illumio Segmentation: 49
- Zero Networks Segment: 35
- Cisco Nexus: 25
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: 16
- ColorTokens Xshield: 16

## Microsegmentation

**Small business**: 80 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #11 of 11 at 0%).

- Zero Networks Segment: first choice in 22 of those 80
- Illumio Segmentation: first choice in 7 of those 80
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: first choice in 6 of those 80
- Tailscale: first choice in 4 of those 80
- AWS Security Groups: first choice in 3 of those 80
- ColorTokens Xshield: first choice in 3 of those 80
- Azure Network Security Groups: first choice in 2 of those 80
- Calico: first choice in 2 of those 80

**Mid-market**: 76 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #7 of 8 at 0%).

- ColorTokens Xshield: first choice in 13 of those 76
- Illumio Segmentation: first choice in 13 of those 76
- Zero Networks Segment: first choice in 8 of those 76
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: first choice in 5 of those 76
- Cilium: first choice in 2 of those 76
- Cisco Secure Workload: first choice in 2 of those 76
- Calico: first choice in 1 of those 76
- Calico Open Source: first choice in 1 of those 76

**Enterprise**: 60 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #6 of 8 at 0%).

- Illumio Segmentation: first choice in 29 of those 60
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: first choice in 5 of those 60
- Zero Networks Segment: first choice in 5 of those 60
- Cisco Secure Workload: first choice in 2 of those 60
- Elisity: first choice in 1 of those 60

## Data center networking

**Small business**: 82 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #10 of 11 at 0%).

- Arista Networks: first choice in 16 of those 82
- MikroTik CRS Series: first choice in 6 of those 82
- Cisco Nexus: first choice in 5 of those 82
- Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric: first choice in 4 of those 82
- HPE Aruba CX Series: first choice in 4 of those 82
- Arista EOS: first choice in 2 of those 82
- Cisco Catalyst: first choice in 2 of those 82
- Cisco Meraki: first choice in 2 of those 82

**Mid-market**: 82 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #9 of 9 at 0%).

- Arista Networks: first choice in 26 of those 82
- Cisco Nexus: first choice in 6 of those 82
- Arista EOS with CloudVision: first choice in 2 of those 82
- Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric: first choice in 2 of those 82
- HPE Aruba CX: first choice in 2 of those 82
- SONiC: first choice in 2 of those 82
- Arista CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 82
- Arista EOS + CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 82

**Enterprise**: 81 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #10 of 10 at 0%).

- Arista Networks: first choice in 31 of those 81
- Cisco Nexus: first choice in 14 of those 81
- Arista EOS: first choice in 2 of those 81
- HPE Aruba CX Series: first choice in 2 of those 81
- Arista 7500R/7280/7700 families: first choice in 1 of those 81
- Arista EOS + CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 81
- Arista EOS with CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 81
- Arista Networks with CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 81

Published under CC BY 4.0. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.