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

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. 452 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://it-ai-index.com/vendors/vmware-nsx/alternatives/

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

- Illumio Segmentation: 45
- Arista Networks: 41
- ColorTokens Xshield: 23
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: 20
- Zero Networks Segment: 16
- Faddom: 11

## Microsegmentation

**Small business**: 80 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #10 of 10 at 0%).

- Zero Networks Segment: first choice in 14 of those 80
- Illumio Segmentation: first choice in 9 of those 80
- Faddom: first choice in 8 of those 80
- ColorTokens Xshield: first choice in 7 of those 80
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: first choice in 4 of those 80
- 12Port Horizon: first choice in 3 of those 80
- AWS Security Groups: first choice in 3 of those 80
- Cisco Secure Workload: first choice in 3 of those 80

**Mid-market**: 70 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #7 of 9 at 2%).

- ColorTokens Xshield: first choice in 13 of those 70
- Illumio Segmentation: first choice in 12 of those 70
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: first choice in 7 of those 70
- Faddom: first choice in 3 of those 70
- Calico: first choice in 2 of those 70
- Calico Open Source: first choice in 2 of those 70
- Cilium: first choice in 2 of those 70
- Enclave: first choice in 2 of those 70

**Enterprise**: 59 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #7 of 9 at 2%).

- Illumio Segmentation: first choice in 24 of those 59
- Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: first choice in 9 of those 59
- Elisity: first choice in 5 of those 59
- ColorTokens Xshield: first choice in 3 of those 59
- Illumio Core: first choice in 3 of those 59
- Cisco Secure Workload: first choice in 2 of those 59
- Zero Networks Segment: first choice in 2 of those 59
- CloudGuard Network Security: first choice in 1 of those 59

## Data center networking

**Small business**: 79 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #8 of 9 at 0%).

- Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric: first choice in 5 of those 79
- Arista Networks: first choice in 4 of those 79
- Ubiquiti UniFi: first choice in 3 of those 79
- Aruba Instant On: first choice in 2 of those 79
- Cisco Meraki: first choice in 2 of those 79
- Cisco Nexus: first choice in 2 of those 79
- MikroTik CRS Series: first choice in 2 of those 79
- Netgear: first choice in 2 of those 79

**Mid-market**: 81 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #6 of 7 at 0%).

- Arista Networks: first choice in 18 of those 81
- Arista EOS: first choice in 3 of those 81
- Cisco: first choice in 3 of those 81
- HPE Aruba Networking CX Series: first choice in 3 of those 81
- Juniper Apstra: first choice in 3 of those 81
- Arista Converged Cloud Fabric: first choice in 2 of those 81
- Cisco Nexus: first choice in 2 of those 81
- Cumulus Linux: first choice in 2 of those 81

**Enterprise**: 83 of 84 answers did not name VMware NSX (VMware NSX is #7 of 7 at 0%).

- Arista Networks: first choice in 19 of those 83
- Cisco Nexus: first choice in 6 of those 83
- Juniper Networks: first choice in 6 of those 83
- Cisco: first choice in 4 of those 83
- Arista EOS: first choice in 3 of those 83
- Cisco ACI: first choice in 2 of those 83
- Arista EOS with CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 83
- Arista Networks EOS / CloudVision: first choice in 1 of those 83

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