Virtualization technology, such as virtual machines (VM), is vital for businesses and IT admins today because it empowers organizations to be more agile, reduce downtime, and secure important data. VMs allow multiple operating systems and applications to run on a single physical server, maximizing hardware utilization and reducing the need for physical hardware. According to G2 virtualization statistics, businesses that have utilized virtualization for their operations have seen a 50% improvement in operational efficiency.
One of the leading virtualization providers, VMware, and its flagship VMware vSphere platform allows organizations to create and manage VMs to optimize hardware efficiency, enhance security, and reduce operational costs. VMware also allows users to virtualize network and storage and streamlines deployment and management, offering organizations enhanced flexibility and resilience.
To keep VMware environments running smoothly and ensure the overall health and security of VMs and networks, admins need to employ VMware management tools to monitor VM status, optimize resource distribution, and identify and remediate any issues or security threats.
Check out this thorough list of the top VMware management tools and evaluate which can best answer your organization’s needs and pain points.
Best VMWare Management Tools for Admins
All G2 & Capterra ratings data as of March 2024.
1. NinjaOne
NinjaOne is a security-oriented IT management and monitoring platform that allows IT professionals to simplify IT operations efficiency and reduce risks to organizations’ IT environments. From virtual machine monitoring and management to remote monitoring and management (RMM) and patch management, NinjaOne makes managing IT environments easy.
NinjaOne VMware Management software offers a streamlined approach to managing and monitoring VMware environments, integrating seamlessly with VMware’s virtualization technology. NinjaOne provides a comprehensive, consolidated view of an entire IT environment while also providing IT professionals with comprehensive tools for overseeing hosts and VMs, deploying updates efficiently, and enhancing cybersecurity measures.
Reduce downtime and streamline IT operations for your VMware with NinjaOne.
Watch a demo or sign up for a free trial today!
NinjaOne reviews on G2
| Category | NinjaOne Rating |
| Overall | 4.8 out of 5 (1,091) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.6 |
| Quality of support | 9.4 |
| Ease of Admin | 9.3 |
| Ease of Use | 9.3 |
NinjaOne reviews on Capterra
| Category | NinjaOne Rating |
| Overall | 4.8 out of 5 (201) |
| Ease of Use | 4.8 |
| Customer Service | 4.8 |
| Features | 4.6 |
| Value for Money | 4.7 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 92% |
2. vCenter
vCenter is a centralized hub for IT teams to monitor and manage their VMware vSphere environments. It provides visibility of virtual machines and hosts and enables users to manage these endpoints and optimize resource allocation.
vCenter reviews on G2
| Category | vCenter Rating |
| Overall | 4.5 (247) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.8 |
| Quality of support | 8.4 |
| Ease of Admin | 9.0 |
| Ease of Use | 8.8 |
vCenter reviews on Capterra
| Category | vCenter Rating |
| Overall | 4.7 (89) |
| Ease of Use | 4.4 |
| Customer Service | 4.4 |
| Features | 4.7 |
| Value for Money | 4.1 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 90% |
3. IBM Turbonomic
Turbonomic is a resource-simulation software that allows technicians to centralize management for VMware hypervisors. With this VMware management tool, users can manage resource distribution and set up automations to ensure that VMs continue to perform well.
Turbonomic reviews on G2
| Category | Turbonomic Rating |
| Overall | 4.5 (225) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.1 |
| Quality of support | 9.0 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.6 |
| Ease of Use | 8.5 |
Turbonomic reviews on Capterra
| Category | Turbonomic Rating |
| Overall | 4.4 (8) |
| Ease of Use | 3.6 |
| Customer Service | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.4 |
| Value for Money | 4.1 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 82% |
4. SolarWinds Virtualization Manager
SolarWinds Virtualization Manager offers VMware management tools to optimize VMWare environment health by displaying a view of the entire environment, analyzing storage performance, and troubleshooting issues with network latency.
SolarWinds Virtualization Manager reviews on G2
| Category | SolarWinds Virtualization Manager Rating |
| Overall | 4.4 (56) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.8 |
| Quality of support | 8.7 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.5 |
| Ease of Use | 8.7 |
SolarWinds Virtualization Manager reviews on Capterra
| Category | SolarWinds Virtualization Manager Rating |
| Overall | 4.2 (5) |
| Ease of Use | 4.4 |
| Customer Service | 4.8 |
| Features | 4.0 |
| Value for Money | 4.2 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 70% |
5. ManageEngine OpManager
ManageEngine OpManager is an integrated network management solution that offers VMware monitoring. It offers real-time reporting of virtual servers and their associated physical hosts and can monitor critical VMware metrics like CPU usage, memory utilization, and network performance.
ManageEngine OpManager reviews on G2
| Category | ManageEngine OpManager Rating |
| Overall | 4.5 (76) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.0 |
| Quality of support | 8.8 |
| Ease of Admin | 9.1 |
| Ease of Use | 8.7 |
ManageEngine OpManager reviews on Capterra
| Category | ManageEngine OpManager Rating |
| Overall | 4.7 (91) |
| Ease of Use | 4.6 |
| Customer Service | 4.6 |
| Features | 4.6 |
| Value for Money | 4.6 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 90% |
6. LogicMonitor
LogicMonitor is a cloud-based monitoring platform that provides IT pros with visibility into endpoints, networks, and servers. This platform also monitors VMWare technologies, including vSphere, vSAN, and VMware Horizon.
LogicMonitor reviews on G2
| Category | LogicMonitor Rating |
| Overall | 4.5 (508) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.1 |
| Quality of support | 9.1 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.6 |
| Ease of Use | 8.7 |
LogicMonitor reviews on Capterra
| LogicMonitor Category | LogicMonitor Rating |
| Overall | 4.7 (107) |
| Ease of Use | 4.3 |
| Customer Service | 4.6 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Value for Money | 4.3 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 87% |
7. Connectwise Automate
ConnectWise Automate is an RMM platform that can monitor VMware environments and provide insight into the health and performance of VMware virtual machines and infrastructure directly from a centralized dashboard.
Connectwise Automate reviews on G2
| Category | Connectwise Automate Rating |
| Overall | 4.1 (125) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 7.8 |
| Quality of support | 7.4 |
| Ease of Admin | 7.1 |
| Ease of Use | 7.2 |
Connectwise Automate reviews on Capterra
| Category | Connectwise Automate Rating |
| Overall | 4.1 (126) |
| Ease of Use | 3.6 |
| Customer Service | 3.6 |
| Features | 4.3 |
| Value for Money | 3.9 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 75% |
8. Quest Foglight
Quest Foglight is a performance monitoring and management solution designed to offer visibility of servers and devices in a VMware environment.
Foglight reviews on G2
| Category | Foglight Operations Rating |
| Overall | 4.3 (55) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.2 |
| Quality of support | 8.8 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.9 |
| Ease of Use | 8.6 |
Foglight reviews on Capterra
| Category | Foglight Operations Rating |
| Overall | 5 (2) |
| Ease of Use | 5 |
| Customer Service | 5 |
| Features | 5 |
| Value for Money | 4.5 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 100% |
9. PRTG Network Monitor
PRTG Network Monitor is a monitoring solution that utilizes sensors to provide visibility of key network metrics and can be used for VMware environments. Technicians can monitor the health and performance of their virtual machines and ESXi hosts in real time.
PRTG reviews on G2
| Category | PRTG Rating |
| Overall | 4.0 (46) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.5 |
| Quality of support | 8.7 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.2 |
| Ease of Use | 8.3 |
PRTG reviews on Capterra
| Category | PRTG Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 (220) |
| Ease of Use | 4.5 |
| Customer Service | 4.3 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Value for Money | 4.4 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 88% |
10. Zabbix
Zabbix is a network monitoring platform that’s geared toward enterprise-level organizations by enabling admins to track VMware servers and VMs. This solution allows technicians to track and manage VMware resource allocations and the statuses of VMWare clusters, hypervisors, and hosts.
Zabbix reviews on G2
| Category | Zabbix Rating |
| Overall | 4.3 (185) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 7.90 |
| Quality of support | 7.9 |
| Ease of Admin | 7.9 |
| Ease of Use | 7.3 |
Zabbix reviews on Capterra
| Category | Zabbix Rating |
| Overall | 4.7 (83) |
| Ease of Use | 4.0 |
| Customer Service | 4.1 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Value for Money | 4.8 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 89% |
Final scores and summaries of VMWare Management Tools
| Vendor | Final Score | Summary |
| NinjaOne | 3.784 | NinjaOne is a comprehensive IT management solution with robust capabilities for managing VMware environments. |
| LogicMonitor | 1.805 | LogicMonitor is a cloud-based monitoring platform for VMWare networks, devices, and servers. |
| vCenter | 1.247 | vCenter allows users to monitor and manage their VMware environments. |
| Zabbix | 1.098 | Zabbix is a network monitoring platform that allows technicians to track and manage VMware resource allocations, clusters, hypervisors, and hosts. |
| PRTG Network Monitor | 1.069 | PRTG Network Monitor utilizes sensors to monitor VMware environments. |
| IBM Turbonomic | 1.022 | Turbonomic allows users to track the health of VMware hypervisors and remediate any issues. |
| Connectwise Automate | 1.014 | ConnectWise Automate is an RMM platform that can monitor VMware environments and troubleshoot errors with virtual machines. |
| ManageEngine OpManager | 0.909 | ManageEngine OpManager is a network management solution that can monitor VMware virtual servers and their associated physical hosts. |
| Quest Foglight | 0.695 | Quest Foglight allows users to monitor and manage servers and devices in a VMware environment. |
| SolarWinds Virtualization Manager | 0.659 | SolarWinds Virtualization Manager allows users to monitor, manage, and troubleshoot issues in an organization’s VMware environment. |
Our rankings formula
To derive the final score for each vendor, we employed a weighted formula that takes into account various metrics. Here’s how it breaks down:
Final Score = w1 * G2 Overall Star Rating + w2 * Capterra Overall Star Rating + w3 * G2 Good Partner in Doing Business + w4 * Capterra Likelihood to Recommend + w5 * G2 Total Number of Reviews (Scaled) + w6 * Capterra Total Number of Reviews (Scaled) + Other Factors
Where:
W1 = .25 * G2 score (% of 5 stars)
W2 = .25 * Capterra score (% of 5 stars)
W3 = .2 * Number of G2 reviews (converted to 100 – move the decimal over to the left twice)
W4 = .2 * Number of Capterra reviews
W3 = .1 * Number of G2 awards (% of 10)
Comparing the best VMware management tools
VMware management tools are critical in ensuring the efficient operation, monitoring, and optimization of virtual environments. Finding the best VMware management tools can significantly enhance the performance and reliability of VMware infrastructures, enabling businesses to maximize their use of virtualization technology.
To find the best VMware management tools, you must first assess your specific needs and challenges. Consider factors such as the size and complexity of your virtual environment and any specific features you require, such as automation capabilities or performance analytics. Free trials or demos can provide valuable insights into how each tool performs in real-world scenarios.
