Microsegmentation Vendor Comparison Reference
Microsegmentation Vendor Comparison
A quick-reference comparison of major microsegmentation platforms.
At a Glance
| Feature | Illumio | Akamai Guardicore | VMware NSX | Cisco SD-Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Agent | Agent + Agentless | Hypervisor | Fabric + Agent |
| Kubernetes | Yes | Yes | Via Tanzu | Limited |
| AWS integration | Full | Full | VMware only | Limited |
| Azure integration | Full | Full | VMware only | Limited |
| GCP integration | Full | Full | VMware only | Limited |
| Monitor-only | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Policy-as-code | TF + API | API + Ansible | API | No |
| Visibility | Real-time flow | Real-time + hist | Network only | Switch-based |
| Starting price | ~$50/wkld/yr | ~$35/wkld/yr | vSphere bundle | Hardware + license |
When to Choose Each
Illumio — Multi-cloud + hybrid with compliance requirements. Strongest Kubernetes and policy-as-code.
Akamai Guardicore — Agentless options + threat-hunting. Better value for smaller deployments.
VMware NSX — Deep in VMware ecosystem. Limited outside vSphere.
Cisco SD-Access — Cisco-centric networks. Least suitable for cloud-native.
For a deeper dive, see our Ultimate Guide to Microsegmentation.