Open by Design. Engineered for Enterprise. Priced for Reality.
VMware and Nutanix
They promise simplicity but deliver complexity, lock-in, and skyrocketing costs.
Why OSSEA
The problem with traditional HCI
DIY open source solutions
Technically free but require months of configuration and ongoing maintenance.
OSSEA is different
Open source foundation + enterprise engineering + transparent pricing = infrastructure that delivers.
Platform Comparison
| OSSEA | Nutanix | VMware vSAN/VCF | DIY Open Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment Time | <1 hour | 4-8 hours | 8-16 hours | Weeks to months |
| Hypervisor | Included | Included (AHV) | Separate license (ESXi) | Included (manual setup) |
| Storage | Kernel-integrated | Proprietary (Nutanix DSF) | vSAN (add-on license) | Requires integration work |
| Backup & Recovery | Built-in (immutable) | Separate product (Mine) | Third-party (Veeam, etc.) | DIY or third-party |
| Disaster Recovery | Built-in | Add-on license | Third-party or Site Recovery Manager | DIY scripting |
| VDI Automation | Reavyr (included) | Frame (separate product) | Horizon (expensive add-on) | Not available |
| AI-Powered Provisioning | OSSEA AI (included) | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Document-to-Infrastructure | Upload specs, get infrastructure | Manual provisioning only | Manual or complex scripting | Manual configuration |
| VMware Migration | Near-live (<5 min downtime) | Extended downtime | N/A (same platform) | Manual, high-risk |
| Licensing Model | Transparent tiers (Community/Pro/Ent) | Per-node + capacity fees | Per-CPU + per-feature fees | Free (hidden labor costs) |
| Hardware Lock-In | Any x86 server | Certified hardware only | HCL restrictions | Any hardware (manual config) |
| Updates | One-click, engineered packages | Complex, multi-step | Complex, component-by-component | Manual patching (high risk) |
| Support | Enterprise support included | Support contract (expensive) | Support contract (expensive) | Community forums (no SLA) |
| Total 3-Year Cost (50 VMs) | £40K-£80K | £150K-£250K | £200K-£350K | £0 licenses + £100K labor |
Breaking down the differences
OSSEA vs.
Nutanix
- Cost
- OSSEA costs 50-70% less than Nutanix over 3 years due to transparent licensing and no hidden fees.
- Complexity
- OSSEA deploys in <1 hour vs. Nutanix's 4-8 hours. Updates are one-click vs. complex multi-step procedures.
- Capabilities
- OSSEA includes backup, DR, VDI, and AI provisioning—Nutanix charges extra for all of these.
- Lock-In
- OSSEA runs on any x86 hardware; Nutanix requires certified (expensive) hardware.
OSSEA vs.
VMware vSAN/VCF
- Cost
- OSSEA eliminates VMware's per-CPU licensing and per-feature add-ons, saving 60-80% over 3 years.
- Complexity
- OSSEA is one integrated platform; VMware requires piecing together vSphere, vSAN, NSX, SRM, etc.
- Capabilities
- OSSEA includes immutable backup; VMware requires third-party tools (Veeam, Commvault).
- Lock-In
- OSSEA offers near-live migration from VMware—making escape fast and low-risk.
OSSEA vs.
DIY Open Source
- Time-to-Value
- OSSEA deploys in <1 hour; DIY takes weeks to months of configuration.
- Maintenance
- OSSEA provides one-click updates; DIY requires manual patching of dozens of components.
- Support
- OSSEA includes enterprise support with SLAs; DIY relies on community forums with no guarantees.
- TCO
- While DIY is "free," labor costs for setup and maintenance often exceed OSSEA's licensing costs.
The hidden costs of our competitors
Traditional HCI vendors advertise low starting prices but hit you with hidden costs.
OSSEA eliminates these hidden costs. Transparent pricing, no hardware lock-in, no feature add-ons, no surprises.
Feature Add-Ons
Backup, DR, replication, deduplication, encryption—all separate licenses that add up fast.
Capacity Tiers
Start small, grow big, pay exponentially more as your data increases.
Hardware Lock-In
Forced to buy certified hardware at 2-3x the cost of commodity servers.
Professional Services
Complex deployments require expensive vendor consultants.
Support Contracts
Annual support fees that increase 8-15% per year.
Exit Penalties
Vendor lock-in makes migration away prohibitively expensive.
What OSSEA Customers Say
Why organizations choose OSSEA
Predictable Costs
No surprise fees. No per-VM charges. No capacity tiers. You know exactly what you'll pay, year after year.
Fast Deployment
Deploy in <1 hour, not days. Get to production faster with factory-tested, pre-configured systems.
Complete Platform
Everything included: compute, storage, networking, backup, DR, VDI, AI. No separate products to license or integrate.
Zero Lock-In
Use any x86 hardware. Migrate VMs in/out easily. No proprietary APIs or formats. You're in control.
Enterprise Support
Direct access to engineers who built the platform. No outsourced helpdesks, no endless ticket escalations.
AI Advantage
OSSEA AI gives you document-to-infrastructure automation that competitors can't match. Deploy faster, with less effort.
Bottom line
OSSEA delivers enterprise-grade hyperconverged infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of Nutanix or VMware—without the complexity of DIY open source.
Better, faster, cheaper.
Ready to see the difference?
Compare OSSEA to your current platform with a side-by-side demo and cost analysis.
