Best VMware Avi Load Balancer Alternatives in 2026
The top VMware Avi Load Balancer alternatives are AWS Elastic Load Balancing, Google Cloud Load Balancing and Alibaba Cloud Server Load Balancer: 15 load balancing software our editors would look at instead of VMware Avi Load Balancer, in our ranking order.
VMware Avi Load Balancer: A broad enterprise load balancer with especially deep VMware integration. Where it falls short: enterprise pricing requires contacting sales.
Switching from VMware Avi Load Balancer? For most load balancing software buyers the best VMware Avi Load Balancer alternative is AWS Elastic Load Balancing, built for aWS-native production workloads. On a budget, Cloudflare Load Balancing starts at $5/mo. Progress Kemp LoadMaster has a free plan. Azure Load Balancer offers the most backend limit (5000 backends).
Why People Look for a VMware Avi Load Balancer Alternative
- Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
- Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simpler deployments
- Standalone and multi-cloud use may be less compelling without VMware infrastructure
- No managed service — 7 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAWS Elastic Load Balancing9.3
AWS-native production workloads
Visit AWS Elastic Load Balancing - Lowest priceCloudflare Load Balancing9.0
Paid plans from $5/mo
Visit Cloudflare Load Balancing - Best free optionProgress Kemp LoadMaster8.9
Has a free plan
Visit Progress Kemp LoadMaster - Most backend limitAzure Load Balancer7.9
5000 backends
Visit Azure Load Balancer - Best for managed serviceAWS Elastic Load Balancing9.3
Managed service (VMware Avi Load Balancer: no)
Visit AWS Elastic Load Balancing
All 15 VMware Avi Load Balancer Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forAWS-native production workloads
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.4
Broad Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing for AWS production environments.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.3/10★★★★★Visit AWS ELB -
Best forGlobal, multi-backend cloud applications
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.4
A managed load balancer for global, regional, Layer 4, and Layer 7 traffic.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAlibaba Cloud deployments
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.4
A broad Alibaba Cloud balancing service with Layer 4/7 routing and a low published entry price.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forAffordable global traffic steering
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.4
Affordable global traffic steering with health-based routing, analytics, and failover.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Cloudflare -
Best forEnterprise teams wanting a free starting option
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.4
A broad Layer 4/7 load balancer with a free, capacity-limited starting option.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Progress Kemp -
Best forAPI-heavy self-hosted environments
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.4
A capable commercial choice for API-heavy teams running self-hosted application infrastructure.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit NGINX Plus -
Best forFree, capable Linux self-hosting
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.4
A capable free choice for self-managed Layer 4 and Layer 7 traffic distribution.
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit HAProxy -
Best forEnterprise self-hosted traffic management
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.4
Broad traffic management for enterprises that need self-hosted control and advanced routing.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit HAProxy -
Best forSecurity-focused enterprise deployments
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 8.4
A security-focused ADC for enterprise teams managing complex application traffic.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit FortiADC -
Best forMature data-center and cloud ADC use
A mature ADC for enterprises managing local, global, and hybrid application traffic.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Radware -
Best forHigh-performance multi-cloud ADC
A multi-cloud ADC for Layer 4/7 traffic management, security, and automation.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit A10 Networks -
Best forMicrosoft and Citrix application environments
A broad ADC for Microsoft and Citrix environments that need routing, failover, and security.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.0/10★★★★☆Contact Barracuda -
Best forAzure users needing high scale
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
A high-scale Azure balancer for TCP and UDP traffic, without Layer 7 routing.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Azure -
Best forTencent Cloud applications
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
A capable Tencent Cloud load balancer with broad routing and persistence controls.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Tencent Cloud -
Best forIBM Cloud managed balancing
- Better than VMware Avi Load Balancer:
- Managed service
Managed Layer 4 and Layer 7 balancing for applications running on IBM Cloud.
- Managed service
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Cloud
VMware Avi Load Balancer Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to VMware Avi Load Balancer?
AWS Elastic Load Balancing: #1 in our Load Balancing Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. Broad Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing for AWS production environments.
Is there a free alternative to VMware Avi Load Balancer?
Yes. Progress Kemp LoadMaster and HAProxy Community Edition have a free plan or a free tier.
Why do people look for VMware Avi Load Balancer alternatives?
Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales; Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simpler deployments; Standalone and multi-cloud use may be less compelling without VMware infrastructure.
Which VMware Avi Load Balancer alternative has the most backend limit?
Azure Load Balancer, with 5000 backends.
How do I switch from VMware Avi Load Balancer?
Export your data from VMware Avi Load Balancer (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel VMware Avi Load Balancer.
How to Switch from VMware Avi Load Balancer
- Export your data from VMware Avi Load Balancer (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel VMware Avi Load Balancer.
VMware Avi Load Balancer vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Managed service | Layer 7 routing | Global traffic management | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | VMware Avi Load Balancer | No | Yes | Yes | 8.4 | ||
| 1 | AWS Elastic Load Balancing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 | |
| 2 | Google Cloud Load Balancing | $0.01/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 3 | Alibaba Cloud Server Load Balancer | No | $0.007/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 4 | Cloudflare Load Balancing | No | $5/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 5 | Progress Kemp LoadMaster | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 6 | NGINX Plus | No | No | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 7 | HAProxy Community Edition | Yes | Free | No | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 8 | HAProxy Enterprise | No | No | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 9 | FortiADC | No | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | ||
| 10 | Radware Alteon | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |||
| 11 | A10 Thunder ADC | No | Yes | Yes | 8.1 | ||
| 12 | Barracuda Load Balancer ADC | No | No | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 13 | Azure Load Balancer | No | Yes | No | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 14 | Tencent Cloud CLB | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 15 | IBM Cloud Load Balancer | No | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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