Rubrik Virtual Stack TCO Calculator

Your infrastructure doesn’t live in a silo, so why are you calculating its cost in one? We built the Rubrik Virtual Stack TCO Calculator because most ROI tools miss the bigger picture. They give you the storage cost or the compute cost, but never the combined reality of the ‘Total Stack.’ This engine normalizes the complex, shifting licensing models of VMware (Broadcom), Nutanix, and Hyper-V directly against Rubrik’s Data Security model—giving you a brutally honest, ‘Day 2’ view of what it actually costs to run and protect your workload.

Key Features
  • Rubrik-Native Math: This tool calculates protection costs based on Rubrik’s Front-End Terabyte (FET) model. It does not use Veeam’s VUL (instance-based) or Cohesity’s raw capacity logic.
  • Unified Licensing Engine: Stop toggling between different vendor spreadsheets. This tool normalizes the complex math for VMware (Broadcom), Nutanix (NCI), and Microsoft (Hyper-V) into a single pane of glass.
  • The "Broadcom Math" Enforcer: We hard-coded the new subscription rules so you don't have to. The calculator automatically applies the minimum 16-core per CPU requirement—preventing budget shortfalls during renewal.
  • Privacy First: This is a client-side calculator. No API calls are made, and your capacity data never leaves your browser.
FAQ

Why is this tool Rubrik-specific?

Rubrik licenses its Security Cloud (RSC) based on the "Front End" size of the data you protect. Other vendors like Veeam license by the "Instance" (number of VMs), and legacy players often license by the "Back End" (deduplicated storage). Because these math models are incompatible, we built this tool specifically for the FET (Front-End Terabyte) model used by Rubrik.

Decision Framework: VMware VVF vs. VCF?

Broadcom has forced the portfolio into two primary buckets. Your decision comes down to the SDDC stack:

  • Choose VVF (vSphere Foundation) if you are running a traditional 3-Tier architecture (External SAN + Compute) and only need the core hypervisor (ESXi) and management (vCenter).
  • Choose VCF (VMware Cloud Foundation) if you require the full software-defined stack. VCF is the only way to get vSAN (storage virtualization) and NSX (network virtualization) bundled in. Warning: The cost multiplier between VVF and VCF is significant, as shown in the calculator.

Decision Framework: Nutanix NCI Pro vs. Ultimate?

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) is now tiered based on resilience and security needs:

  • Choose NCI Pro for standard enterprise workloads. It includes the core HCI stack (AOS Storage), AHV, and Prism Pro for operations. It is the "workhorse" tier for VDI and General Compute.
  • Choose NCI Ultimate if you are designing for Mission Critical availability. You need this tier to unlock Metro Availability (Zero RPO synchronous replication) and Flow Microsegmentation for zero-trust security.

Decision Framework: Why Windows Server Datacenter for Hyper-V?

We standardized this calculator on the Datacenter Edition because it includes Unlimited OSEs (Operating System Environments / Virtual Machines).

  • The "Break-Even" Rule: Standard Edition only permits 2 OSEs per license. In a modern high-density environment, once you stack roughly 10-12 VMs on a single host, the cost of stacking Standard licenses usually exceeds the cost of a single Datacenter license.
  • The Architect's Choice: For almost any HCI or high-density virtualization scenario, Datacenter Edition eliminates compliance headaches and enables unrestricted vertical scaling.

How is the Rubrik Cost Calculated?

We use the standard Rubrik Enterprise Edition pricing model:

  • The Math: We take your Avg Storage per Host × Total Hosts to determine the total FET (Front-End Terabytes).
  • The Value: This estimates the cost of Rubrik Security Cloud (Enterprise), which includes Immutable Backups, Anomaly Detection (Ransomware Monitoring), and Sensitive Data Discovery.

Is the cost of resilience eating your innovation budget? We specialize in architecting "Zero Trust" environments without the "Zero Balance" bank account. If your projected Rubrik and Infrastructure costs are too high, contact the Cloud Architecture team at Rack2Cloud. Let's explore how to optimize your storage density and FET footprint to lower your Day 2 operations costs.