9 Aug, 2025
PowerCLI vs vSphere CLI: When to Use What for VMware Automation
VMware , , ,

Introduction

VMware offers multiple tools for automation and remote management. Two of the most popular are PowerCLI and vSphere CLI (vCLI). While both allow scripting and automation, they differ in syntax, architecture, and scope. Choosing the right tool depends on your task, skillset, and environment.

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • What PowerCLI and vCLI are
  • The key differences between them
  • Where each tool excels
  • Real-world use case comparisons
  • How to integrate both into your automation stack

What is PowerCLI?

PowerCLI is a collection of VMware-specific PowerShell modules that allow automation of vCenter, ESXi, NSX, and vSAN. It uses cmdlets to perform actions via API and is tightly integrated with Windows and PowerShell Core.

Install with:

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

What is vSphere CLI (vCLI)?

vCLI is a set of command-line utilities provided by VMware that run in Bash or Linux-style shells. It is ideal for performing remote operations against ESXi hosts without needing PowerShell or vCenter access.

Install using VMware downloads or use the VMA (vSphere Management Assistant).

Common tools:

  • vicfg-nics
  • vicfg-hostops
  • esxcli (remote wrapper)
  • vihostsvc

Comparison Table: PowerCLI vs vSphere CLI

Feature PowerCLI vCLI
Platform Windows, Linux, macOS Linux only (CLI-based)
Language PowerShell Bash
API Access vCenter, ESXi, NSX, vSAN, HCX ESXi direct (primarily)
Scripting Flexibility High Moderate
Object-Oriented Yes No (text-based output)
Output Parsing Structured objects Requires awk, grep, etc.
Ideal For Advanced automation and reporting Host-level config, shell integration
Interactive Support Tab-completion, Get-Help Limited, depends on shell help
Authentication Modes Single Sign-On, token, password vault SSH-based or hardcoded credentials
Integration with CI/CD Excellent (PowerShell pipelines) Minimal

Use Case: PowerCLI Preferred

  • Bulk VM reporting
  • Tagging and policy automation
  • VM snapshots and compliance checks
  • Inventory exports and HTML dashboards
  • vCenter, NSX, vSAN management

Example: Get all powered-off VMs

Get-VM | Where-Object {$_.PowerState -eq "PoweredOff"}

Use Case: vCLI Preferred

  • Host not managed by vCenter
  • No PowerShell available (Linux-only shop)
  • Emergency maintenance or scripted ISO installs
  • Firewall or driver updates from local shell

Example: Check host services

vicfg-hostops --server esxi01 --operation info

Diagram: Tool Selection Flow

Hybrid Strategy: Use Both

You can use PowerCLI for orchestration and vCLI for fallback commands. For example:

  • PowerCLI shuts down VMs
  • vCLI script validates host health from a bootable USB or jump host
  • PowerCLI collects logs and sends email

Bonus: PowerCLI Calls to esxcli via Get-EsxCli

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -VMHost "esxi01.lab.local"
$esxcli.network.nic.list.Invoke()

This gives you remote esxcli access with PowerShell-friendly formatting.

Troubleshooting Tips

Problem Fix
PowerCLI not working on Linux Use PowerShell Core and install modules in $HOME/.local
vCLI throws SSH or connection errors Validate that remote host access is allowed and credentials are correct
esxcli fails in PowerCLI Use -V2 parameter in Get-EsxCli for structured calls
Output unreadable in vCLI Pipe output to awk, cut, or export to log file

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