We performed a comparison between Arista Networks Platform and Cisco Catalyst Switches based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Arista comes out on top in this comparison. According to reviews, it is easier to set up and has better support than Cisco.
"The most valuable feature is the Linux shell, which is useful for troubleshooting or capturing traffic."
"The solution is scalable."
"The solution is very stable."
"The best part is the single operating system that they have. Regardless of your model, it's the same operating system functioning across the board, which means you don't have to worry about backward compatibilities between your older switches and the new ones that you deploy."
"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward."
"The most valuable aspect of Arista Networks products is their ease of configuration, especially when compared to Cisco products. When we implement advanced features for data centers such as BGP EVPN and VXLAN, Arista's configuration process is similar to that of Cisco's process, but at the same time it is simply much easier, clearer, and more understandable."
"The solution has good load latency. They're the market leader in this aspect right now."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"One of the main features of this solution is it is easy to manage."
"I find their system throughput and Cisco support very useful."
"The product is reliable."
"We have dealt with Cisco's technical support in the past. They were especially helpful and very polite. They are always there if we need them and their insights are always excellent. I would say that we have been satisfied with the level of support we've gotten so far."
"The solution is stable."
"It works well."
"Catalyst Switches are reliable. We don't have major problems like lost connections, and we only have a minor issue with something every few months. In the last five years, a switch broke down once, and that was due to human error."
"The product is reliable."
"The product fails to offer functions related to cloud orchestration, making it in areas where improvements are required."
"The stability of this solution needs to be improved as part of the next upgrade."
"An area for improvement in Arista Networks Platform is its integration, e.g. it needs to have more integration with its new products. Incorporating more security and cloud is also another area for improvement in the platform."
"They should have a more stable code."
"The community is good but is not good enough. It still needs to grow more."
"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."
"A smoother transition between ISPs during failover would improve the user experience by reducing unnecessary notifications and interruptions."
"The solution is quite expensive. One of the negative aspects of it is the pricing."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved."
"Cisco is dedicated to providing their customers with the latest technology, but it comes with a price. It's expensive when compared to competitors' products."
"All other modules have comparatively many more functions or power than regular Catalyst switches."
"Cisco forces end-users to accept billing for some capabilities or services that they may not want."
"We would like the solution to be more stable."
"We need to rely on other devices to provide management features."
"The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price."
"Cisco can definitely improve the training part. They can provide more training related to configuration."
Arista Networks Platform is ranked 2nd in Data Center Networking with 21 reviews while Cisco Catalyst Switches is ranked 1st in Data Center Networking with 171 reviews. Arista Networks Platform is rated 8.6, while Cisco Catalyst Switches is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Arista Networks Platform writes "Affordable for enterprise-sized companies". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cisco Catalyst Switches writes "Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed". Arista Networks Platform is most compared with Cisco Nexus, Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches, Aruba Switches, Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches, whereas Cisco Catalyst Switches is most compared with Dell PowerConnect Switches, Cisco Nexus, HPE ProCurve, ExtremeSwitching and Aruba Instant On Switches. See our Arista Networks Platform vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches report.
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We monitor all Data Center Networking reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.