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Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
10th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (2nd)
Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 3.2%, down from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 15.6%, down from 18.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MarekSzafrański - PeerSpot reviewer
Affordable for enterprise-sized companies
Speaking about whether the product enhanced our company's data center scalability, I would say that it was a solution that was used in a banking company, where it served as a replacement for Cisco. Though Arista Networks Platform is similar to Cisco IOS CLI, I feel that the former product offers better prices compared to the latter tool. Arista Networks Platform office is more efficient at a lower cost. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The tool is stable and cheaper than Cisco. I would say that Arista Networks Platform is 100 percent compatible with the existing infrastructure in my company. The impact of the tool's network telemetry on our company's troubleshooting practices was just good for the scope for which I need the product. I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution is very stable."
"It provides telemetry and visibility for many metrics that are not supported by most of the other vendors. Out of the box, no third party solutions are needed."
"The most valuable features of the Arista Networks Platform are the EVPN and VXLAN. It has comprehensive features."
"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."
"Arista Networks Platform is comfortable, easy to deploy, and easy to manage, with non-blocking technology. Additionally, it has a useful CloudVision platform and automation capabilities."
"They support open standard features."
"It's an extremely reliable platform for the network switches we use."
"I find the operational system used by Arista to be very valuable, and the hardware is exceptionally nice. Arista has a unified operational system called EOS that is easy to set up and replicate on other devices. The ease of configuration and transition between devices is a significant advantage for me."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"The solution offers great bandwidth and speed."
"The most valuable feature is that we create a network as a villain."
"It is easy to configure and troubleshoot."
"Very stable solution with a very low failure rate."
"When it comes to switching routing, we have no doubts about Cisco."
"I am not sure exactly which feature is most valuable because overall, the device helps us to manage our environment."
 

Cons

"A smoother transition between ISPs during failover would improve the user experience by reducing unnecessary notifications and interruptions."
"The solution needs to accommodate new features."
"The solution’s pricing could be better."
"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."
"They need to enhance their code and their EOS. They need to improve some security features, and there are quite a number of bugs in their system. So, they need to work on that piece. In the next release, we need to have a modular feature. Instead of providing an integrated solution, they should go for something modular. They need to come up with modular highly scalable models. Even at the chassis layer, I want to see some improvement."
"From VMware, I think the cost of the tools is very high."
"The community is good but is not good enough. It still needs to grow more."
"The solution needs to improve their product range."
"From a system integrator's perspective, Cisco must train system integrators, partners, and customers about their services."
"Cisco needs to include new features to attract new customers."
"The initial setup can be simplified."
"It would be good for Cisco to provide certification to our engineers for our IT infrastructure. Basically to train and certify our engineers."
"The licensing needs to be improved."
"The management of the solution could improve."
"You do have to buy into the Cisco architecture to be able to use them."
"The solution's reliability should be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."
"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."
"Arista Networks Platform was cheaper than Cisco. I have heard that the product is affordable for enterprise-sized companies."
"I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten where ten is high price and one is low price."
"Specific tools definitely require a license for the subscription. But we are not using these tools in our environment. In terms of licensing, you need to spend approximately $10,000 per month."
"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."
"The price of the Arista Networks Platform could be less expensive for the hardware and license."
"The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000."
"In some of the latest switches, the warranty is not included in the pricing and we have to purchase it separately."
"Users have to pay an annual licensing fee for Cisco Ethernet Switches, which is expensive."
"Cisco products are not cheap, which is something that can be improved."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"These switches are expensive, but they are an excellent buy and definitely have value for the investment."
"There is a license required for this solution and the price could be better."
"The product is expensive."
"The cost of this solution is expensive."
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
Arista products are perceived as costly, especially compared to competitors like Cisco.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
Currently, Arista is too costly for its customers. Feature-wise, it addresses most customer requirements. However, we sometimes face challenges when integrating with proprietary protocols and solut...
Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Linz AG
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.