Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Cisco Catalyst Center and Cisco DNA Center are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco Catalyst Center is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.7, while Cisco DNA Center is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 100% of Cisco Catalyst Center users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Cisco DNA Center users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Center

Read 3 Cisco Catalyst Center reviews

113 Views
87 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Read 40 Cisco DNA Center reviews

7,170 Views
4,184 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Center

Cisco DNA Center

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Center and Cisco DNA Center based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Management Applications solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Center vs. Cisco DNA Center Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Center vs. Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Center

Ranking in Network Management Applications

16th

Average Rating

8.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (18th), Network Automation (2nd)

Featured Reviews

Bharath _Kumar

Solution Architect at Velocis Systems

Provides visibility and enables plug-and-play features, device onboarding

Most customers have heterogeneous environments. The main drawback of Cisco Catalyst Center is that it can only manage and monitor Cisco devices with a DNA license, specifically the Catalyst 9000 series. Customers often have mixed vendor environments, and platforms like Xtream offer vendor-agnostic solutions. While Cisco's DNA Center does have third-party SDKs that allow monitoring of non-Cisco devices, this approach isn't always practical. Additionally, Kumar mentioned the importance of segmentation, transitioning to SDA, and moving away from traditional VLANs and ACLs towards identity-based segmentation integrated with ISE. Therefore, it's more suitable for customers who primarily use Cisco solutions rather than those with diverse vendor environments.

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AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco performs well in the network space, especially in areas like switching, DNA Center, and wireless, where it is known for its stability."

"The integration of Cisco Catalyst Center is fine"

"The architecture and the way Cisco designs it, VXLAN and Cisco Express Forwarding are some of the features I like."

"The product's most valuable feature is the visual representation of the switch's front panel."

"The product offers an intuitive and automated way to manage user networks. It gives me an insight into the network health."

"Automation helps configure devices without manual intervention, enabling zero-touch provisioning."

"The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

"The solution helps with the management and orchestration of campaigns. It helps with visibility and analytics. I also like its SDA configuration."

"I think that their LAN automation is a very good feature."

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

Cons

"The main drawback of Cisco Catalyst Center is that it can only manage and monitor Cisco devices with a DNA license, specifically the Catalyst 9000 series."

"The deployment process is pretty complex"

"The only limitation is when integrating with other products due to Cisco's proprietary protocols."

"One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."

"There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates."

"Cisco DNA Center should improve its configuration management. It is better to have a dev version before pushing it."

"The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."

"The solution’s security side could be improved."

"The solution's integration feature can be better."

"An area for improvement in Cisco DNA Center is the latency in data correlation. For example, sometimes, when an issue happens, and I check the logs, I can't find the corresponding log. There's a delay in log replication, so this is what needs improvement in Cisco DNA Center. Reporting in Cisco DNA Center could also be improved because it only has a few templates, and you can't customize it based on your requirements. There aren't many options available in Cisco DNA Center regarding reporting, versus Cisco Prime, which has excellent features for different levels of detailed reports. I'd like to see real-time data replication in the next release of Cisco DNA Center, similar to what's done in Meraki. Data in Meraki is real-time with no delay, so data is immediately replicated in the cloud. Currently, there's a lag in Cisco DNA Center, and addressing that lag is the enhancement I'd like to see in Cisco DNA Center. The solution also needs to be more user-friendly."

"The features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"We have a three-year license with them."

"The product is very costly."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"Affordability is a problem because it's created for large enterprises only. So, some customers, even if their engineers want the solution, might have problems with budget limitations."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Center?

Cisco is average in pricing, neither too costly nor too cheap. It's like the iPhone of the networking industry.

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What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Center?

Catalyst is a very mature product. The only limitation is when integrating with other products due to Cisco's proprietary protocols.

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What is your primary use case for Cisco Catalyst Center?

I work primarily for Catalyst, mainly in data center networks.

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What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive.

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What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process. The time required for downloading and installing packages during upgrades is too long, often taking around ten hours. This is a significant i...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst Center

Compared 24% of the time

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Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Junos Space Network Director vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

November 2024

Download Cisco Catalyst Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Also Known As

No data available

DNA Center

Learn More

Cisco

Overview

Optimize resources, reduce spending, and enhance your organization's digital agility with a powerful management system that uses AI to connect, secure, and automate network operations. Deploy networks faster with provisioning and configuration automation. Proactively scale your network using deep insights into capacity and performance. Improve time to resolution with AI diagnostics and remediation. Optimize Wi-Fi coverage and deliver services where they're needed with 3D visualization. Gain visibility into the user experience and improve hybrid work experience with application insights.

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Center vs. Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Center vs. Cisco DNA Center

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