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Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Prime [EOL] comparison

Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Additionally, 89% of Cisco DNA Center users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Cisco Prime [EOL] users who would recommend it.
Cisco DNA Center
Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews
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  • 3,733 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
Cisco Prime [EOL]
Read 35 Cisco Prime [EOL] reviews
    91% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

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    Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

    Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] are network management solutions with unique strengths. Cisco DNA Center is more advanced in features but challenges with pricing for smaller sectors, while Cisco Prime offers cost-effective robust functionalities despite its end-of-life status.

    Features: Cisco DNA Center is recognized for its comprehensive analytics, security integration with Cisco ISE, and centralized management, offering network visibility and reducing human errors. Its automation, RF environment insights, and Zero-day configuration are advanced capabilities. Cisco Prime [EOL] provides effective monitoring and reporting with strong heatmap visualization, delivering robust features for extensive deployments.

    Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could benefit from enhanced third-party integrations, reduced costs to increase accessibility, and improved reporting and real-time data replication. Cisco Prime [EOL] has limitations in NetFlow support and third-party compatibility, necessitating other tools for comprehensive visibility. With its discontinuation, migrating to DNA Center becomes necessary.

    Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] offer both on-premises and cloud deployment options. DNA Center users report mixed technical support experiences, highlighting delays in resolving complex issues. Conversely, Cisco Prime [EOL] receives generally positive feedback on support, though some areas need enhancement to align with the evolving network management landscape.

    Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center is viewed as high-priced but justified by its advanced features, potentially limiting its reach to larger enterprises. Cisco Prime [EOL] is more competitively priced with a manageable licensing structure, though less feature-rich compared to DNA Center. Both solutions are generally perceived as offering good ROI, though DNA Center's higher total cost may be a barrier for organizations seeking robust network management without a premium price tag.

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    Buyer's Guide
    Network Management Applications
    April 2025
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    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

    Cisco DNA Center
    Average Rating
    8.0
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.3
    Number of Reviews
    41
    Ranking in other categories
    Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (12th), Network Automation (2nd)
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Average Rating
    7.8
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.5
    Number of Reviews
    35
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
     

    Featured Reviews

    AvrahamSonenthal - PeerSpot reviewer
    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.
    Read full review
    ZeeshanAli1 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Robust, cost-effective, and provides good visibility, but the scalability could improve
    We are extremely satisfied with the reliability and robustness of Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which we have been using for many years. Compared to newer products such as DNS centers or others, it has proven to be much more stable, which is important for large-scale operations. Stability is a primary concern for us, and we are glad that Cisco Prime Infrastructure meets our expectations in that regard. Furthermore, in regards to Legacy Plus new hardware, Cisco Prime has proven to be a reliable and adaptable solution thus far. Not only can it support older hardware, but it also has the capability to handle new features with the latest updates. If we consider new solutions such as DNS Center, we may have to sacrifice some legacy features that we still rely on. We may need to continue using these legacy features for a few more years due to various reasons such as budget constraints or the site not being a high priority. However, if we switch to a new product at this stage, we may lose a lot of the monitoring and other capabilities that we have with Cisco Prime. We have a close relationship with Cisco and understand that they are not prioritizing investments in Cisco Prime as they are encouraging customers to adopt the Cisco DNA Center. This means that we don't anticipate many new features to be added to the product in the future. While we know that we will eventually have to transition to a new solution, in the meantime, we plan to do a quick refresh of our legacy products.
    Read full review

    Quotes from Members

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

    Pros

    "Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."
    "It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."
    "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."
    "It enables monitoring of various components such as access points, switch cards, and other elements within the company's solutions."
    "Cisco VXLAN is a protocol that has been around for some time, but the practical implementation and operational capability of Cisco DNA Center bring it to life."
    "It offers automation, security enforcement, analytics, and integration with other Cisco technologies, making it a key driver for efficient network operations and compliance with security protocols."
    "The product's most valuable feature is the visual representation of the switch's front panel."
    More Cisco DNA Center pros
    "The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management."
    "The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is the heat maps."
    "Cisco Prime allows us to manage all the wireless controllers and access points."
    "We use the solution to control the physical service station that is part of the SCADA network. We connect and control them remotely."
    "Cisco Prime can help customers fix their Wi-Fi issues with scientific and digital data."
    "Enables oversight in order to tweak and tune."
    "The installation is easy."
    "The dashboard is a valuable feature. It's very clear, and the metrics make it easy to see the current network situation."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pros
     

    Cons

    "What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive."
    "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."
    "It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."
    "The solution’s security side could be improved."
    "One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."
    "The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."
    "Cisco DNA Center should improve its configuration management. It is better to have a dev version before pushing it."
    "The solution's integration feature can be better."
    More Cisco DNA Center cons
    "The reporting feature of Cisco Prime should be improved."
    "There is room for improvement in the Access layer."
    "Cisco Prime could improve the graphical user interface."
    "The product needs to improve its interface and reporting."
    "The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
    "This solution could be improved if it could monitor configuration changes."
    "I rate Cisco Prime seven out of 10 for affordability. All Cisco solutions are expensive."
    "The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] cons
     

    Pricing and Cost Advice

    "Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."
    "We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."
    "I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."
    "The solution is expensive."
    "We have a three-year license with them."
    "The tool is medium-priced."
    "Our licensing agreement is for three years."
    "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."
    More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
    "If we have a license for Cisco DNA, we can use the same license for Cisco Prime."
    "The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
    "The solution is not inexpensive but is worth it for large-scale environments."
    "We update the license every five years."
    "The cost is quite high."
    "I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
    "I would rate the pricing of Cisco Prime a seven out of ten."
    "Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pricing and cost advice
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    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    Computer Software Company
    17%
    Government
    10%
    Manufacturing Company
    9%
    Financial Services Firm
    6%
    Computer Software Company
    16%
    Government
    14%
    Manufacturing Company
    8%
    Educational Organization
    6%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
     

    Questions from the Community

    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.
    See all answers
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?
    The cost is very high.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
    The system is working fine for me currently.
    See all answers
    What do you like most about Cisco Prime?
    The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco Prime?
    The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive.
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for Cisco Prime?
    We use Cisco Prime for centralized configuration management backups and monitoring.
    See all answers
     

    Comparisons

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    Compared 12% of the time
    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
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    Compared 11% of the time
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
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    Compared 8% of the time
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    Compared 6% of the time
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    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco DNA Center
    April 2025
    Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    April 2025
    Cisco Prime [EOL] reportDownload Cisco Prime [EOL] product report
     

    Also Known As

    DNA Center
    Cisco Prime Infrastructure
     

    Overview

    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.

    Cisco

    Cisco Prime products deliver next-generation management by supporting an intuitive workflow-oriented user experience and integrated lifecycle operations across Cisco architectures, technologies, and networks.

    Cisco
     

    Sample Customers

    Information Not Available
    Mohawk Industries, Universidad EAFIT, Halton Healthcare
    Buyer's Guide
    Network Management Applications
    April 2025
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