Cisco DNA Center vs ExtremeCloud IQ comparison

Cisco and Extreme are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while Extreme is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 28.1% mindshare in NMA, compared to Extreme’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Extreme users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

6,795 Views
3,997 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 75 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

618 Views
452 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

ExtremeCloud IQ

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

ExtremeCloud IQ and Cisco DNA Center compete in the network management and cloud solution market. ExtremeCloud IQ appears to have the upper hand in ease of deployment and customer service, while Cisco DNA Center leads in automation capabilities.

Features: ExtremeCloud IQ offers flexibility with controller-less APs, cloud management, and advanced network insight tools providing robust security with built-in firewalls and maintaining network operations during management system downtimes. Cisco DNA Center automates network workflows, integrates with Cisco infrastructure, and provides strong wireless analytics and security features like Software-Defined Access.

Room for Improvement: ExtremeCloud IQ users seek an improved user interface and more powerful access points, noting configuration complexity and software bugs that could benefit from clearer documentation. Cisco DNA Center faces criticism over its pricing structure and challenges in integrating with third-party systems, with licensing costs and a less user-friendly dashboard being notable concerns.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ExtremeCloud IQ is praised for its varied deployment options, including public and hybrid cloud, and responsive customer service that resolves issues efficiently. Cisco DNA Center, typically deployed on-premises, may offer less flexibility than cloud solutions, with customer service experiences varying in response times but generally considered knowledgeable.

Pricing and ROI: ExtremeCloud IQ is considered cost-effective with straightforward licensing, though hardware and support contracts can be pricey. Its ROI is seen positively due to reduced operational costs and network efficiency. Cisco DNA Center is perceived as expensive with complex licensing, possibly deterring smaller companies. However, its advanced capabilities offer larger enterprises a justified investment, achieving favorable ROI when fully utilized.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

January 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 838,640 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (15th), Network Automation (2nd)

ExtremeCloud IQ

Ranking in Network Management Applications

10th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (11th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (20th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 28.1%, up from 28.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExtremeCloud IQ is 2.8%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

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.

Read full review

Sriman L

Senior Network Engineer at Nipun Net Solutions

One of the best cloud-based wireless solutions that helps manage multiple APs from a single dashboard across multiple locations

ExtremeCloud IQ’s user interface needs to be improved, and its current bugs need to be fixed. Sometimes, AP details, like the AP firmware and the AP hostname, are not updating properly because of a few bugs in the current version, which they might fix in the next version. Compared to the central and other cloud solutions, a couple of bugs still running on these portals need to be rectified. For ExtremeCloud IQ's next releases, I expect to get all the users and the events alerts. Also, if any AP goes down, I should be able to do some scheduled reports specific to the site because it is currently in beta. If any AP goes offline, that's an event. If you want to do the filter for a specific site event, we don't have that filter option. I expect specific site-level and category-level events and alert filters to get reports.

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 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."

"We have many people from the team who manage a lot of devices. By using Cisco DNA Center, it has taken some of that burden away, we are impressed with it. We did the investment in CAPEX, but in the OPEX was very low."

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

"I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network."

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

"It does a lot of things automatically, and that's the big thing with it. They're making the software so that you don't need to be as knowledgeable as me on the switching and routing side to get your work done. If you want, you can have DNA troubleshoot your problem for you and give you solutions or fix it itself, if it was something that's just a configuration issue."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Integrated Firewall in every AP (with DPI inspection) is a killer feature and it is included already in the price of licence (with others, this feature is an add-on licence)."

"a true controller-less approach, where each Access Point is 100% independent from the management system."

"It's extremely easy to deploy. Even our access points are behind the net, not using real, public IP. We can easily add to the cloud. For deployment, we just need to let the access point take the DSCP from IP and then, even if it's not a requirement, we can see the serial number from the access points and add the serial number to the cloud directly."

"It is a scalable solution."

"What I like best about ExtremeCloud IQ is its ease of use. Flexibility is another pro of ExtremeCloud IQ. I also find ExtremeCloud IQ feature-rich."

"Everything can be seen from the dashboard."

"The few times we have needed help, Aerohive has been there for us and I am confident that If I need them they will be there again."

"ExtremeCloud offers features that not a lot of other vendors do like their data storage and the ability to swap licenses."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

Cons

"There are some software problems from version to version. It takes a long time for DNA Center to recognize the video and control access devices."

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

"When it comes to deploying wireless fields, integrating defaults into the DNS interface can be challenging."

"What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive."

"The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them."

"The cost is very high."

"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."

"I would like is to have a small information pointer available. It could be a plus feature that I want to implement. When I hover my mouse over the user interface, it should provide a brief explanation. It would be helpful to have it incorporated into the UI."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The licensing model could be improved."

"ExtremeCloud IQ’s user interface needs to be improved, and its current bugs need to be fixed."

"A mobile app would be awesome."

"The solution will show us that there are some issues, but when we try to find those issues, we can't see them."

"Pricing is a bit expensive."

"I would like to see more security features such as NAC integrated to the solution. This would allow customers to be able to control all other users under one dashboard."

"Its price could be lower. It is a simplified solution, but it has price challenges. It is costly as compared to other solutions. It has almost everything. The only thing is that MAC is not possible on the cloud, and it has to be on-premises."

"Integrating the network access control solution can be complex, as it essentially combines two separate products."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"The solution is expensive."

"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."

"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"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."

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

"The product is very costly."

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"Start small and grow big. You can choose the basic Aerohive Connect free subscription solution and, later, if needed (in terms of functionality) you can upgrade to Aerohive Select."

"ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is medium, but its support contract costs more."

"I am not involved in the price, but I am sure that it is not cheap."

"There are probably cheaper solutions but we invest for stability and performance for the longer haul."

"Customers need to pay a yearly licensing fee for ExtremeCloud IQ, which is a little bit expensive."

"ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is high."

"Extreme is twice as cheap compared to Cisco due to the currency exchange. Normally, I think Cisco would be a little bit more expensive, but there wouldn't be that much of a difference."

"The product pricing is reasonable."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Management Applications solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

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 are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

See all answers

What do you like most about ExtremeCloud IQ?

The Client 360 feature provides a comprehensive view of your clients and their activities, including the devices they use. Additionally, a feature called Network 360 offers a 360-degree view of the...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?

Price-wise, it is a reasonable tool.

See all answers

Comparisons

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 18% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 11% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 6% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

February 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

February 2025

Download ExtremeCloud IQ product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

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

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

January 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ report.

See our list of best Network Management Applications vendors.

We monitor all Network Management Applications 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.