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 8.3. Cisco holds a 25.1% mindshare in NMA, compared to Extreme’s 2.9% 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

5,774 Views
3,631 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 76 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

539 Views
398 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

ExtremeCloud IQ

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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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: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

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

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (13th), 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) (10th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (18th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 25.1%, down from 29.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExtremeCloud IQ is 2.9%, down from 3.1% 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.

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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.

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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

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"The monitoring is very valuable to me."

"The best feature of Cisco DNA Center is the visibility page, where you can see everything on the dashboard, and you don't have to be a technical person to view the issues."

"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."

"Has a good processing feature with a high level of accuracy."

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

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

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

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Another valuable feature is the automation of Wi-Fi configurations, which allows the wireless network to auto-reconfigure in case of problems."

"The technical support for this solution is good."

"The cloud-based controller through HiveManager is its most valuable feature. I can manage and configure changes to my access points from anywhere."

"Extreme is transitioning to 802.11ax facilities running the 2G and the 5G cloud, allowing for higher density in education use cases, and ExtremeCloud IQ provides you with novel ways to manage everything. In the old days, you used to have a controller on-site for your access points, but everything is easier now."

"HiveManager is incredibly useful for managing APs and switches from one cloud interface."

"I like ExtremeCloud IQ's unified single-pane-of-glass dashboard. It offers a lot of visibility of performance, and it's great for troubleshooting. You don't have to go to 55 different places. You can get the information you need with just a few clicks."

"It is a scalable solution."

"App and firewall security at the AP."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

Cons

"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."

"There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that you can have in your network, and this has caused us problems with some customers."

"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 product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."

"An area that needs improvement is the integration with other vendors."

"Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

"The tool's IoT integration should be better."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The dashboard and stability need to be improved."

"Certain features only exist or work in certain versions."

"For me, the only issue is the potential delay in the tool statistics updating in real time after making changes."

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

"The licensing model could be improved."

"From our perspective, we would love to see Aerohive provide faster feature enhancement in their Virtual Appliance to match the features with the cloud solution more quickly."

"Lacks cyber asset tracking."

"I struggled with the documentation."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"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."

"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."

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

"The tool is medium-priced."

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"It is costly as compared to Meraki, Aruba, Juniper, and Cisco. Cloud IQ is an enterprise solution, whereas Meraki is specifically a single solution."

"Extreme licensing is based on the number of access points. When you buy the license for the first year, everything is included, such as access to mapping, etc. If you don't renew your software assurance for the second year, the access points will still work, but you can't use the cloud management tools."

"The pricing is so cost-effective that it leaves no room for competition with other vendors."

"Although the pricing is a bit high, I consider Aerohive to be well worth the money."

"For example, if you compare Aruba vs Aerohive, you need to check which licences from Aruba you need to match the functionality of Aerohive (usually you need at least three types of licences and a controller with redundancy). The same goes with Cisco, where you need buy additional licences for central management, firewall, spectral analysis, WIPS, PPSK, etc. Aerohive has a very simple model - one licence for all the functionalities - and you can believe that there are many. One licence makes it easy to maintain, scale, renew and you can plan your costs 10 years in advance."

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

"Price-wise, it is a reasonable tool."

"Bring the cost down."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

10%

Comms Service Provider

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.

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

The cost is very high.

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What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

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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...

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

The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. The documentation and training courses were also costly, impacting how easily I c...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Juniper Mist Premium Analytics vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 15% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 11% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 11% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Aruba ClearPass vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 6% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

May 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

May 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

April 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

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