Cisco DNA Center vs Fortinet FortiManager comparison

Cisco and Fortinet are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while Fortinet is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.9. Cisco holds a 26.9% mindshare in NMA, compared to Fortinet’s 5.3% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

6,085 Views
3,733 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiManager

Read 64 Fortinet FortiManager reviews

912 Views
680 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Fortinet FortiManager

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

Fortinet FortiManager and Cisco DNA Center compete in centralized security and network management. Cisco DNA Center has the upper hand in network visibility and analytics, while FortiManager excels in the centralized management of Fortinet environments.

Features: Fortinet FortiManager provides centralized management for up to 100,000 devices with automation for deployments and policy creation. Its integration with Fortinet solutions offers seamless zero-touch provisioning and management capabilities. Cisco DNA Center excels in automation and provides comprehensive network visibility and analytics, enhancing security integration with Cisco devices.

Room for Improvement: FortiManager users report issues with documentation, real-time troubleshooting, and integration with external products. The VPN manager and user interface could be more intuitive. Cisco DNA Center experiences challenges with pricing, integration with non-Cisco products, and more detailed failure reporting, alongside desires for improvement in flexible configurations and intuitive interfaces.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both FortiManager and Cisco DNA Center offer on-premises deployment options, with FortiManager additionally thriving in cloud environments. FortiManager provides solid technical support, though sometimes lacking in speed and expertise. Cisco's support is more dependable but at a higher cost, providing consistent customer service due to its global reach.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiManager is seen as affordable with pricing flexibility based on device numbers, offering a significant ROI by optimizing management tasks. Cisco DNA Center, perceived as expensive, offers value in centralized management for large enterprises but may deter smaller businesses due to its cost. While offering comprehensive management tools, Cisco's high pricing impacts its ROI perception.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. Fortinet FortiManager Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Fortinet FortiManager

March 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 (12th), Network Automation (2nd)

Fortinet FortiManager

Ranking in Network Management Applications

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 26.9%, down from 29.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiManager is 5.3%, up from 5.1% 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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HamedWasel

Senior Network Security Engineer at Orange

Easy to set up with good integration capabilities but we've had troubles when moving devices

We've faced an issue when we need to move devices. Templates need to be recreated instead of having the policies, et cetera, cut and pasted over. Everything should just move over when we need to move devices instead of recreating everything from scratch. For the IPSEC tunnels, Fortimanager doesn't have all of the features that are available on Fortigate.

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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

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

"The monitoring is very valuable to me."

"The solution has the capability to scale."

"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."

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

"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."

"DNA Center is scalable."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Setup, setting policies, and reporting were all very easy. We had no issues whatsoever getting the solution up and running."

"The solution has the best stability for application control and inspections."

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"You can configure it at your ease."

"The product is easy to use and manage."

"It is easy to manage a huge number of devices with FortiManager."

"Central management system for Fortinet devices that's simple, scalable, and stable, with a straightforward setup."

"FortiManager's most valuable features are web-based or web-rule-based policies, SD-WAN, and the ease of upgrading to new firmware."

More Fortinet FortiManager pros

Cons

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

"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 cost is very high."

"From the recent DNA point of view, there are some stability challenges with Cisco, but very minor."

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

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

"The solution's setup process needs enhancement."

"The weaknesses primarily involve pricing and the ongoing need for increased bandwidth and data throughput."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The fabric for integrations or connections could be improved."

"The price is a bit too high."

"The response times from technical support need to be a bit quicker."

"The dashboard could use some improvement."

"Having FortiManager work with all of the Fortinet products would be a good improvement."

"Performance issues should be improved. We have problems when we have more mobile connections than local devices. Most of us have two to three devices."

"When we have a specific configuration pushed it does take some time to be deployed on the actual firewall."

"Wizards could be improved in pushing policies."

More Fortinet FortiManager 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."

"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."

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

"The solution is expensive."

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

"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."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."

"The licensing costs depend on how many devices you want to use."

"On a scale from one to ten with one being the highest price and ten being the lowest price, I would rate FortiManager's price at three."

"Fortinet FortiManager is costly."

"I hope that the prices will become more competitive in subsequent releases, as the current pricing is perceived as somewhat elevated."

"Compared to Check Point or Cisco, Fortinet FortiManager is more affordable but it is still on the higher end."

"FortiManager isn't expensive, but its cost is dependent on which services are required."

"Pricing could improve a little bit so I rate it a seven out of ten."

More Fortinet FortiManager pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

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 Fortinet FortiManager?

The most valuable feature is the centralized management console.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiManager?

Pricing is reasonable and does not pose challenges.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiManager?

The graphical user interface could use improvement as it appears complex and not user-friendly. Better integration of Fortinet ADC into FortiManager would be beneficial.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% 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 7% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

NetBrain vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 69% of the time

Fortinet FortiOS vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 9% of the time

AlgoSec vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 5% of the time

Fortinet FortiWeb vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 3% of the time

Zabbix vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiManager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

March 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiManager

March 2025

Download Fortinet FortiManager product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

No data available

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

Fortinet FortiManager is used for centralized management of FortiGate firewalls, utilizing zero-touch deployment techniques to optimize configuration and deployment, reducing installation time and errors while improving network security and efficiency.

By centralizing policy management and monitoring across devices and locations, Fortinet FortiManager enhances security and operational efficiency. Automation tools simplify management, control, and consistent configuration across environments. It offers scalability for managing large numbers of devices, beneficial for organizations seeking unified threat protection and streamlined administration from one console. The platform integrates effortlessly with Fortinet products, supporting zero-touch provisioning, SD-WAN, and traffic analysis. Although intuitive, the graphical interface and overall performance require refinement, alongside enhanced support and documentation for troubleshooting and configuration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiManager?

Centralized Management: Streamlines device configuration across multiple systems.
Automation Tools: Simplifies implementation and maintenance of configurations.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Reduces setup time and minimizes errors.
SD-WAN Support: Enhances wide-area network efficiency and effectiveness.
Traffic Analysis: Monitors network traffic for improved security insights.
Policy Pushing: Facilitates efficient deployment of security rules.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Operational Efficiency: Reduces installation time and configuration errors.
Scalability: Supports management of numerous devices.
Improved Security: Centralized management enhances threat protection.
Time Savings: Automation reduces manual intervention needs.
Cost-Effectiveness: Simplified administration can lower management costs.

Fortinet FortiManager is implemented across diverse industries like telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, where centralized management and enhanced security are crucial. Its ability to streamline processes and integrate with existing Fortinet products makes it ideal for organizations looking to maintain robust network security standards.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Fortinet FortiManager

March 2025

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