Cisco DNA Center vs Meraki Dashboard comparison

Cisco DNA Center and Meraki Dashboard are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco DNA Center is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0, while Meraki Dashboard is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco DNA Center holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Meraki Dashboard’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco DNA Center users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Meraki Dashboard users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

1,783 Views
1,076 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Meraki Dashboard

Read 55 Meraki Dashboard reviews

2,529 Views
1,859 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Meraki Dashboard

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Meraki Dashboard and Cisco DNA Center compete in the network management category. While Meraki Dashboard is favored for small to medium-sized businesses due to its simplicity and cloud management features, Cisco DNA Center is more suitable for large-scale enterprises, offering enhanced security and integration options.

Features: Meraki Dashboard is noted for its ease of use with cloud management, multilayer filtering, and integrated analytics. It is particularly suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. Cisco DNA Center provides robust tools ideal for larger networks, enhanced AI-driven security features, and seamless integration with Cisco infrastructure, making it comprehensive for enterprise-level needs.

Room for Improvement: Meraki Dashboard users point out licensing issues, costly pricing, and configuration complexity. Cisco DNA Center users criticize it for high costs and deployment complexities, including upgrade challenges, while also highlighting a need for better integration capabilities and improved reporting features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Meraki Dashboard offers straightforward cloud-based deployment across public and private environments, although users report mixed experiences with customer support, particularly regarding wait times. Cisco DNA Center, being primarily on-premises, poses deployment challenges requiring technical expertise. However, its technical support is well-regarded for responsiveness and effectiveness.

Pricing and ROI: Meraki Dashboard follows a subscription-based model that is perceived as expensive, impacting ROI potential despite its functionality. Cisco DNA Center is also costly, justified mainly for larger enterprises due to its extensive features. Both solutions require substantial investment but can deliver good ROI when fully utilized in the right organizational context.

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Meraki Dashboard

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 Monitoring Software

12th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)

Meraki Dashboard

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

20th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki Dashboard is 1.4%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

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

Bilal-Ahmed

IT Manager at Fawaz

Seamless connectivity and comprehensive control over network devices

All of the features we are looking for are already in control. I think those features, which we are not currently utilizing, are already there. For example, the control for the cameras and everything else. The cameras are not connected through Meraki, but all other devices are on Meraki networks.

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 provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."

"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."

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

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

"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."

"What's most valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the ability to manage any Cisco infrastructure and device through it. Setup was straightforward."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"The ability of the product to perform with simplicity of deployment make it a valuable solution."

"It is a reliable product. It provides a lot of information that is easy to read."

"The most valuable feature is its simplicity in navigating through the dashboard. It's well set out, and the layout is nice and user friendly. A lot of clients enjoy seeing layer 7 visibility. They get a good indication and insight into what is happening in their network and what applications are being used the most. They can then customize and give preference to business-critical applications."

"The most valuable features are that it's easy to use and technically very complete. I can configure, do advanced troubleshooting in the dashboard, and reboot access points remotely."

"There are some whitelist blacklist capabilities in the MX dashboard, which is very helpful."

"We find that Meraki has all the features you need to be able to enable complex network protocols for AV equipment. We deal with a streaming product over IP, and Meraki is fantastic at that."

"We greatly utilize the network because we can plug it into the DNS, VPN, or equipment. It's very good. Meraki Dashboard enhances wireless network management. We appreciate its flexibility, as it allows for easy suite configuration. We can handle everything on there when there's a policy or any other requirement."

"The solution scales well."

More Meraki Dashboard pros

Cons

"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."

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

"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."

"The solution's setup process needs enhancement."

"The cost is very high."

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

"The solution needs to improve the dashboard."

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

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"There needs to be more improvement on the device-connected interface."

"The solution has a limited routing table and needs improvement by increasing the numbers as well as providing a summarization for the table."

"If I am a user and I have a seat on the fourth floor, if I move across the building, the system should be able to track me and should be able to figure out my whereabouts or my position within the building if I'm connected to the wireless. That would make the administrator's life easier in terms of reachability."

"The solution can be expensive."

"There is a bit of a problem when you try to log in and you don't have a fixed IP address. If you're granting access, you need to log in by using the IP address. If your administrator's IP address is not a fixed IP address and it has changed, you might need to update the changed IP address in the interface. For this, you need to log in to the interface to update the IP address. This issue might not have so much to do with Meraki interface."

"Some features could be added."

"Meraki Dashboard could improve integration with non-Cisco platforms."

"The wait time to speak with a Meraki support engineer is always long, but they get the job done."

More Meraki Dashboard cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is very costly."

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

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

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

"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."

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"The solution is expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"Typically, the license model is for one, three, and five years. They can just be a bit more flexible around it and look into providing an option for 24 months."

"The solution is currently the most expensive on the market."

"Meraki Dashboard's pricing is reasonable. It is sold yearly, typically for one, three, or five years. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"You don't have to pay for the dashboard."

"The pricing of the tool is relatively high compared to other solutions. It comes with a premium that exceeds that of its competitors by approximately 25 percent."

"From a pricing perspective, they are still expensive."

"Licensing for Meraki Dashboard is paid every year, and it's on a per-device model that costs roughly $300 to $400 per device, but that comes with full support and troubleshooting, etc. Compared to similar products, Meraki Dashboard is quite high-end, but the costs you pay are all-in."

More Meraki Dashboard 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

22%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

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 Meraki Dashboard?

We greatly utilize the network because we can plug it into the DNS, VPN, or equipment. It's very good. Meraki Dashboard enhances wireless network management. We appreciate its flexibility, as it al...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki Dashboard?

The cost of the Meraki solution is high, which may not be affordable for smaller companies, especially in developing countries.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?

There is a need for price reductions in developing countries, as the cost of Meraki is quite high. Additionally, it would be beneficial if Meraki Dashboard could integrate more Cisco devices such a...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 7% 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

NetBrain vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

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ThousandEyes vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 13% of the time

Zabbix vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 12% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 7% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 7% of the time

Juniper Mist Premium Analytics vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 5% of the time

More Meraki Dashboard Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

March 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard

March 2025

Download Meraki Dashboard 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

Meraki Dashboard is a comprehensive cloud-based platform that offers centralized management and control for all Meraki networking and security products. It provides a user-friendly interface, allowing administrators to easily monitor and configure their network infrastructure from anywhere. With real-time visibility, troubleshooting becomes effortless, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing downtime.

The intuitive dashboard offers a holistic view of the network, enabling quick identification of potential issues and proactive measures. It simplifies network deployment and scaling, with zero-touch provisioning and automatic firmware updates. The robust security features include advanced threat protection, content filtering, and VPN connectivity.

Meraki Dashboard also offers powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, providing valuable insights into network usage, application performance, and user behavior. With its seamless integration and scalability,

Meraki Dashboard is the ideal solution for organizations of all sizes, ensuring efficient network management and enhanced productivity.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Coop eG, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Priefert Manufacturing, Century Care Management, Clifton College, Zürs Ski Resort, Capital FM Arena, MAXI Autohöfe

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Meraki Dashboard

March 2025

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