Cisco DNA Center vs Nagios Core comparison

Cisco and Nagios are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0, while Nagios is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Nagios’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of Nagios 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

Nagios Core

Read 51 Nagios Core reviews

4,253 Views
3,272 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Nagios Core

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Nagios Core and Cisco DNA Center compete in the network management category. Based on features, Cisco DNA Center holds an upper hand due to its advanced analytics and automation capabilities, although Nagios Core offers flexibility and cost-efficiency.

Features: Nagios Core provides maximum flexibility through its open-source nature, allowing text file configurations and integration with various plugins. It supports comprehensive monitoring of servers and networks with a robust architecture for distributed monitoring and reliable alerts. Cisco DNA Center integrates analytics, centralized network management, and automation, making it ideal for Cisco device deployments. Its seamless integration and advanced automation features enhance user experience.

Room for Improvement: Nagios Core can be difficult to configure and requires significant technical expertise, with limitations in application-level monitoring and scalability. Cisco DNA Center is hindered by high pricing, complex configuration, and challenges integrating with non-Cisco products. Both could improve user interfaces and ease of setup, though Cisco's advances in automation offer benefits.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both Nagios Core and Cisco DNA Center mainly operate on-premises with hybrid and public cloud options. Nagios Core setup demands technical expertise and relies on community support. Cisco DNA Center provides a structured support framework but still requires internal expertise for setup, often underutilized by smaller infrastructures due to costs and complexity.

Pricing and ROI: Nagios Core is open-source, offering significant cost savings and high ROI as there are no licensing fees, only investments in expertise. Cisco DNA Center often faces criticism for high costs, including licensing and deployment fees, posing financial challenges for smaller enterprises, but offers valuable features for large-scale environments.

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Nagios Core

March 2025

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Helped 845,040 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 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)

Nagios Core

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (11th)

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 Nagios Core is 3.0%, down from 3.0% 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.

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Nishith-Vyas

Tech Lead at STL Digital Limited

Valuable reporting and alert system with room for PDF export improvements

The NetEase reporting structure needs improvement, especially the availability report, which is weak. It should be generated automatically with minimal human intervention and should be exportable as a PDF. Besides that, an integrated PDF export feature for reports is necessary. Also, the alert mechanism and graphing mechanism need to be integrated properly into Nagios Core. Currently, integrating these requires advanced Linux knowledge. Integration of more visualization tools like Grafana and Prometheus for better graphing and visualization is also recommended.

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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."

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

"It enables monitoring of various components such as access points, switch cards, and other elements within the company's solutions."

"The solution has the capability to scale."

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

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

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

"The solution helps with the management and orchestration of campaigns. It helps with visibility and analytics. I also like its SDA configuration."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Other products are good but from the configuration point of view Nagios is really very lightweight. The price is really good in my opinion. Another important thing is that my Nagios engine still works with Dual core 8GB ram for the last 10 years."

"The notifications are definitely one of the most valuable features of Nagios Core. We know what to look for and what to expect when things are down."

"We mostly use Nagios Core to integrate with Python and Bash Script."

"The solution is quite efficient."

"Nagios Core integrates with tools like Splunk, Datadog, or Dynatrace. It is usually used as a feed to provide more technical information about devices or hosts to another system."

"We use the product to monitor server applications."

"The good thing about Nagios Core is it covers everything."

"Key features include the GUI interface, its notification capabilities, and the real-time reporting."

More Nagios Core pros

Cons

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

"Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."

"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."

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

"Cisco DNA Center should improve its configuration management. It is better to have a dev version before pushing it."

"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."

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

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Nagios Core can improve the graphical interface, it would make things a little easier."

"The scalability needs improvement, it's not scalable at this time."

"The UI is a little outdated and graphics could be displayed in a better way."

"The user interface could be more interactive because it is pretty basic."

"The NetEase reporting structure needs improvement, especially the availability report, which is weak."

"I would like to see a sensor that shows the traffic of a user and what they're doing on the network."

"The dashboard should be improved."

"The initial setup process could be easier."

More Nagios Core cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."

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

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

"The tool is medium-priced."

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

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

"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."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The product is cheaply priced."

"We are using the open-source, unpaid version."

"Nagios Core is free to use."

"Nagios Core is a cheap solution."

"The solution is expensive."

"It's free."

"Most the plugin features are free."

"It's free."

More Nagios Core 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

15%

Financial Services Firm

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 do you like most about Nagios Core?

What I like about Nagios Core is that it helps me ensure everything is running smoothly by checking the status of hosts and services.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nagios Core?

Nagios Core is a free and open-source product. We don't charge for the product itself, but we charge for the man-hour costs related to installation, configuration, ongoing operation, and maintenance.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nagios Core?

The dashboard should be improved. It's very simple. I don't have a very clear or specific suggestion. You can change the skin of the dashboard, however, it's good for me.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

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

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Icinga vs Nagios Core

Compared 27% of the time

Nagios XI vs Nagios Core

Compared 19% of the time

Zabbix vs Nagios Core

Compared 15% of the time

Centreon vs Nagios Core

Compared 9% of the time

OP5 Monitor vs Nagios Core

Compared 4% of the time

More Nagios Core Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

March 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Nagios Core

March 2025

Download Nagios Core 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

This is IT infrastructure monitoring's industry-standard, open-source core. Free without professional support services.

Nagios

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Airbnb, Cisco, PayPal, FanDuel

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Nagios Core

March 2025

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