Cisco DNA Center vs PRTG Network Monitor comparison

Cisco and Paessler GmbH are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0, while Paessler GmbH is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.9. Cisco holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Paessler GmbH’s 4.1% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Paessler GmbH users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

1,766 Views
1,023 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

PRTG Network Monitor

Read 101 PRTG Network Monitor reviews

7,647 Views
5,102 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

PRTG Network Monitor

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2025

PRTG Network Monitor and Cisco DNA Center are competitors in the field of network monitoring solutions. PRTG appears to have the upper hand in cost-effectiveness and ease of deployment, while Cisco DNA Center is more suitable for integration within larger Cisco-centric environments.

Features: PRTG Network Monitor is noted for its scalability, intuitive interface, and a wide range of out-of-the-box monitoring features, making it ideal for straightforward network monitoring. Cisco DNA Center excels in seamless integration with Cisco's ecosystem, offering advanced network automation, analytics, and security enhancements, making it ideal for detailed management in enterprise environments.

Room for Improvement: PRTG Network Monitor could benefit from refined dashboard designs and expanded graphical interfaces, along with more robust templates. Enhancements in remote probe stability and support for cloud-native sensors are necessary. Cisco DNA Center would improve with better integration with third-party hardware, enhanced automation capabilities, and more accessible pricing for mid-market customers. Detailed reporting and disaster recovery options also need improvement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: PRTG Network Monitor offers an easier deployment process across cloud and on-premises environments, although customer service can be inconsistent due to time zone differences. Cisco DNA Center has a more complex deployment process due to its integration depth and advanced capabilities. Its customer support is reliable, but the initial setup demands sophisticated skills for effective use.

Pricing and ROI: PRTG Network Monitor is cost-effective for small and medium-sized businesses, offering a good return on investment through all-inclusive licensing that reduces downtime and operational costs. Cisco DNA Center, however, has a higher price point reflecting its enterprise-level features. Its advanced capabilities justify the cost in larger organizations, though it remains a less accessible option for smaller businesses due to its hefty licensing fees.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor

March 2025

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Helped 842,592 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

13th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

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

PRTG Network Monitor

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

101

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (7th), Cloud Monitoring Software (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PRTG Network Monitor is 4.1%, down from 5.1% 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.

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Tochukwu Uzomba

Solutions Architect at Boch Systems Company Limited

Efficiently monitor networks across regions with seamless setup and robust feature set

PRTG Network Monitor is easy to set up. Within a few minutes, it is operational. It is an all-in-one monitoring solution without extra costs. For example, we set it up for an insurance company with branches across Africa. We are able to monitor from Lagos without installing anything in the branches, using the agentless feature. We just put in the IP address and the parameter, and we monitor from those ends. Additionally, all the sensors are very useful. Most people are interested in the bandwidth monitoring sensor to see what bandwidth the users are consuming. The pricing is affordable compared to SolarWinds.

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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

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

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

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

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

"People like to use the dashboards to get an overview of their network."

"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."

"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 monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"The authentication links into our standard Active Directory authentication, which is very good."

"PRTG Network Monitor is user-friendly and offers flexible alerting systems."

"It is able to satisfy all our requirements in terms of email notifications and specific errors on the devices."

"The most valuable feature is the notifications. As long as you spend time and think about what and when you want to be notified, it's always accurate. It is always there. I find things out before my Internet provider."

"It is nice to have one place where all the information is right there in front of us."

"It is user-friendly. It is easy to set up health checks within PRTG and use scans. It is like a self-service tool, and anyone can configure their own settings within PRTG."

"I would boldly say that this is the most scalable network monitoring tool that I know of"

"The scalability is good. You can improve a remote host or the clustering. This gives it the flexibility to monitor another infrastructure remotely."

More PRTG Network Monitor pros

Cons

"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."

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

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

"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"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."

"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."

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

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Mostly, this software has sensors for devices to monitor specs and you can build or develop or modify various sensors, according to your company's needs. But you may need to do that with coding or plugins or with the support of Paessler AG, the manufacturer."

"I would like to see a more robust platform and a new dashboard. In addition, the code is good, but it needs improvement."

"It would be nice if it gave us alerts via Gmail or SMS message."

"The database needs improvement."

"PRTG's documentation could be improved."

"We've had some issues previously with the performance of the sensors. We tend to deploy quite a bit of WMI, which is quite processor-intensive, and we've found that that impacts the sensors quite a bit."

"I am not sure the solution is giving me all the needed feedback that we need. When something goes off on our IT infrastructure, it does tell me. However, it would be nice if it gave more intuitive information, e.g., the hard drive has gone up by 60 percent in an hour."

"The operations dashboard is only available in PRTG's enterprise version, but I wish it could be accessed in the standard licensing. It would also be nice if PRTG had templates for dashboard monitoring, software monitoring, etc. It can help me set up a dashboard because now we don't have a template from PRTG, so we need to create one from scratch."

More PRTG Network Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have a three-year license with them."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The licensing fees are billed annually and there are no costs in addition to this."

"The price was pretty good, very competitive."

"The scalability is there, but smaller companies might need CAM software to be able afford the product."

"We are satisfied with the price."

"We are using the basic PRTG that we can download for free. For now, we only need to monitor less than 100 devices. For more than 100 devices, we would need to buy a license. PRTG is much cheaper than SolarWinds."

"Sensors on free version can run out quick."

"It is expensive."

"I rate the price of PRTG Network Monitor an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."

More PRTG Network Monitor pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user174738

IT Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

May 31, 2015

Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor

I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Educational Organization

53%

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

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 is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

PRTG network monitor is one of the best tool i have ever used for the monitoring. It have auto discovery option. it avoid the configuring the device in PRTG. It automatically discover the device an...

See all answers

What do you like most about PRTG Network Monitor?

The tool is integrated with our email for the alerts.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PRTG Network Monitor?

The prices are very high for PRTG Network Monitor. That's why I'm using the free100 sensor license.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% 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 7% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Zabbix vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 8% of the time

LibreNMS vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 7% of the time

Centreon vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

PRTG Enterprise Monitor vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

More PRTG Network Monitor Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

March 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

PRTG Network Monitor

March 2025

Download PRTG Network Monitor 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

PRTG Network Monitor runs on a Windows machine within your network, collecting various statistics from the machines, software, and devices which you designate. PRTG comes with an easy-to-use web interface with point-and-click configuration. You can easily share data from it with non-technical colleagues and customers, including via live graphs and custom reports. This will let you plan for network expansion, see what applications are using most of your connection, and make sure that no one is hogging the entire network just to torrent videos.

To monitor a large IT environment, it's important to be able to scale PRTG up. Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor includes all the proven capabilities of PRTG Network Monitor, which are enhanced by exclusive ITOps Board for a service-oriented, central overview of multiple PRTG servers.

Paessler GmbH

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Jameson Bank, Sidnix, RungeICT, MedicalAnimal, Truck-lite, GamingGrids, The Covell Group, Forsythn County Schools, NetMass, Musgrove Park Hospital, Lanes Health, Columbia Southern University, Vodafone, Intrust Bank

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor

March 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor

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