Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper comparison

Cisco and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while SolarWinds is ranked #18 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 29.7% mindshare in NMA, compared to SolarWinds’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

7,007 Views
4,089 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Network Topology...

Read 1 SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper review

292 Views
225 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

SolarWinds Network Topology...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco DNA Center and SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Management Applications.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Management Applications Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

December 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 831,020 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 Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (16th), Network Automation (2nd)

SolarWinds Network Topology...

Ranking in Network Management Applications

18th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 29.7%, up from 27.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper is 1.4%, down from 1.6% 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.

Read full review

Sumaiya Sirat

Student at Centennial College

Very user-friendly and stable

I'm still learning how the solution works, figuring out how to check reports and system information. I'm a student and customer of SolarWinds The tool seems to be widely used and I find it user-friendly The Network Topology Mapper is on the expensive side - it would be helpful if it were less…

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

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

"Application Assurance works very well."

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

"Cisco is a leading network company."

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

"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."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"It's user-friendly."

Cons

"The solution needs to improve the dashboard."

"The product has many features that do not work properly."

"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."

"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."

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

"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."

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

"The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"This is a relatively expensive product."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool is medium-priced."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

Information not available

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Management Applications solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

831,020 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Government

21%

Computer Software Company

13%

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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?

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

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process. The time required for downloading and installing packages during upgrades is too long, often taking around ten hours. This is a significant i...

See all answers

What do you like most about SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?

It's user-friendly.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?

Licensing costs are on the expensive side.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?

The Network Topology Mapper is on the expensive side - it would be helpful if it were less so.

See all answers

Comparisons

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Huawei eSight vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Fortinet FortiManager vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 52% of the time

Aruba Airwave vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 48% of the time

More SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

January 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

December 2024

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper report

Download SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

SolarWinds NTM

Learn More

Cisco

Video not available

SolarWinds

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.

Automate device discovery and mapping
Build multiple maps from a single scan
Export network diagrams to Visio
Auto-detect changes to network topology
Perform multi-level network discovery
Address regulatory PCI compliance

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

December 2024

Download Free Report

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Management Applications. Updated: December 2024.

DOWNLOAD NOW

831,020 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best Network Management Applications vendors.

We monitor all Network Management Applications reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.