Cisco DNA Center vs VMware NSX comparison

Cisco and VMware are both solutions in the Network Automation category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.0, while VMware is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.7. Cisco holds a 14.5% mindshare in NA, compared to VMware’s 3.6% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of VMware users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

2,518 Views
1,554 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

VMware NSX

Read 102 VMware NSX reviews

699 Views
485 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

VMware NSX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 6, 2025

VMware NSX and Cisco DNA Center both compete in the networking solutions category. VMware NSX is favored for its emphasis on automation and security, whereas Cisco DNA Center stands out for its seamless integration with Cisco devices, making it advantageous for those already invested in Cisco infrastructure.

Features: VMware NSX offers robust security with features like micro-segmentation, distributed firewall, and dynamic load balancing, making it ideal for scalable virtual networking. Cisco DNA Center provides advanced analytics, integration with Cisco's ecosystem, and streamlined network management with detailed visibility and control.

Room for Improvement: VMware NSX could focus on simpler integration with non-VMware systems, improving its scalability, and addressing pricing complexities. Cisco DNA Center users desire more intuitive user interfaces, better integration with non-Cisco products, and reduced complexity during initial learning phases.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VMware NSX is recognized for its flexibility across various environments and responsive technical support. Cisco DNA Center is known for its robust support network and user satisfaction, although users recommend expanding integration with third-party devices.

Pricing and ROI: VMware NSX is expensive but offers significant ROI through reduced hardware needs and enhanced security. Cisco DNA Center's high costs can be a challenge for smaller businesses despite potential long-term savings, primarily due to its centralized management and network efficiency benefits.

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. VMware NSX

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 Automation

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (12th)

VMware NSX

Ranking in Network Automation

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

102

Ranking in other categories

Network Virtualization (2nd), Cloud and Data Center Security (3rd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (8th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (9th), Microsegmentation Software (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 14.5%, down from 18.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware NSX is 3.6%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation

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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DanielBass

Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Improves network security with micro-segmentation but setup is complex

I value the ability to dynamically configure our network on the fly using VMware NSX. This flexibility is a huge advantage because it allows us to avoid static configurations that come with traditional hardware setups. Additionally, the micro-segmentation feature is beneficial for adhering to strict security regulations from our security department.

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

"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 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."

"The automation features are significant, reducing configuration time. This means outstanding functionality. By deploying the controller automatically, the rest becomes automated"

"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."

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

"The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

"Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Overall, I would say the solution has been quite stable."

"The microsegmentation is great, and the security team thinks it is great."

"It's what we use the CIS Benchmarks for. It's for employing hardening rules and keeping them up to date when things happen on our systems. So it's really configurations and stuff that harden and report back."

"One significant advantage of VMware NSX is the ability to provide advanced security at the micro-level, focusing on securing applications and workloads rather than just the network structure or virtualization-based network security."

"Over the last two years, they've enhanced a lot, especially in regard to integration with OpenStack."

"It's a beneficial tool."

"The microsegmentation is a good feature. You can segment details, products, or hardware information."

"I have found the system to be very intuitive, functional, and they have great technology."

More VMware NSX pros

Cons

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

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

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

"One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"What I want to see in Cisco DNA Center in the future is more support for other platforms so that you can manage third-party products, such as Fortinet."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Lacks integration with other solutions."

"Its licensing model could be VM based."

"There were some issues with finance and other accounting."

"The feature it can improve is essentially application-based load balancing with intelligent load distribution for applications that require redundancy and high availability."

"VMware NSX should be able to scale for different customers, even the big ones. Its scalability needs improvement. Stability for it should also be improved."

"Occasionally the licensing is not very clear. They should make it easier to understand."

"The solution could benefit from improvements in its pricing and scalability."

"It was stable for one year, there was no impact. In the last two months, we had two big incidents."

More VMware NSX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"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 tool is medium-priced."

"The product is very costly."

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

"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."

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

"It is an expensive solution."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"I was not involved in the purchase of the solution but I hear it is on the expensive side."

"There is a license required for this solution and there is also a support license available. The price of the solution could be better."

"The licensing is renewed every three years. The cost for implementation and renovation are a huge portion of that price."

"I would rate the pricing of VMware NSX as seven out of ten"

"The price of VMware NSX is very good compared to other solutions."

"VMware NSX is a cheaper product compared to its competitor, Cisco."

"VMware NSX isn't cheap."

"The price is significantly high and it can be a hurdle for many potential users."

More VMware NSX 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

16%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

10%

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 are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?

There are some very major differences between both the Products and to name a few. -Cisco ACI have physical network gear (9K Switches) where the Code runs in ACI Policy Mode & the UCS server wh...

See all answers

What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?

Once you know your way around the Cisco ecosystem, using Cisco ACI is not so difficult. It is a global product, so when you change one interface, changes are automatically reflected on every switch...

See all answers

What do you like most about VMware NSX?

The product has valuable features for security and network extension.

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 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Illumio vs VMware NSX

Compared 20% of the time

Nutanix Flow Network Security vs VMware NSX

Compared 19% of the time

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs VMware NSX

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Workload vs VMware NSX

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs VMware NSX

Compared 1% of the time

More VMware NSX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

April 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware NSX

March 2025

Download VMware NSX product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

VMware Nicira, Lastline Defender

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

VMware NSX is a sophisticated solution utilized for micro-segmentation, network security, software-defined networking, and private cloud construction. It aids in the transition from physical to virtual infrastructure, ensuring efficient network virtualization and security of production workloads.

VMware NSX empowers organizations to manage network functions, implement distributed firewalls, and enhance security within virtual environments. Crucial for disaster recovery and load balancing, it supports cloud-native application development and enterprise clients. Its ease of use, scalability, and seamless integration with existing VMware solutions ensure streamlined network management and swift deployment. Despite its extensive features, areas like pricing, routing functionality, and compatibility with certain platforms require attention.

What are the key features of VMware NSX?

Ease of Use: Simplifies network management with an intuitive interface.
Scalability: Adapts to growing infrastructure needs seamlessly.
Micro-Segmentation: Enhances security by dividing networks into smaller, manageable segments.
Integration: Seamlessly works with existing VMware solutions and third-party applications.
Dynamic Routing: Optimizes network traffic efficiently.
Security Options: Offers robust firewall features and security measures.
Automation: Facilitates quick deployment through comprehensive automation capabilities.
High Bandwidth: Ensures high-performance network operations.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Network Security: Superior protection for virtual environments.
Efficient Disaster Recovery: Reliable support for business continuity.
Reduced Deployment Time: Fast implementation and configuration.
Improved Network Management: Centralized and streamlined control of network resources.

VMware NSX is widely implemented across industries such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. Organizations in these sectors utilize it to bolster security, enhance network efficiency, and support cloud-native applications. By extending on-premise networks into provider spaces and managing virtual access networks, VMware NSX significantly optimizes infrastructure operations.

VMware

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

City of Avondale, Lumeta, Kroll Ontrack, Heartland Payment Systems, Baystate Heallth, Exostar, Tribune Media, iGATE, NTT Communications, Synergent, California Natural Resources Agency, Bloomington Public Schools, Columbia Sportswear, Join Experience S.A, Schuberg Philis

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. VMware NSX

March 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. VMware NSX

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