Cisco Enterprise Routers vs HPE Enterprise Routers comparison

Cisco and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the Routers category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #6. Cisco holds a 15.8% mindshare in R, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 5.3% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

Cisco Enterprise Routers

Read 111 Cisco Enterprise Routers reviews

2,671 Views
2,591 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

HPE Enterprise Routers

Read 7 HPE Enterprise Routers reviews

592 Views
586 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Cisco Enterprise Routers

HPE Enterprise Routers

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 29, 2025

Cisco and HPE Enterprise Routers compete in the enterprise routing category, with Cisco leading in features and reliability, while HPE excels in pricing and manageability.

Features: Cisco Enterprise Routers offer high-performance WAN services, cloud connectivity, and robust security features like IPsec and VPN. HPE Enterprise Routers focus on manageability, affordability, and are ideal for smaller enterprises with simpler configuration needs.

Room for Improvement: Cisco routers are critiqued for high costs and complex WAN integration with a command-line interface that requires expertise. HPE routers, while generally cost-effective, can still be expensive compared to competitors, offering room for a better pricing strategy.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco's routers are mainly used on-premises with some hybrid options, praised for technical support albeit with some responsiveness issues. HPE provides consistent customer service and support with fewer noted issues.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco's pricing is seen as expensive with complicated licensing, yet users acknowledge the long-term ROI from reliability. HPE offers straightforward, cost-effective pricing and licensing models with better upfront value for features included.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers

February 2026

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Helped 882,410 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 Enterprise Routers

Ranking in Routers

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

111

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

HPE Enterprise Routers

Ranking in Routers

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Routers category, the mindshare of Cisco Enterprise Routers is 15.8%, down from 22.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Enterprise Routers is 5.3%, down from 5.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Routers Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Enterprise Routers	15.8%
HPE Enterprise Routers	5.3%
Other	78.9%

Routers

Featured Reviews

reviewer2759889

Pre-Sales Technical Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Has supported robust enterprise deployments and management while pricing and market reach for advanced features need attention

I'm not sure what improvements could be made on the configuration scale since I'm not involved in complete configuration. Currently, it works effectively and they are incorporating AI adoption. Commercially and financially, the pricing is too high. Customers feel that Cisco Enterprise Routers will not offer the most competitive prices. If they can work on pricing, it would be easier for customers who are considering local products. In India, the government has implemented the Make in India initiative, and Cisco has established a manufacturing unit there. Regarding security products, they need to improve market reach, marketing, and training. While Cisco Enterprise Routers are user-friendly for network and wireless platforms, security product configuration and integration are considered complex compared to FortiGate, Check Point, Sophos, and Palo Alto. They have introduced solutions such as Cloud Defense Orchestrator and Firewall Manager (FMC), but the reach of Cisco security products in India needs improvement.

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Chi-Zhang

Founder and President at Summit GAM

Has excellent scalability and is cost-effective compared to its competitors

The solution is reasonably priced and easy to configure. By collaborating with Aruba, they have integrated more products to streamline the porting process. Our project team comprises two or three network engineers for regular maintenance and troubleshooting. The workload is not heavy. I rate the solution as an eight and recommend it to network engineers and solution providers.

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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 VPN is the most valuable feature of this solution. The basic clients who don't use the VPN use it mostly for connectivity."

"Cisco has one of the best products in terms of routing because of the protocols in which they provide."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it makes it possible for users to use encryption and decryption since our company aims to achieve transparency, and without it, the other system on which it is used won't support it."

"We achieve good performance in our data center."

"It is issue-free."

"The most valuable features are that it is more secure and easy to operate."

"The most valuable feature is that we can specify the routing policies for our traffic."

"The best feature regarding security is the shutdown port capability; the fact that you can shut down an unused port is great with Cisco Enterprise Routers."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers pros

"These routers help us to provide high availability to our clusters."

"HPE routers are easier to manage than any other router I've used."

"It makes it easy to update the network technology and manage multiple deals, all without needing technical knowledge."

"It is more durable than other products in the market."

"Extensive support for cellular range for Wi-Fi technologies"

"The solution's initial setup is straightforward."

"It has good scalability."

Cons

"The automation capabilities need improvement."

"Their software-defined paradigm requires significant improvement."

"The product's pricing is an area that is too fuzzy to deal with, in my opinion, making it an area where improvements are required."

"It would be good if Cisco Enterprise Routers could improve their integration with other vendors. For example the AGLP protocol is supported by Cisco and not by any other vendors."

"Due to the sanctions on our country, we can't get outside help directly from Cisco. We need to handle the implementation ourselves."

"The price could be better"

"It can be very expensive, sometimes, to do the jump to the next router for your needs."

"It would be better if Cisco Enterprise Routers were more secure."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers cons

"Technical support could be better."

"The solution is expensive."

"Its customer service could be better for older equipment models."

"I'd like to see more security features, like support for different types of encryptions."

"Compatibility with other platforms could be improved."

"They should work on lowering their prices in Brazil to stay competitive with rivals and offer customers more affordable options."

"Better management tools are needed."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I am happy with the price of Cisco Enterprise Routers"

"Our issues are basically currency related. The licensing is in dollars and the dollar is steadily rising. We've had an increase in the licensing fee due to the simple reason that the exchange rate is almost over 40%. That creates a major issue. If the currency devaluation doesn't stabilize, we may have to look at another solution."

"The cost of this solution is a little bit high compared to others."

"It's expensive and the pricing could be improved."

"The licensing fee is okay and matches industry standards, which is the benchmark."

"The solution is expensive."

"There is a router-only, perpetual license available for this product, but additional features will mean additional charges."

"I believe licensing fees are paid once per year."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers pricing and cost advice

"It is more reasonably priced than other vendors."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Marketing Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	46
Midsize Enterprise	24
Large Enterprise	44

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?

Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Enterprise Routers?

It is expensive, but I am not the person purchasing the products; I just handle the configuration.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco Enterprise Routers?

We do not have any impact for Cisco exactly in protecting sensitive information. The only concern we have across all of the products is the price. Additionally, because it is not integrated with so...

See all answers

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Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Cisco Enterprise Routers

Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

ADTRAN NetVanta Routers and Switches vs HPE Enterprise Routers

Compared 13% of the time

Juniper MX Series Routers vs HPE Enterprise Routers

Compared 12% of the time

ExtremeRouting vs HPE Enterprise Routers

Compared 10% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Routers

February 2026

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Also Known As

No data available

HP Enterprise Routers

Overview

The high-performance Cisco Enterprise Routers are the market leader due to their breadth of advanced support for LAN/WAN services, redundancy, reliability, and performance.

Cisco

HP Enterprise Routers navigates more devices and simplify complex networks with intelligent management of open standards routing. HP Enterprise Routers offer products: Fixed Port Routers- It connects workplace with internet access, Modular Routers- a fully-modular and Virtual & Wireless Routers-It quickly connects business with wireless routing. HP Enterprise Routers also provide features routers: HPE FlexNetwork MSR2000 Router Series & HPE FlexNetwork VSR1000 Virtual Services Router Series.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Boingo, Chartwell School, Children's Hospital of Orange County , Department of Justice, Explorer Pipeline, Linz AG, National Rugby League, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Telecom Italia, Transwestern

Transdanubian Regional Waterworks Corporation (DRV)

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers

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