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 8.2, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #6. Cisco holds a 16.1% 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 110 Cisco Enterprise Routers reviews

2,474 Views
2,375 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

HPE Enterprise Routers

Read 7 HPE Enterprise Routers reviews

552 Views
546 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: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers

December 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 Enterprise Routers

Ranking in Routers

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

110

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 January 2026, in the Routers category, the mindshare of Cisco Enterprise Routers is 16.1%, down from 22.2% 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	16.1%
HPE Enterprise Routers	5.3%
Other	78.6%

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 most valuable features of this solution are MPLS, BGP, and VRF."

"I haven't assessed it in that way, they provided us with excellent service. We had very few issues."

"Cisco Enterprise Routers are user-friendly with respect to configuration, management, and everything, and they have a next-gen product and support all the latest technology."

"The product can help teach valuable life lessons about what not to do when building a network."

"Solution is stable."

"The valuable feature is CLI."

"The operating system is good and well-made."

"The solution is very stable. I have not seen any downtime due to the product freezing or anything like that. It performs well and hasn't required reboots unless it's to troubleshoot with a support service provider needing configuration. It doesn't overheat and it's on 24/7."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers pros

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

"The solution's initial setup is straightforward."

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

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

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

"It has good scalability."

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

Cons

"If they can negate or reduce the modem delay, that would be great."

"The configuration needs improvement. Most routers, like HP or Aruba, use a UI interface. Those solutions are similar and uniform. It's easier for us compared to Cisco because with Cisco you are not using normal commands. They need to enhance the UI to make it more usable."

"The installation process should be simplified, since it is quite complex in a new version."

"If Cisco can give you one license and allow you to use all the features, that would be the best thing. We are using it only as a voice gateway, and there are other options available, but we need to procure licenses to use those options. We can use it as a security device, or we can use it for connecting the LAN side, but for that, we need all those licenses. They can provide one license and allow you to use all the features. This is my recommendation for Cisco."

"The price could be better"

"The UI could be more user-friendly."

"The main area for improvement with this product is with the price, which is currently very high compared to the rest of the market."

"The initial setup can be a little bit difficult."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers cons

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

"Technical support could be better."

"The solution is expensive."

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

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

"Better management tools are needed."

"Compatibility with other platforms could be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Cisco policy is to limit the features and performance through their license."

"It's not a fair price, it's a bit too high."

"I have found the price to be expensive for the solution."

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

"There are licensing costs and they are expensive."

"Normally, we pay for the licenses upfront. I think it's mostly just a perpetual, once-off license."

"The licensing policy can sometimes be very complicated."

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

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

26%

Manufacturing Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	46
Midsize Enterprise	24
Large Enterprise	43

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?

The software cannot be updated usually. The price is very high here in Egypt. Cisco devices are the most expensive. The AI technology must be included in the future to make it even better. They nee...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Routers

January 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

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers

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