Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cisco Nexus vs HPE ProCurve comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Nexus
Ranking in LAN Switching
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (3rd)
HPE ProCurve
Ranking in LAN Switching
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus is 8.5%, down from 11.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProCurve is 12.6%, down from 13.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

Joe Benítez - PeerSpot reviewer
Offer high performance capabilities and enables efficient data transmission and processing
Before Nexus, I used to have Catalyst 6500 switches. Those 6500 series chassis gave us a lot of problems. Too many problems, actually. And we had a Cisco ASA firewall blade within those chassis. And they were running outdated software. So, in fact, it was the firewall blade that caused us too many problems instead of the chassis. The chassis itself was working well and performing fine, but the firewall card was not suitable for our needs. That was one aspect. Additionally, those chassis had been in operation for more than five years. As we are a local government, we have a policy to renew hardware every five years. That's because we need to maintain all the hardware and software in the latest versions and keep up with the technology lifecycle of the technology we use.
Sandeep Rajguru - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers reliability and helps with vulnerability assessment
I use HPE ProCurve network in our organization. I can say that the product has improved the network flexibility in our company since I haven't seen any challenges from the last seven to eight years. The most valuable product for network management revolves around the area of VSB, also known as virtual switch bonding, which can quickly attach two or three switches or make them come together to quickly form a single switch. From a security perspective, my company does vulnerability assessment. From a security perspective, my company does vulnerability assessment. Following the hardening guidelines, the switches are configured according to the hardening parameters. The tool's reliability and uptime match our company's needs. My company enjoyed configuring the switches a lot, especially since we saw similarities between Cisco's and HPS's configuration processes. HPE ProCurve is user-friendly. We have a different product for network management, so my company doesn't use HPE ProCurve since we have already collaborated with some third-party products. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it, especially since I have been using it without any issues for many years. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Cisco Nexus has good overall reliability and configuration options. It is fairly straightforward to access the switching platforms."
"The most valuable features are the great performance, high availability and easy administration."
"You can scale the product."
"The in-service software upgrade (ISSU) feature is quite valuable."
"We got increased bandwidth, faster performance, and newer software which has improved our organization."
"When it comes to data centers, Cisco Nexus is the best."
"A very solid and reliable solution."
"Nexus has improved my organization in the way that it provided enhanced security in a point in the network that was critical."
"ProCurve is easy to configure and to know how to create each connection and configuration."
"We don't mind the cost in general."
"This is a very reliable solution."
"The user interface is the most valuable aspect of the solution for us."
"It is easy to deploy."
"The web page interface is very convenient and easy to use for setting up your feedback loops."
"It has an excellent menu system where you can use both the CLI and a menu system and the GUI version. They have three options for manipulating, updating, and changing the switch, which we like."
"The initial setup was straightforward."
 

Cons

"It would be nice if the solution offered multiple types of port support."
"Cisco's security features are in line with other OEMs, however, for data center security in terms of layer seven security, we prefer to have different OEMs rather than relying solely on Cisco."
"They need to understand that when we call them and have an issue, it's our production and sometimes they want us to do repairs that would cause other issues. That's the biggest problem."
"With some of the products we had before, we had a little more downtime than we would like."
"They need to offer fibre switches in the 9K series."
"The licensing is the area that we are working that's a challenge."
"Nothing is perfect."
"The implementation process could be easier, which is something that should be improved."
"We do occasionally have issues with the solution and need to change out the switches sometimes. This can be due to the fan, but, in most cases, it's because the power supply was broken."
"The dashboards could be improved to be more interesting."
"Since we transfer from one gigabit to ten gigabits of information, in a future release, it would benefit to have more high-speed ports."
"There should be faster interfaces on the switch, such as 25 gigabits."
"It might be best if it offers better scalability."
"Procurve would work better if it had more options like the web environment."
"The solution should offer different gigabit interfaces. Right now, they have ten gigabits. However, for our needs, we only need one gigabit. We don't need 24 or 48 ports. We only need eight to ten. HPE should introduce into their portfolio some smaller and more compact options."
"The solution's pricing could be made cheaper."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"All of our costs including subscription, licensing, and support services are bundled together, and the cost is approximately $100,000 USD per year."
"In most cases, there is a need to secure perpetual licenses to be able to use the product. When I set up the product, there isn't just a one-time cost that is involved."
"The subscription model and price could be better."
"We have a virtual license."
"We use a local distributor for support, which is very expensive."
"The price of the product is reasonable."
"We have three hundred to four hundred data centers of Nexus. So the coverage associated with Smart Net is 27 by 4, is basically what we spend each year. If the incentives get better, which I know they're working on, it would be great but right now we're buying year to year."
"Our licensing costs for this solution are approximately $200 USD per month."
"We are a public company, so we are obliged to take the best offer from the vendors. They gave us the best price for the needs we had. It was considerably less than Cisco. It had maybe 40% lower cost."
"HPE ProCurve products are reasonably priced."
"There is no need to pay for the solution's license."
"The price of HPE ProCurve is very good."
"The purchasing cost a few years ago for two units was approx €5,000."
"There is a license required to use HPE ProCurve."
"ProCurve's pricing is its strongest point. The value proposition is quite good, and we have seen a return on investment."
"It provides quite good value for money."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
842,388 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
25%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
5%
Educational Organization
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Nexus?
The product's initial setup phase is very easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Nexus?
The price of Cisco Nexus is on the higher side due to the premium services Cisco offers. Despite the cost, it offers valuable features and services.
What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?
When I talk about data centers, which are critical infrastructure and centralized application hubs, the Nexus platforms should be highly stable. Initially, the codes I received through ACI were qui...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProCurve?
HPE ProCurve is competitively priced, with a difference of approximately 30 to 35% compared to other vendors like Cisco. This makes it a viable option for businesses with limited budgets, particula...
What needs improvement with HPE ProCurve?
The product could improve scalability and support for advanced networking features. Including advanced interfaces like QSFP and enhanced support for AI-driven network solutions would make it more c...
 

Also Known As

No data available
ProCurve, HP ProCurve
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School, DY 4 Systems, EdgeWing, Edmonton Public Schools District, Halton Catholic District School Board, Hartwick College, Hatch Associates, Huntingdon College, Roseville Joint Union High School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, One Superior Place
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Nexus vs. HPE ProCurve and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,388 professionals have used our research since 2012.