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

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

Arista and Cisco are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Arista is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.8, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.2. Arista holds a 4.5% mindshare in LS, compared to Cisco’s 21.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Cisco users who would recommend it.
Arista Campus LAN Switches
Read 8 Arista Campus LAN Switches reviews
  • 526 Views
  • 526 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Read 179 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews
  • 7,188 Views
  • 3,163 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Arista Campus LAN Switches and Cisco Catalyst Switches compete in the networking industry. Cisco has the upper hand for its extensive support and advanced features, while Arista excels in automation and customer service.

Features: Arista offers unmatched automation and programmability, centralized management through CloudVision Portal, and scalability with up to 256x10GbE ports. Cisco Catalyst Switches provide robust security features, PoE for seamless integration of devices, and advanced Layer 3 capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Arista could improve in providing more comprehensive documentation and expanding deployment scenarios. Additionally, enhancements in security features would benefit users aiming for comprehensive protection. Cisco could work on simplifying its interface and reducing initial deployment complexity, and making its support resources more navigable.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Arista is praised for straightforward deployment and highly effective customer support. Cisco, while having a complex deployment procedure, compensates with extensive support tools and documentation, simplifying troubleshooting for many users.

Pricing and ROI: Arista presents a cost-effective solution with competitive pricing and favorable ROI due to lower setup costs. Cisco, with its higher initial costs, justifies its expense with long-term ROI through feature-rich, secure networking solutions.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches Report (Updated: March 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2026
Download the complete report
Helped 884,976 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

Arista Campus LAN Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
179
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Arista Campus LAN Switches is 4.5%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 21.3%, down from 29.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches21.3%
Arista Campus LAN Switches4.5%
Other74.2%
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

DM
Denis Malinovtsev
Chief Technology Officer at ictbit
Unified monitoring has transformed campus deployments and provides rapid EVPN-VXLAN rollouts
Regarding improvements to Arista Campus LAN Switches, nothing comes to mind about the switches themselves; they are really fast and have all the technologies and protocols that exist in the market. However, on the management system, I would improve it because as a network engineer, I want a chatbot that can communicate in a native language with the monitoring system to get answers regarding my network faults. There are no problems particularly with the product, but there is room for improvement regarding licensing and the chatbot for all Arista products.
Read full review
AG
Arun Giri
Unit Nos at Orange
Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas
Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.
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

"The feature sets are pretty cool. They've got almost everything that the competition offers."
"The Software Defined switch architecture, runs optimized 2-tier network instead of traditional 3-tier network (Core, Distribution and Access) gives you efficiency and savings."
"The CloudVision Portal allows us to centrally manage all of our Arista products."
"The technology is scalable as much as you want."
"QoS is the most valuable feature because our clients work with VOIP and Critical applications."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its stability because Arista falls in an industry that is very similar to Cisco."
"I use the solution for connectivity in data centers and LANs, providing Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity based on network needs."
"The most winning feature of Arista Campus LAN Switches is their management, specifically CloudVision, along with features like comparing changes and diagnosing problems quickly with telemetry and network visualization."
"We decreased budgets on the support corporate network and increased user satisfaction."
"It helps keep our network connections in a healthy state."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation."
"As there are many who are knowledgeable of this technology, this translates into extensive support for it."
"They are stable. We haven't had any particular problem with them."
"When it comes to Cisco Catalyst Switches, one can say that the legacy switches are stable."
"The ability to configure throughput is very flexible and improved the performance of our systems."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is very stable, configurable, and durable. It is also easy to manage."
More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros
 

Cons

"I do think they could improve their licensing model. Today, I need to pay for a license, for a switch, for support, and it costs money; it is not cheap."
"We have to renew the license every three years, which can be a challenge for customers. Arista, like other vendors, now follows a license-based system."
"The complex setup phase is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"One of the issues that we have been faced with here in Brazil is that we don't have any list times for delivery."
"I would like to see a version available with eight or sixteen ports."
"I think there's still room for improvement. Arista Campus LAN Switches are not highly scalable as they are hardware-based. If hardware requirements exceed capacity, the product needs to be changed, which can impact service."
"It would be ideal if the solution was less expensive."
"Cisco switches are expensive."
"An area for improvement would be the documentation and training on configuring this product."
"I would like to see better efficiency. They are powering all the PoE ports 100% of the time instead of powering only when there is a draw on them. It has too many options. Therefore, there is a reasonably high barrier to entry in terms of learning about this stuff. A lot of times, you need to be a CCNA, which is like your ticket into the industry, but it is not the easiest thing to get."
"There were issues with the maximum stackable switches per site and monitoring setup."
"If they worked on lowering the price, they would be able to attract more customers."
"We are not working off the latest version so the switches on the product are very old and that could be improved."
"I would like to see support for one-touch provisioning."
"The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it."
More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is not that good, but our clients value the solution despite the price."
"The only licensing costs are for CloudVision, although the upfront price of the device is not cheap."
"The pricing of these devices can be better."
"The price of Cisco Catalyst switches is reasonable."
"We have a contract for service with this partner, meaning we don't purchase the license or equipment directly."
"Try to buy everything you need in bulk purchases and ask Cisco for volume discounts."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."
"We pay the licensing fees annually because we have an enterprise license agreement."
"There needs to be some improvement with the Cisco DNA licensing activation process, it is difficult at the moment."
"The price can definitely be lower."
More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business80
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Campus LAN Switches?
Regarding pricing, it is not cheap. While it is an enterprise solution, comparing it to low-level switches like Fortinet and Netgear, it is much more expensive. However, comparing it to Cisco and J...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Arista Campus LAN Switches?
Regarding improvements to Arista Campus LAN Switches, nothing comes to mind about the switches themselves; they are really fast and have all the technologies and protocols that exist in the market....
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Arista Campus LAN Switches?
I work as a consultant and integrator, using Arista Networks platform in my customers' networks. I deal with switches by Arista, which is mostly what we use Arista for. I am familiar with Arista Ca...
See all answers
Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
See all answers
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Cisco Nexus vs Arista Campus LAN Switches Logo
Cisco Nexus vs Arista Campus LAN Switches
Compared 25% of the time
Juniper QFabric vs Arista Campus LAN Switches Logo
Juniper QFabric vs Arista Campus LAN Switches
Compared 15% of the time
Cisco FabricPath vs Arista Campus LAN Switches Logo
Cisco FabricPath vs Arista Campus LAN Switches
Compared 12% of the time
HPE ProCurve vs Arista Campus LAN Switches Logo
HPE ProCurve vs Arista Campus LAN Switches
Compared 11% of the time
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series vs Arista Campus LAN Switches Logo
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series vs Arista Campus LAN Switches
Compared 11% of the time
More Arista Campus LAN Switches Competitors
Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches Logo
Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches
Compared 10% of the time
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches Logo
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches
Compared 7% of the time
TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches Logo
TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches
Compared 6% of the time
ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches Logo
ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches
Compared 5% of the time
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches Logo
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches
Compared 5% of the time
More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
LAN Switching
March 2026
Arista Campus LAN Switches reportDownload Arista Campus LAN Switches product report
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2026
Cisco Catalyst Switches reportDownload Cisco Catalyst Switches product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
 

Overview

Arista Campus LAN Switches are the perfect network solution for your most demanding workloads.With native support for VMware Virtualization and hundreds of Linux applications integrated into hardware platforms designed to meet the stringent power and cooling requirements of today's most demanding data centers, Arista delivers the most efficient and best performing 10Gb Ethernet platforms.
Arista

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing. 

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco
 

Sample Customers

University of Winchester, AWE, picturemaxx, Medical Mutual, Leonix, CloudEra, National Physical Laboratory, Tri-State G&T, AIS, Morph, SingTel, SDSC, BBC
Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Buyer's Guide
Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2026
Free Report: Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
DOWNLOAD NOW
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches report.
See our list of best LAN Switching vendors.

We monitor all LAN Switching 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.