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Azure Network Watcher vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Microsoft and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #47 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.2. Microsoft holds a 0.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Cisco users who would recommend it.
Azure Network Watcher
Read 12 Azure Network Watcher reviews
  • 670 Views
  • 630 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
Cisco DNA Center
Read 43 Cisco DNA Center reviews
  • 7,884 Views
  • 1,892 Comparison Views
90% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco DNA Center and Azure Network Watcher are competing in network management and monitoring. Cisco DNA Center seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive automation capabilities, while Azure Network Watcher excels in Azure ecosystem integration.

Features: Cisco DNA Center offers network automation, assurance, and segmentation along with integration across multi-vendor devices. It is versatile for diverse network environments. Azure Network Watcher provides in-depth network monitoring, diagnostics, and analytics, seamlessly integrating with Azure services, which benefits cloud-focused infrastructures.

Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could improve its ease of deployment and simplify its extensive integration process. It may also enhance customer support accessibility. Azure Network Watcher can expand its automation capabilities and improve compatibility with non-Azure environments. It might also provide more detailed analytics beyond Azure services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center involves a more complex deployment due to its extensive features, often requiring specialized expertise and support. Azure Network Watcher benefits from straightforward deployment within Azure environments, with integrated customer service enhancement.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center generally requires a higher initial setup cost but provides substantial long-term ROI by reducing manual network management efforts. Azure Network Watcher has a lower entry cost, with ROI closely tied to Azure service integration and usage.

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To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center
September 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

Azure Network Watcher
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
47th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco DNA Center
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
11th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Azure Network Watcher is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco DNA Center1.4%
Azure Network Watcher0.4%
Other98.2%
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Bijoyendra Roychowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Network monitoring provides comprehensive analytics while the interface requires further development
The quality of Azure Network Watcher is quite good in terms of the in-depth analysis you can create from these matrices. There are other monitoring tools such as New Relic, AppDynamics, and Dynatrace which provide very detailed network tracing. Cloud providers such as Azure or AWS do not have that kind of GUI-based capability at this point, but using PowerShell or Python, you can develop it yourself. From the GUI perspective, it still needs to evolve in terms of quality and standard, though overall, it is quite good for troubleshooting. Regarding areas for improvement, when comparing to other network tools beyond Azure Monitor or Azure Network Watcher, those tools can identify single failed packets. This level of granularity is not currently possible with cloud providers as they only go to a certain level rather than the granular level needed for deep troubleshooting, though they do provide hints with available matrices.
Read full review
Ahmed Helmy - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience unified visibility and monitoring for enterprise campus and significant time savings and enhanced troubleshooting with reliable support
We have been working with Cisco DNA Center for ten years. Our clients use Cisco DNA Center for unified visibility/monitoring across Enterprise Campus both LAN & WLAN along with Access and fast technical issues troubleshooting The solution provides fast troubleshooting capabilities and fast…
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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 feature of Azure Network Watcher is the cloud-native application firewall. It is helpful for securing databases."
"It provides good visibility."
"The solution is good for monitoring device behavior."
"I like the visibility."
"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is using the gateways with the connections. The monitoring is useful for the logs and application insights into the data. The traffic filtering issues when it comes to deploying those applications are helpful."
"The most valuable features I have found are typology, visualization, and capture."
"The stability is very good. I rate it a ten out of ten."
"We use the solution to monitor network services. It helps to capture any network issues."
More Azure Network Watcher pros
"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 feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."
"The automation features are significant, reducing configuration time. This means outstanding functionality. By deploying the controller automatically, the rest becomes automated"
"The solution has the capability to scale."
"Scalability in Cisco DNA Center is good; we are using it for Software-Defined Access solution, and we haven't reached our device limit yet— from my experience, we can easily manage numerous devices."
"The product's most valuable feature is the visual representation of the switch's front panel."
"The product gives a consolidated view."
More Cisco DNA Center pros
 

Cons

"Azure is good, however, the Fortinet GUI is more intuitive and I like it more than anything else."
"User experience could be improved."
"Lacks sufficient security features."
"Azure Network Watcher needs to have better documentation and it needs to capture information accurately."
"The initial setup and initial learning curve could be improved to be easier."
"I would like to see in the future if we can troubleshoot as a firewall because it is equipment as a network player and some diagnostics."
"The solution could improve by limiting the need to clarify the logs. When the clarification is minimized, it is better for everyone involved."
"The initial setup and deployment could be improved to be simplified."
More Azure Network Watcher cons
"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."
"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."
"One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."
"Technical support could be better. The price could be better, and it could be more stable."
"The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."
"The tool's IoT integration should be better."
"An area that needs improvement is the integration with other vendors."
"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."
More Cisco DNA Center cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is good. It's not too expensive."
"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."
"Price-wise, I have no information on how much Azure Network Watcher costs."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."
"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."
"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."
"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."
"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."
"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."
"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."
"The solution is expensive."
More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Network Watcher?
I like the visibility.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Network Watcher?
Azure Network Watcher is affordable from the perspective of basic costing. It doesn't cost too much at this point unless you are requesting customizable detailed matrices. For the default configura...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Azure Network Watcher?
The quality of Azure Network Watcher is quite good in terms of the in-depth analysis you can create from these matrices. There are other monitoring tools such as New Relic, AppDynamics, and Dynatra...
See all answers
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?
After evaluating other solutions, we will provide feedback.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
We have utilized the software-defined access (SDA) feature of Cisco DNA Center. The AI-driven needs enhancements and Integration and unification of visibility and monitoring to include other areas ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Microsoft Network Monitor vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 26% of the time
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Nmap vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 23% of the time
SolarWinds NPM vs Azure Network Watcher Logo
SolarWinds NPM vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 21% of the time
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Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 16% of the time
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 5% of the time
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 5% of the time
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 5% of the time
More Cisco DNA Center Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher
September 2025
Azure Network Watcher reportDownload Azure Network Watcher product report
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center
September 2025
Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
DNA Center
 

Overview

Azure Network Watcher is a comprehensive network monitoring and diagnostic service offered by Microsoft Azure. It provides a range of tools and capabilities to help users monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into their Azure network infrastructure. With Network Watcher, users can capture and analyze network traffic, monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and gain visibility into network topology. It also offers features like packet capture, flow logs, connection monitoring, and VPN diagnostics to ensure the smooth operation of Azure networks. Network Watcher enables users to proactively identify and resolve network issues, optimize network performance, and enhance the overall reliability and security of their Azure network environment.

Microsoft

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
Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center
September 2025
Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center
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