Big Switch Networks vs Cisco ACI comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Arista and Cisco are both solutions in the Software Defined Networking (SDN) category. Arista is ranked #10, while Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. Arista holds a 4.6% mindshare in SDN, compared to Cisco’s 8.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Big Switch Networks

Read 1 Big Switch Networks review

1,416 Views
481 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco ACI

Read 106 Cisco ACI reviews

6,425 Views
2,634 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Big Switch Networks

Cisco ACI

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Big Switch Networks and Cisco ACI based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Aviatrix, Megaport and others in Software Defined Networking (SDN).

To learn more, read our detailed Software Defined Networking (SDN) Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

October 2026

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Helped 920,929 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

Big Switch Networks

Ranking in Software Defined Networking (SDN)

10th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Packet Broker (NPB) (3rd)

Cisco ACI

Ranking in Software Defined Networking (SDN)

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

106

Ranking in other categories

Network Virtualization (1st), Cloud and Data Center Security (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Software Defined Networking (SDN) category, the mindshare of Big Switch Networks is 4.6%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco ACI is 8.9%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Defined Networking (SDN) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco ACI	8.9%
Big Switch Networks	4.6%
Other	86.5%

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

Featured Reviews

Jason Best

Data center network architect at Cloudwire

A flexible solution that can be integrated with third-party solutions whilst maintaining its automated nature

I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation. Meaning, having an active-active data center with multiple entrance-exit points. I think that feature could be improved to provide a kind of anycast gateway solution into the functionality that would make it a lot more flexible and versatile. Maybe also making the solution a bit more like the NSX-T from VMware, more on the logical part of the solution, like micro-segmentation and the ability to have a distributed firewall across the whole solution, to implement it in an easier way than they currently do with the security aspect of the solution.

Read full review

Sulaiman Olubiyi

Senior Network Automation Engineer at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Network automation has simplified secure multi-site connectivity and reduced daily operational effort

I believe Cisco ACI could improve by incorporating something related to agentic AI, where it can execute tasks based on particular evaluations or loop engineering, enhancing fault identification or suggestions based on each tenant's configuration. Additionally, I think they should ensure that the documentation is comprehensive. I appreciate that Cisco provides documentation, and their support engineers are helpful in case of any issues. In terms of governance and security regarding Cisco ACI's AI capabilities, I think what we call evals or evaluations is important, whereby the engineer can evaluate the functionalities of the AI in Cisco ACI, preventing it from making deletions or modifications on its own. Therefore, there should be evaluations or guardrails incorporated into the development capabilities. Regarding accuracy and reliability of output for Cisco ACI's AI capabilities, it hasn't met my expectations. What we need is something called RAG, or retrieval-augmented generation. If Cisco can implement that to utilize customer-specific data instead of general knowledge, while ensuring data privacy under GDPR laws, I think that will result in very good, reliable output.

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

"What I liked about the solution is the quick and easy way you can build a network data center fabric."

"I think it's an easy, versatile solution to implement."

"The main benefit is the simplicity of the deployment."

"This solution allows you to do everything quicker and more efficiently."

"The most important aspect of Cisco ACI in my opinion is the ease of management. Other solutions, like traditional solutions and pricier solutions—or even fabric and PAT—you have to do many configurations on a box-to-box basis, With Cisco ACI, you go on the AP and do some "next, next finish" installer."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is having a central point to log in."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the Call Manager."

"The centralized configuration is its most valuable feature."

"The solution has all of the baseline functionalities for any sort of SDN capability."

"It improves security and automation."

More Cisco ACI pros

Cons

"I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation."

"An area for improvement in Cisco ACI is security, which Cisco needs to enhance in the solution. Though Cisco ACI uses a whitelist model, you must purchase an external product, such as a security firewall solution, to make whitelisting work, which the customer could find expensive. For example, you're a customer who has Cisco ACI, and the solution doesn't have IP-based filtering, so as a customer, you've purchased Cisco ACI. However, you still need to buy another product for security, and some customers wouldn't like that. However, some customers prefer to go with Cisco ACI because of its scalability and flexibility versus other solutions such as Juniper and Aruba. Technical support for Cisco ACI also needs improvement, particularly in product knowledge."

"The user interface should be made easier."

"I would like for there to be more information about it available. While using the ACI in the graphical interface, I would like if there was something that explained every step that you can click and it will tell you what you are doing in more detail."

"Because this is new technology, which requires a different way of thinking, it can be hard to understand. Therefore, I would like more documentation or education."

"Cost is one thing that could be improved, as it is heavy for an emerging market like ours."

"The product needs to be more visible on the Internet and have the ability to be integrated into more software developments."

"The areas for improvement are automation and user-friendliness."

"Deploying Cisco ACI was a little complex because we needed to add a lot to the fabric. You need to configure some servers, connect everything, make templates, and deploy switches. It takes five people to deploy and maintain."

More Cisco ACI cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing cost depends on the number of switches that are going to be licensed to run the software."

"Price is always an issue."

"We have saved time on the provisioning and configuration."

"We bought a package for hardware, software, and support. At that time, Cisco was simply selling that package to distributors, then we opted for it directly."

"We used Cisco Professional Services for the deployment. They were outstanding, but very expensive."

"Once you sign for the start kit implementation, you have to go all the way through to the implementation, even if you are experiences issues."

"Cisco ACI is more expensive than Juniper, however, ACI is not the most expensive option."

"A big company can automate it themselves or spend a lot of money and buy it."

"Yearly, we pay around one point two million for the solution."

More Cisco ACI pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Construction Company

12%

Healthcare Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	19
Large Enterprise	89

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

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What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?

There are some very major differences between both the Products and to name a few. -Cisco ACI have physical network gear (9K Switches) where the Code runs in ACI Policy Mode & the UCS server wh...

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What are the biggest differences between Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?

Once you know your way around the Cisco ecosystem, using Cisco ACI is not so difficult. It is a global product, so when you change one interface, changes are automatically reflected on every switch...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco ACI?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Cisco ACI, I observe that it is on the more expensive side, although discounts sometimes make it more affordable. Overall, it is recognized as a pr...

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Comparisons

Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline vs Big Switch Networks

Compared 16% of the time

Ixia Network Packet Brokers vs Big Switch Networks

Compared 10% of the time

Niagara Packet Brokers vs Big Switch Networks

Compared 9% of the time

cPacket cVu vs Big Switch Networks

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker vs Big Switch Networks

Compared 5% of the time

More Big Switch Networks Competitors

VMware NSX vs Cisco ACI

Compared 14% of the time

Juniper Contrail Networking vs Cisco ACI

Compared 8% of the time

TrendAI Deep Security vs Cisco ACI

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Workload vs Cisco ACI

Compared 7% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Cisco ACI

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco ACI Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

October 2026

Download Big Switch Networks product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco ACI

October 2026

Download Cisco ACI product report

Overview

Big Switch Networks specializes in network management solutions designed to optimize and streamline data center operations, leveraging advanced SDN technology for increased efficiency and scalability.

Big Switch Networks harnesses the power of software-defined networking (SDN) to transform traditional network infrastructures. By providing innovative, agile, and adaptable solutions, it enhances data center performance, supports dynamic workloads, and ensures seamless integration with existing systems. Users experience enhanced control and visibility over network resources, facilitating faster deployment and reduced complexity.

What are the key features of Big Switch Networks?

SDN Technology: Enables centralized management and automation, reducing manual configurations.
Network Virtualization: Allows flexible resource allocation for dynamic traffic adjustment.
Application Visibility: Provides detailed insights into application performance and traffic flows.
Security Features: Incorporates advanced security protocols to protect data integrity and privacy.
Cloud Integration: Supports seamless connection with public and private cloud environments.

What benefits should users expect from Big Switch Networks?

Cost Reduction: Lowers operating expenses through automated management and reduced hardware dependencies.
Improved Performance: Enhances data flow efficiency and network speed, leading to increased productivity.
Scalability: Offers flexible growth options to accommodate expanding business needs.
Increased Reliability: Minimizes downtime with robust failover mechanisms.

Big Switch Networks finds application across multiple industries, tailoring its capabilities to meet the demands of sectors such as finance, healthcare, and telecommunications. In finance, it optimizes high-frequency trading networks, while in healthcare, it ensures secure and efficient data management. Telecommunications benefit from its advanced traffic routing and load balancing features.

Arista

Cisco ACI provides advanced capabilities with features like seamless integration with VMware and APIs for programmability. It offers centralized management for streamlined operations, efficient micro-segmentation, and robust security, addressing modern data center needs.

Cisco ACI brings automation to data center infrastructure, enabling transitions from legacy to modern environments with centralized management. Organizations benefit from optimized server farms, seamless integration with VMware, and support for Kubernetes, making it suitable for large-scale environments. Offering support for healthcare, finance, and public sectors, Cisco ACI facilitates tasks such as virtual networking and multi-site connectivity with application-centric and network-centric designs.

What are the key features of Cisco ACI?

Seamless Integration with VMware: Ensures smooth operation with existing virtualized environments.
Programmability via APIs: Offers flexibility in network configuration and management through APIs.
Centralized Management: Provides a unified view of the network, simplifying oversight.
Automation: Reduces manual configuration workload, speeding up deployment.
Scalability: Adapts to growing network demands with ease.
Robust Security: Enhances protection against threats with comprehensive security measures.
Efficient Micro-Segmentation: Improves network segmentation for security and efficiency.

What benefits or ROI should users look for when evaluating Cisco ACI?

Streamlined Operation: Reduced complexity in network management.
Enhanced Performance: Improved network and application efficiency.
Cost Efficiency: Better resource allocation reduces operational costs.
Improved Security: Advanced features for increased protection.
Scalability: Allows growth without significant redesigns.

In the healthcare industry, Cisco ACI supports secure and efficient data management, accommodating regulatory needs and enhancing patient data handling. Financial institutions benefit from robust security and seamless integration with existing infrastructures, facilitating smooth transaction processing. In the public sector, it's utilized for reliable network management and servicing a diverse range of applications.

Cisco

Sample Customers

A10 Networks, Edge-Core Networks, Blue Coat Systems, BlueData, Broadcom Corporation, Canonical, Check Point Software Technologies, Citrix, Dell, FireEye, Garland, Hortonworks, Mirantis, Nexenta, Riverbed

Bowling Green State University, du, Qatar University

Buyer's Guide

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

October 2026

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