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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Huawei Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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 Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
187
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
13th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.2%
Other92.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MS
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance
Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.
Muhammad Kabir Salihu - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Director at NITDA
Cost-effective performance enhanced by security features with easy configurations
I mainly use Huawei Switches and also work with Huawei Wireless. I deal with both Huawei and Cisco Switches, and I find Huawei to be more cost-effective Huawei has helped to save costs and is cost-effective, which also helps save time for the company. The performance of Huawei is good, and it…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The installation process is very straightforward."
"The main features of the solution are its reliability and security."
"Cisco delivers when it comes to business value."
"It is very reliable."
"It's stable; the Catalyst Switches are reliable."
"The most valuable features are the Stacking and the capacity of the switches because they have more throughput. Layer 2 is also part of its rich feature set."
"It is easier to design and manage a network by enabling reuse and the ability to migrate to multiple sites."
"The most valuable feature is the interface, it's easy to configure. The command line uses a switch that gives us security."
"We use Huawei Ethernet Switches for business networks and connectivity."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands."
"One scenario where Huawei Ethernet Switches improved network efficiency was last year when a customer needed switches with 10 gigabits, which are not very common in the market. Huawei provided this kind of switch, enabling the customer to upgrade their network from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabit speeds across all devices."
"This product is competitive technically with the best products in the class."
"The most valuable aspect of Huawei Ethernet Switches is their excellent scalability."
"There aren't any licensing costs, it's a one-off payment at the beginning and then you can use them for as long as you like."
"They last quite a while."
"The required functionalities align with telecom requirements and have improved from a capacity perspective."
 

Cons

"With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system"
"Licensing is somewhat expensive and should be improved."
"The cost is not reasonable. It is the highest cost in the market. The pricing needs to be reduced."
"The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved."
"Its price should be improved. It is very pricey."
"I cannot say that the pricing is reasonable because it's a little above our expectations."
"There is no GUI."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved."
"In order to improve the product, I'd like to see all devices have the ability to configure more easily."
"Connectivity is an area that needs improvement in the solution. Interconnectivity with third-party versions or Cisco Meraki should be made available to users in future releases of the solution."
"One of the problems with Huawei is that when you receive a product quote from one of the vendors, you cannot get prices from the other ones because they register your request with Huawei."
"We would like to have a greater level of automation using this solution. The customer support could also be faster."
"There needs to be more documentation. If they opened up a bit and shared more information and maybe allowed for YouTube videos about their products and how to work them, it would benefit the users quite a bit."
"Integration could be improved. The price could also be lower."
"There is room for improvement in the customer support and services. The response time could be better."
"I would like to see more training opportunities available."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licenses are definitely expensive. There is a need to make annual payments towards the subscription or licensing costs attached to the solution."
"We pay the licensing fees annually because we have an enterprise license agreement."
"Cisco switches are expensive. Their price range is based not only on what the product does but also the name in the industry. They are good at what they do. If you need a better product, there are other lineups available."
"The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one."
"The price could be improved."
"It is worth the money. The product is expensive, but the service they provide is very good, which makes it worth it."
"The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure"
"We only pay one-off instead of paying recurring license fees."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are very competitively priced, almost 4 out of 10.However, the low price point may sometimes raise concerns about quality for some companies."
"We have a one-year license. There are no additional costs besides the licensing fee."
"A cost-effective product"
"Huawei comes with a lot of features out of the box that you have to pay extra for with other products. They do charge extra in the licensing for certain additional features."
"This is an affordable solution."
"It is cheaper than Cisco."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheap and cost around ten dollars."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business83
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise85
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise20
 

Questions from the Community

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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
Those aspects regarding pricing, setup, cost, and licensing are managed by management, so I am not directly involved.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I believe that Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved by being given AI capability and advanced licensing, which would be beneficial.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands.
What needs improvement with Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion.
What is your primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches is for network purposes, including SaaS services.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
Newcastle University, Jingyang District of Deyang City in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, Glasgow Rangers Soccer Team, RMIT, Insurance Industry Association of Zhejiang Province, China, APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT)
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.