Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Prime [EOL] comparison

Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Additionally, 90% of Cisco DNA Center users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Cisco Prime [EOL] users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 44 Cisco DNA Center reviews

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3,700 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Cisco Prime [EOL]

Read 35 Cisco Prime [EOL] reviews

91% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Cisco Prime [EOL]

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime are network management solutions from Cisco. Cisco DNA Center appears to have the upper hand due to its integration with Cisco ISE and enhanced features.

Features: Cisco DNA Center provides robust analytics and security features, offering integrated identity services and a centralized dashboard for simplified deployment and monitoring. Its template-driven configuration and visual and wireless assurance features give comprehensive network insights. Cisco Prime, valued for its stability, includes heat map functionalities and inventory monitoring but lacks in-depth analytics and centralized management characteristics.

Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could improve its third-party compatibility, expand VRF capacity, and strengthen integration with older hardware and other Cisco products like Meraki. Enhancements in error reporting and user interface usability are also suggested. For Cisco Prime, outdated interface, lack of support for newer Cisco devices, and limited third-party solution integration hinder its performance. Improved graphical interface and real-time monitoring could further enhance its effectiveness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both solutions offer on-premises or cloud deployments, with Cisco DNA Center having a more intuitive deployment process. Customer service is more positively reviewed for DNA Center, though it experiences some delays in support response. Cisco Prime also receives favorable support reviews but has challenges with new product integration.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center has a high cost, which can affect smaller businesses, but its features justify the price by delivering significant ROI through time savings. Cisco Prime is more affordable, with bundled deals that can reduce costs, making it a worthwhile investment for large-scale deployments. However, the pricing strategy might be challenging for small enterprises.

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Network Management Applications

June 2026

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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

Cisco DNA Center

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (19th), Network Automation (2nd)

Cisco Prime [EOL]

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Mahir Öztürk

Network Engineer at NGN Bilgi ve İletişim Hizmetleri

Client history has helped resolve past network issues more efficiently

I mostly use the client history feature of Cisco DNA Center. I didn't use the real-time monitoring capability of Cisco DNA Center because I primarily used it for client history regarding issues and problems. I don't use it for real-time monitoring. If there is a problem, I can inspect the situation and see what is happening, which is beneficial.

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AndrewRichardson

Network Engineer at Edmonton Catholic School Board

Has an easy implementation process, but the performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive

The project implementation was easy overall. Adapting Cisco's solutions to our specific environment required effort, as their documentation only covers some network scenarios. The deployment didn't happen all at once; it was staged and controlled to ensure a smooth transition. We started with a small test environment before gradually rolling it out to all campuses. This gradual approach helped mitigate the risk of any issues arising across multiple locations simultaneously, especially on a critical day like Monday morning. We have a team of three executives working on the process. Their job roles included network specialists and a manager. It requires maintenance, which is included in the annual cost. We receive updates and support as part of the renewal process.

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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

"One of the advantages is Cisco support."

"It gives us automation capabilities for pushing out a configuration to branch networks, and it also provides visibility into the health of user network devices."

"The monitoring is very valuable to me, as I can easily monitor all my clients through Cisco DNA Center at this point."

"The product's most valuable feature is the visual representation of the switch's front panel."

"My advice to others is if you are a large enough company to have the Cisco DNA Center technology, you must try it because for a large enterprise or multi-site organization it's impressive and it saves a lot of money and time."

"It is a stable solution."

"In terms of software-defined networking, I think it's an outstanding product."

"The advice I would give to other people who want to use Cisco DNA Center is to go for it, particularly if they have Cisco infrastructure, though these days integration could be an issue."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Cisco Prime allows us to do a lot of functions with the users and it is flexible."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is its excellent audio and video conferencing with clear quality and no interruptions."

"Enables oversight in order to tweak and tune."

"The solution's configuration management tool is amazing because it centralizes and pushes configurations which saves a lot of volume and effort."

"The technical support team is very good."

"The endpoint information Cisco Prime generates helps us troubleshoot, and it's also useful for compliance reporting and endpoint identification."

"The solution provides data that allows us to time travel through logs and perform remote operations or troubleshooting."

"We use the solution to control the physical service station that is part of the SCADA network. We connect and control them remotely."

More Cisco Prime [EOL] pros

Cons

"It's a very good product, however, it comes with a very high price."

"Better compatibility with third parties and to other Cisco products because if versions are not perfectly matching requirements, it gives a lot of problems."

"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."

"The solution’s security side could be improved."

"The pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Cisco DNA Center are expensive."

"Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"Technical support could be better. The price could be better, and it could be more stable."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The overall management capabilities of Prime need to be improved."

"Cisco Prime could improve the notifications in the system. Having more details about what is happening would be useful, such as traffic numbers or who is connected. We can see them through the firewall controller, but it would be better if you can see them from one place."

"This solution could be improved if it could monitor configuration changes."

"The reporting could be simplified and the information made clearer to the user."

"Cisco needs to improve Prime's monitoring tab. If any device goes down, there is a 15-second lapse before we know. It would be much better if we were alerted two or three minutes before a device is about to fail, so we can dispatch a field engineer and avoid network downtime. I would like to see a feature that allows you to access the devices directly from Prime's monitoring tab. That would make work easier for us."

"Cisco Prime needs to have lower prices and more customization options."

"Cisco Prime is slow at times, we often have to restart the database to run reports or to gain access."

"I rate Cisco Prime seven out of 10 for affordability. All Cisco solutions are expensive."

More Cisco Prime [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

"The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."

"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."

"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."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."

"The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."

"The solution is not inexpensive but is worth it for large-scale environments."

"We update the license every five years."

"If we have a license for Cisco DNA, we can use the same license for Cisco Prime."

"Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."

"The cost is quite high."

More Cisco Prime [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

12%

Government

12%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	24

Questions from the Community

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?

The deployment of Cisco DNA Center was complex due to the fact that on the data center side, we have a Juniper infrastructure, which created some complexity, though not significant. The deployment ...

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What is your primary use case for Cisco DNA Center?

In my organization, we currently have some Cisco devices such as access switches, and we also have infrastructure, but that is not part of our responsibility. We do not manage that infrastructure. ...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Prime [EOL]

June 2026

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Also Known As

DNA Center

Cisco Prime Infrastructure

Overview

Cisco DNA Center delivers powerful centralized security, automation, and comprehensive analytics for enhanced network management. With an intuitive dashboard and integration with Cisco devices, it reduces errors, boosts efficiency, and ensures seamless wired and wireless network operations.

Organizations leverage Cisco DNA Center for network management and automation, offering increased visibility into traffic flows and efficient device provisioning. It supports real-time data transmission, network segmentation, and integrates with ISE. Features like wireless assurance, centralized management, and AI-driven insights into network health promote an efficient network environment while addressing compliance issues. However, improvements are necessary for better third-party integration, affordability, and more user-friendly documentation.

What are the solution's most important features?

Comprehensive Analytics: Provides in-depth network insights through real-time data.
Centralized Security: Unifies security management, offering enhanced protection.
Network Management: Simplifies device configuration and policy compliance.
Automation Capabilities: Reduces human error and facilitates efficient network operations.
AI-Driven Assurance: Delivers insights into network health for proactive management.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Increased Efficiency: Streamlines operations by reducing manual tasks.
Improved Security: Enhances protection through centralized policies.
Cost Effective: Simplifies management, potentially lowering operating costs.
Enhanced Visibility: Offers comprehensive data for better decision-making.

In industries like healthcare, finance, and education, Cisco DNA Center's advanced features facilitate the management of complex network infrastructures and aid in achieving compliance efficiently. Its ability to manage LANs and WLANs supports diverse networking environments including greenfield projects and SPN setups.

Cisco

Cisco Prime products deliver next-generation management by supporting an intuitive workflow-oriented user experience and integrated lifecycle operations across Cisco architectures, technologies, and networks.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Mohawk Industries, Universidad EAFIT, Halton Healthcare

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

June 2026

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