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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, 89% 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 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews
  • 5,774 Views
  • 3,631 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
Cisco Prime [EOL]
Read 35 Cisco Prime [EOL] reviews
    91% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

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    Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

    Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] are network management solutions with unique strengths. Cisco DNA Center is more advanced in features but challenges with pricing for smaller sectors, while Cisco Prime offers cost-effective robust functionalities despite its end-of-life status.

    Features: Cisco DNA Center is recognized for its comprehensive analytics, security integration with Cisco ISE, and centralized management, offering network visibility and reducing human errors. Its automation, RF environment insights, and Zero-day configuration are advanced capabilities. Cisco Prime [EOL] provides effective monitoring and reporting with strong heatmap visualization, delivering robust features for extensive deployments.

    Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could benefit from enhanced third-party integrations, reduced costs to increase accessibility, and improved reporting and real-time data replication. Cisco Prime [EOL] has limitations in NetFlow support and third-party compatibility, necessitating other tools for comprehensive visibility. With its discontinuation, migrating to DNA Center becomes necessary.

    Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] offer both on-premises and cloud deployment options. DNA Center users report mixed technical support experiences, highlighting delays in resolving complex issues. Conversely, Cisco Prime [EOL] receives generally positive feedback on support, though some areas need enhancement to align with the evolving network management landscape.

    Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center is viewed as high-priced but justified by its advanced features, potentially limiting its reach to larger enterprises. Cisco Prime [EOL] is more competitively priced with a manageable licensing structure, though less feature-rich compared to DNA Center. Both solutions are generally perceived as offering good ROI, though DNA Center's higher total cost may be a barrier for organizations seeking robust network management without a premium price tag.

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    Network Management Applications
    May 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

    Cisco DNA Center
    Average Rating
    8.0
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.3
    Number of Reviews
    41
    Ranking in other categories
    Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (13th), Network Automation (2nd)
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Average Rating
    7.8
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.5
    Number of Reviews
    35
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
     

    Featured Reviews

    AvrahamSonenthal - PeerSpot reviewer
    Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features
    The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.
    Read full review
    Syed Aathif Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
    Impressive reporting and data mining features for time traveling through logs
    The solution needs to include centralized management that aligns with the Greenfield network and its focus on real-time, scenario-based applications. The solution is considered legacy and DNAC has overcome it because of centralized controls that allow a complete LAN network to be moved to centralized management. CISCO has suppressed the solution with no new development because they introduced DNAC and favor it rather than modifying the solution to the changing network environment. If this new tool hadn't been introduced, the solution would be improved to include SDWAN and SDA along with its other, better features. The solution's user interface could be improved to align with the changing market that is software-defined and includes graphic interfaces.
    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 monitoring is very valuable to me."
    "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 solution helps in user microsegmentation."
    "The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."
    "The best feature of Cisco DNA Center is the visibility page, where you can see everything on the dashboard, and you don't have to be a technical person to view the issues."
    "The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."
    "The product gives a consolidated view."
    More Cisco DNA Center pros
    "Cisco Prime has been around for a long time, and it keeps getting better and better."
    "The product's most valuable features are monitoring and configuration."
    "Cisco Prime allows us to do a lot of functions with the users and it is flexible."
    "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."
    "If an AP or any wireless device goes into critical mode, Cisco Prime sends an alert. That is the most helpful feature."
    "The endpoint information Cisco Prime generates helps us troubleshoot, and it's also useful for compliance reporting and endpoint identification."
    "The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pros
     

    Cons

    "I would like is to have a small information pointer available. It could be a plus feature that I want to implement. When I hover my mouse over the user interface, it should provide a brief explanation. It would be helpful to have it incorporated into the UI."
    "The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."
    "The features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."
    "DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."
    "The product has many features that do not work properly."
    "It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."
    "The tool's IoT integration should be better."
    "Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."
    More Cisco DNA Center cons
    "The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance."
    "The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
    "It should be able to monitor Palo Alto, Juniper, and Check Point products - not just Cisco solutions."
    "If you look at some of the wireless site-survey tools that are available in the commercial space, Cisco should include similar solutions, which would help our on-plant engineers when they're doing a site survey."
    "The overall management capabilities of Prime need to be improved."
    "Lacking in integration with a SIEM tool."
    "They can also improve the management of more enterprise devices."
    "The solution needs to include centralized management that aligns with the Greenfield network and its focus on real-time, scenario-based applications."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] cons
     

    Pricing and Cost Advice

    "Affordability is a problem because it's created for large enterprises only. So, some customers, even if their engineers want the solution, might have problems with budget limitations."
    "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."
    "Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."
    "Our licensing agreement is for three years."
    "The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."
    "We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."
    "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."
    More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
    "You need to get special quotes from the company for each order."
    "I would rate the pricing of Cisco Prime a seven out of ten."
    "Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."
    "The price of Cisco Prime was reasonable because we purchased it as part of a Cisco One package. The package was a bundle of Cisco solutions together, such as Cisco ISE and CMX. The price is reasonable com compared to other solutions."
    "The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
    "The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."
    "The solution is not inexpensive but is worth it for large-scale environments."
    "We update the license every five years."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pricing and cost advice
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    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    Computer Software Company
    16%
    Government
    10%
    Manufacturing Company
    9%
    Healthcare Company
    6%
    Computer Software Company
    16%
    Government
    14%
    Manufacturing Company
    8%
    Educational Organization
    6%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
     

    Questions from the Community

    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?
    The cost is very high.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
    The system is working fine for me currently.
    See all answers
    What do you like most about Cisco Prime?
    The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco Prime?
    The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive.
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for Cisco Prime?
    We use Cisco Prime for centralized configuration management backups and monitoring.
    See all answers
     

    Comparisons

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    Compared 7% of the time
    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
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    Compared 6% of the time
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center
    Compared 6% of the time
    NetBrain vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
    NetBrain vs Cisco DNA Center
    Compared 5% of the time
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    Huawei eSight vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
    Huawei eSight vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 19% of the time
    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 12% of the time
    Aruba Airwave vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
    Aruba Airwave vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 12% of the time
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 9% of the time
    NetMaster Network Intelligence vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
    NetMaster Network Intelligence vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 8% of the time
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] Competitors
     

    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco DNA Center
    May 2025
    Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    May 2025
    Cisco Prime [EOL] reportDownload Cisco Prime [EOL] product report
     

    Also Known As

    DNA Center
    Cisco Prime Infrastructure
     

    Overview

    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

    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
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    May 2025
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