Cisco DNA Center vs Forward Enterprise comparison

Cisco and Forward Networks are both solutions in the Network Automation category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while Forward Networks is ranked #19. Cisco holds a 8.4% mindshare in NA, compared to Forward Networks’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Forward Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 43 Cisco DNA Center reviews

7,275 Views
1,455 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Forward Enterprise

Read 1 Forward Enterprise review

617 Views
450 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Forward Enterprise

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco DNA Center and Forward Enterprise based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Cisco, Broadcom and others in Network Automation.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Automation Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

February 2026

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Helped 884,933 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

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Automation

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

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

Forward Enterprise

Ranking in Network Automation

19th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (21st)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 8.4%, down from 14.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Forward Enterprise is 3.2%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco DNA Center	8.4%
Forward Enterprise	3.2%
Other	88.4%

Network Automation

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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Rozita Ahmadi

IT Architectural System Expert at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

Plenty of useful features, and simple implementation

Forward Enterprise has improved the way my organization functions All the features are valuable in Forward Enterprise. Forward Enterprise could improve by increasing flexibility. Additionally, there should be an Android version or desktop. I have been using Forward Enterprise for approximately…

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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 price is really high, but it's worth every single dollar you pay."

"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."

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

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

"Application Assurance works very well."

"We have many people from the team who manage a lot of devices. By using Cisco DNA Center, it has taken some of that burden away, we are impressed with it. We did the investment in CAPEX, but in the OPEX was very low."

"What I found valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the Software-Defined Access Network, so the entire LAN network can be centralized and managed from a single dashboard. Cisco DNA Center is suitable for centralized management and lets you deploy switches in a centralized fashion. You can also do multiple switch port configurations simultaneously and segregate your traffic into multiple fabrics. Another valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is enhanced security through Scalable Group Tags. Cisco DNA Center can be integrated with your Cisco ISE to enhance the port securities, and this paves the way for Software-Defined Networking in the LAN segment, which is the main advantage of Cisco DNA Center. I also like that you can use Cisco DNA Center for data assurance or correlation. The solution shows your network and client health parameters, which I find convenient for troubleshooting."

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"All the features are valuable in Forward Enterprise."

Cons

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"The solution needs to improve the dashboard."

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

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

"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."

"From the recent DNA point of view, there are some stability challenges with Cisco, but very minor."

"When it comes to deploying wireless fields, integrating defaults into the DNS interface can be challenging."

"The tool's IoT integration should be better."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Forward Enterprise could improve by increasing flexibility. Additionally, there should be an Android version or desktop."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

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

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

"The solution is expensive."

"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."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"We pay for the solution annually."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

22%

Computer Software Company

20%

Government

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	25

No data available

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?

After evaluating other solutions, we will provide feedback.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

In my opinion, the client history in Cisco DNA Center can be longer than 10 days, perhaps extending to 15 or 20 days. I am using it in a huge factory in Turkey, and sometimes I need to see what occ...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

NetBrain vs Forward Enterprise

Compared 76% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Forward Enterprise

Compared 15% of the time

More Forward Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

March 2026

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

February 2026

Download Forward Enterprise product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

No data available

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

The company provides a robust network assurance and verification platform to reduce business risk and improve network operations.

Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Cisco, Broadcom and others in Network Automation. Updated: February 2026.

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