Cisco DNA Center vs NetBrain comparison

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Cisco DNA Center

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 6, 2025

NetBrain and Cisco DNA Center compete in network automation and management. NetBrain leads in cost-effectiveness and user-friendliness, whereas Cisco DNA Center stands out for its comprehensive features, justifying its higher price.

Features: NetBrain offers dynamic network mapping, real-time diagnostics, and automatic configuration checks, focusing on simplifying troubleshooting. In contrast, Cisco DNA Center provides extensive automation through intent-based networking, advanced analytics, and AI-driven insights, supporting detailed network management and security enhancement.

Room for Improvement: NetBrain could benefit from more advanced automation capabilities and better integration with third-party tools. Enhancements in user training and scalability could also improve its offering. Cisco DNA Center's complexity could be reduced for simpler integrations and more straightforward operations. More intuitive interfaces for non-technical users and enhanced customization options could boost user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetBrain is known for straightforward deployment and responsive customer support. Cisco DNA Center can be complex to set up but offers robust customer service throughout the deployment process. NetBrain's setup simplicity contrasts with Cisco's intricate but well-supported implementation.

Pricing and ROI: NetBrain presents a lower initial investment, offering quick ROI through its affordability. Cisco DNA Center, with higher setup costs, is geared towards long-term benefits due to its advanced features. NetBrain's cost-effectiveness appeals to budget-conscious users, whereas Cisco positions itself as a feature-rich investment for those prioritizing functionality.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. NetBrain Report (Updated: March 2025).

Cisco DNA Center vs. NetBrain

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Helped 845,040 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

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (12th)

NetBrain

Ranking in Network Automation

6th

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Troubleshooting (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 14.5%, down from 18.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetBrain is 12.4%, up from 7.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

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.

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Deborah Gamelin

Vice President at Asset Track for Cloud, LLC

Good monitoring and troubleshoot capabilities, improves overall network traffic visibility

In my organization, we had 130,000 network devices that needed to be brought into the solution and mapped. NetBrain can handle the scale but the engineers that manage those devices have to go in and update all of them to allow NetBrain permission to poll them. It can get a little stressful for everybody when you're trying to roll out new stuff when you've got other issues that have to be addressed with other devices. In some cases, our devices had no automation at all. One example is the Cisco 3650. Right now, if you went through the inventory list, you see that we have different versions running. Some are on one version, whereas others are on another version. The problem with upgrading them is that they need to be done overnight because we don't want to disrupt any network traffic during business hours. Consequently, it could take us years to upgrade the versions before we can even get them onto these new tools. This may be an internal issue but it's a big one when you have a lot of devices. Even if you had 10,000 devices, it's still an issue. You have to consider the compatibility of the device against the tool, and being able to use certain commands to upgrade it.

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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

"Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."

"It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."

"We can monitor all devices and get the required information using the product."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

"The solution helps with the management and orchestration of campaigns. It helps with visibility and analytics. I also like its SDA configuration."

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"The product gives a consolidated view."

"Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"This product has good network monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities."

"NetBrain is a very simple tool."

"Chain management is a good feature. I don't get it on other solutions."

"A reliable, time-saving tool for providing accurate layer 2 and layer 3 network mappings."

"Enables maps to be drawn out."

Cons

"The solution's integration feature can be better."

"As a user, it would be good if I could plug in controllers, suites, and devices from other vendors to Cisco DNA Center."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."

"The features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."

"The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"It would be nice if the setup was a little simpler. Also, if the solution could provide more training materials for new people coming into our company so they can quickly learn how to use the functionalities."

"Each device needs to be configured to allow NetBrain to poll for the information it needs, which can be very time-consuming for a large network."

"The IP interface brief isn't consistent."

"Support needs to improve for the installed product and some of the reporting could be more flexible to provide more complete cataloging."

"The solution could integrate more automation."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The tool is medium-priced."

"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."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"We have a three-year license with them."

"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 tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The product is expensive, but less expensive than some of the competition and worth the price."

"Licensing is based on a per-device basis, which means that it can get very expensive if you have a large number of devices."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

11%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

The cost is very high.

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What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

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Product Reports

Cisco DNA Center

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

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Also Known As

DNA Center

No data available

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

Managing today’s networks with yesterday’s manual processes is no longer a viable solution. NetBrain’s network automation platform provides actionable insights into your network to help you make better and faster decisions - particularly when you’re troubleshooting, securing, and making changes to the network.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

CompuCon, TD Ameritrade, Move Inc.

Cisco DNA Center vs. NetBrain