Cisco DNA Center vs NetScaler comparison

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Cisco DNA Center

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

NetScaler and Cisco DNA Center compete in the networking and application optimization space. NetScaler takes the upper hand in deployment flexibility, while Cisco DNA Center excels in network automation and analytics.

Features: NetScaler boasts a flexible deployment model supported by its TriScale architecture, offering excellent load balancing and user access control capabilities. It also provides robust traffic management and single sign-on functionality. Cisco DNA Center is recognized for its integrated network automation, providing real-time insights through its robust analytics and centralized network management solutions. It also offers extensive monitoring features and enhanced automation processes.

Room for Improvement: NetScaler needs better integration and intuitive configuration tools, alongside improvements in template and scripting flexibility to match competitors like F5. Stability issues requiring frequent patches are also noted. Cisco DNA Center should enhance its integration with third-party vendors and improve ease of use, as well as addressing challenges with complex deployments and high costs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetScaler is versatile, supporting deployments across on-premises, public, private, and hybrid clouds, with satisfactory technical support, although support quality varies. Cisco DNA Center offers robust customer support and consistent technical service, primarily for on-premises deployment, but experiences occasional response delays, and its deployment options trail behind NetScaler.

Pricing and ROI: NetScaler is considered expensive, with additional costs for licenses, but customers achieve ROI through its stability and rich features enhancing network performance. Cisco DNA Center, being costlier, often limits accessibility for smaller businesses, yet offers value in centralized network control and is justified by its comprehensive management capabilities and integrations, marking it a worthy investment for larger enterprises.

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

Cisco DNA Center vs. NetScaler

April 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

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (12th), Network Automation (2nd)

NetScaler

Ranking in Network Management Applications

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

107

Ranking in other categories

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (1st), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 26.9%, down from 29.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetScaler is 1.5%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

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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DEMİRHAN ÇAVUŞOĞLU

Cloud Consultant at Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

A tool for centralized management including inventory and sales tracking

Citrix ADM has the ability to implement policies to tighten security. For instance, you can restrict access to your network from outsiders or lack necessary security measures such as antivirus programs. Additionally, there's the Delivery Controller, which allows for comprehensive monitoring and management tasks such as remote restarts, maintenance, and registration. Another essential component is the Director, which provides detailed insights into sessions, including identifying session failures, connection issues, user lockouts, etc. It presents a list of problems to address, enabling you to click on them and resolve them efficiently.

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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 solution has the capability to scale."

"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."

"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."

"It offers automation, security enforcement, analytics, and integration with other Cisco technologies, making it a key driver for efficient network operations and compliance with security protocols."

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

"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."

"Has a good processing feature with a high level of accuracy."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"For desktop application management, I recommend the NetScaler edition. This product is like a Swiss army knife. Citrix NetScaler ADC supports the education front-end."

"It is simple for both IT specialists and customers."

"The solution is very stable."

"We use the product for load balancing and as a reverse proxy solution."

"I prefer this solution because of its user-friendly interface. I find it simple and close to what I am currently using, which is Citrix Fortiva Access for Multi-Factor Authentication. I appreciate the familiar user interface and troubleshooting tools it offers."

"Enables a Web service that offers persistent client-server connections, IP restriction, URL rewrite (such as remove "/assets/" path from client-side URL path), and cache for CSS or JS files... You can easily use the GUI to set up all these requirements on the same network device within 20-30 minutes. (If you do the same steps on CLI, it might take less time.)"

"I like the monitoring ability as it enables me to identify when an internal (load-balanced) resource is having issues before it becomes a problem in production."

"Its customer support service is good."

More NetScaler pros

Cons

"What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive."

"There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that you can have in your network, and this has caused us problems with some customers."

"They can improve the network visibility. Licensing and its maintenance are also needed."

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

"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."

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

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

"The product has many features that do not work properly."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"An area for improvement would be the difficulty in finding information about standard licensing costs over the internet. They should provide some reference prices on the net to be quickly referred to."

"Overall the price of Citrix ADC could be more competitive."

"The technical support has room for improvement."

"The tool needs to add a feature where we can access the network policy access manager."

"The only thing customers told me that could be improved is that they would like to be able to purchase and receive the products in one box, rather than two boxes. This is something related to marketing, though."

"Its GUI should be improved. Its CLI is powerful, but GUI needs more features."

"Citrix should offer a demo or free-trial version of NetScaler. Several other vendors do, but Citrix does not. Pricing should also be more readily available."

"It can be difficult to setup."

More NetScaler 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 partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"The solution is expensive."

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

"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."

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

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

"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

"Its price is comparable to others and affordable."

"Costly product and complicated licensing."

"It is very pricey, but we get it. If you need the best, money shouldn't be a problem."

"The licenses for this product are payable as a yearly subscription, and carry a high price-point. The subscription scheme is quite complicated, and costs will increase with each additional feature that is required, outside of the basic setup."

"The price for Citrix ADC here in Mexico was good, when you compare it with F5 and Radware."

"F5 BIG-IP is much more expensive than Citrix ADC. For example, If we choose two platforms, Citrix ADC, 3000 version, and we choose F5, F4200 version. F5 BIG-IP has connections, timers, and throughput similar to Citrix ADC, but the price is very expensive."

"Citrix NetScaler VPX is not the cheapest solution out there, but you get what you pay for."

"We have all the features and functions of Citrix because we have a premium license."

More NetScaler pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

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.

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

The cost is very high.

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

What do you like most about Citrix ADC?

The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic enters our environment.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix ADC?

After deployment, Citrix Netscaler shifted to a subscription-based license scheme for support, which is slightly more expensive.

What needs improvement with Citrix ADC?

Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity. While it could be easier to manage, it is like transitioning from driving a ...

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Product Reports

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Cisco DNA Center

April 2025

Download NetScaler product report

March 2025

Also Known As

DNA Center

Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX, NetScaler Console, NetScaler Web Application Firewall

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

One platform for a consistent application delivery and security experience because nobody has time to learn multiple systems to manage ADC deployments. NetScaler is built with a single code base using a software-based architecture, so no matter which ADC form factor you choose — hardware, virtual machine, bare metal, or container — the behavior will be the same.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk