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Cisco Enterprise Routers vs HPE Enterprise Routers comparison

Cisco and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the Routers category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #7. Cisco holds a 15.0% mindshare in R, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 5.2% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.
Cisco Enterprise Routers
Read 111 Cisco Enterprise Routers reviews
  • 2,856 Views
  • 2,742 Comparison Views
97% willing to recommend
HPE Enterprise Routers
Read 7 HPE Enterprise Routers reviews
  • 619 Views
  • 613 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 29, 2025

Cisco and HPE Enterprise Routers compete in the enterprise routing category, with Cisco leading in features and reliability, while HPE excels in pricing and manageability.

Features: Cisco Enterprise Routers offer high-performance WAN services, cloud connectivity, and robust security features like IPsec and VPN. HPE Enterprise Routers focus on manageability, affordability, and are ideal for smaller enterprises with simpler configuration needs.

Room for Improvement: Cisco routers are critiqued for high costs and complex WAN integration with a command-line interface that requires expertise. HPE routers, while generally cost-effective, can still be expensive compared to competitors, offering room for a better pricing strategy.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco's routers are mainly used on-premises with some hybrid options, praised for technical support albeit with some responsiveness issues. HPE provides consistent customer service and support with fewer noted issues.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco's pricing is seen as expensive with complicated licensing, yet users acknowledge the long-term ROI from reliability. HPE offers straightforward, cost-effective pricing and licensing models with better upfront value for features included.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers Report (Updated: March 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers
March 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 Enterprise Routers
Ranking in Routers
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
111
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
HPE Enterprise Routers
Ranking in Routers
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Routers category, the mindshare of Cisco Enterprise Routers is 15.0%, down from 21.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Enterprise Routers is 5.2%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Routers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Enterprise Routers15.0%
HPE Enterprise Routers5.2%
Other79.8%
Routers
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2759889 - PeerSpot reviewer
reviewer2759889
Pre-Sales Technical Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Has supported robust enterprise deployments and management while pricing and market reach for advanced features need attention
I'm not sure what improvements could be made on the configuration scale since I'm not involved in complete configuration. Currently, it works effectively and they are incorporating AI adoption. Commercially and financially, the pricing is too high. Customers feel that Cisco Enterprise Routers will not offer the most competitive prices. If they can work on pricing, it would be easier for customers who are considering local products. In India, the government has implemented the Make in India initiative, and Cisco has established a manufacturing unit there. Regarding security products, they need to improve market reach, marketing, and training. While Cisco Enterprise Routers are user-friendly for network and wireless platforms, security product configuration and integration are considered complex compared to FortiGate, Check Point, Sophos, and Palo Alto. They have introduced solutions such as Cloud Defense Orchestrator and Firewall Manager (FMC), but the reach of Cisco security products in India needs improvement.
Read full review
Chi-Zhang - PeerSpot reviewer
Chi-Zhang
Founder and President at Summit GAM
Has excellent scalability and is cost-effective compared to its competitors
The solution is reasonably priced and easy to configure. By collaborating with Aruba, they have integrated more products to streamline the porting process. Our project team comprises two or three network engineers for regular maintenance and troubleshooting. The workload is not heavy. I rate the solution as an eight and recommend it to network engineers and solution providers.
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

"Cisco is a good product that is stable."
"The stability of the solution's router is its most valuable feature."
"Provides good capabilities and performance."
"The valuable feature is CLI."
"It is easy to use and is very solid."
"They are the most stable, have the highest availability, and are the most reliable on the market."
"The most valuable features are security and throughput."
"I like that Cisco Enterprise Routers is a stable solution. Their technical support is also really good."
More Cisco Enterprise Routers pros
"These routers help us to provide high availability to our clusters."
"It has good scalability."
"HPE routers are easier to manage than any other router I've used."
"Extensive support for cellular range for Wi-Fi technologies"
"The most valuable feature would be the support for cellular range for Wi-Fi technologies, there is extensive support available."
"HPE routers are easier to manage than any other router I've used."
"It makes it easy to update the network technology and manage multiple deals, all without needing technical knowledge."
"Quality-wise, this product is somewhere between Huawei and Cisco."
More HPE Enterprise Routers pros
 

Cons

"The only complaint from customers about Cisco is price-wise; they tend to be on the higher side compared to some competition, making it hard to compete in today's market."
"In Bangladesh, we do not have any expert-level support. We are having many issues implementing the DNS system."
"Other products are coming to the market that are not as expensive, Cisco should reduce their price to be more comparable."
"The configuration needs improvement. Most routers, like HP or Aruba, use a UI interface. Those solutions are similar and uniform. It's easier for us compared to Cisco because with Cisco you are not using normal commands. They need to enhance the UI to make it more usable."
"Their software-defined paradigm requires significant improvement."
"If I only have one LAN port in which I want to connect more than one device, I have to buy an add-on card so that I can have two LAN ports. The smaller devices and low-end routers have about four LAN ports. This solution is a high-end device but has only one. It would be preferable if they offered more LAN ports."
"Some of our customers have asked that this solution have a 10G connection."
"Depending on the customer, the initial setup could be complex."
More Cisco Enterprise Routers cons
"The price is expensive and could be made more competitive."
"Technical support could be better."
"I'd like to see more security features, like support for different types of encryptions."
"Its customer service could be better for older equipment models."
"Compatibility with other platforms could be improved."
"The solution is expensive."
"They should work on lowering their prices in Brazil to stay competitive with rivals and offer customers more affordable options."
"Better management tools are needed."
More HPE Enterprise Routers cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is very high."
"This solution is expensive compared to competitors. There are additional costs if you want to have their support."
"Cisco is way too expensive for small and medium businesses. They must lower their prices in the lower range equipment."
"It's expensive and the pricing could be improved."
"The price of Cisco Enterprise Routers is good for the service that you get."
"For a boost performance license, the cost is $2,000 to $2,500. There is an additional cost for more scalability."
"The license of Cisco Enterprise Routers is too expensive compared to other solutions. As we try to increase the bandwidth, it gets even more expensive. There is an annual license needed to use the solution."
"I would rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten and it is yearly."
More Cisco Enterprise Routers pricing and cost advice
"It is more reasonably priced than other vendors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Marketing Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Performing Arts
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business46
Midsize Enterprise24
Large Enterprise44
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Enterprise Routers?
It is expensive, but I am not the person purchasing the products; I just handle the configuration.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco Enterprise Routers?
We do not have any impact for Cisco exactly in protecting sensitive information. The only concern we have across all of the products is the price. Additionally, because it is not integrated with so...
See all answers
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Comparisons

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Cisco Enterprise Routers Logo
MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Cisco Enterprise Routers
Compared 31% of the time
Huawei Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers Logo
Huawei Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers
Compared 17% of the time
Juniper MX Series Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers Logo
Juniper MX Series Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers
Compared 11% of the time
OneAccess Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers Logo
OneAccess Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers
Compared 8% of the time
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Cisco Enterprise Routers Logo
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Cisco Enterprise Routers
Compared 6% of the time
More Cisco Enterprise Routers Competitors
ADTRAN NetVanta Routers and Switches vs HPE Enterprise Routers Logo
ADTRAN NetVanta Routers and Switches vs HPE Enterprise Routers
Compared 15% of the time
MikroTik Routers and Switches vs HPE Enterprise Routers Logo
MikroTik Routers and Switches vs HPE Enterprise Routers
Compared 14% of the time
Juniper MX Series Routers vs HPE Enterprise Routers Logo
Juniper MX Series Routers vs HPE Enterprise Routers
Compared 11% of the time
Cisco Cloud Services Router vs HPE Enterprise Routers Logo
Cisco Cloud Services Router vs HPE Enterprise Routers
Compared 11% of the time
ExtremeRouting vs HPE Enterprise Routers Logo
ExtremeRouting vs HPE Enterprise Routers
Compared 10% of the time
More HPE Enterprise Routers Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Enterprise Routers
March 2026
Cisco Enterprise Routers reportDownload Cisco Enterprise Routers product report
Buyer's Guide
Routers
March 2026
HPE Enterprise Routers reportDownload HPE Enterprise Routers product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
HP Enterprise Routers
 

Overview

The high-performance Cisco Enterprise Routers are the market leader due to their breadth of advanced support for LAN/WAN services, redundancy, reliability, and performance.
Cisco
HP Enterprise Routers navigates more devices and simplify complex networks with intelligent management of open standards routing. HP Enterprise Routers offer products: Fixed Port Routers- It connects workplace with internet access, Modular Routers- a fully-modular and Virtual & Wireless Routers-It quickly connects business with wireless routing. HP Enterprise Routers also provide features routers: HPE FlexNetwork MSR2000 Router Series & HPE FlexNetwork VSR1000 Virtual Services Router Series.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Boingo, Chartwell School, Children's Hospital of Orange County , Department of Justice, Explorer Pipeline, Linz AG, National Rugby League, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Telecom Italia, Transwestern
Transdanubian Regional Waterworks Corporation (DRV)
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers
March 2026
Free Report: Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. HPE Enterprise Routers and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
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