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Cisco FabricPath vs HPE ProCurve comparison

Cisco and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Cisco is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.1, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.1. Cisco holds a 2.1% mindshare in LS, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 12.5% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.
Cisco FabricPath
Read 30 Cisco FabricPath reviews
  • 345 Views
  • 144 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
HPE ProCurve
Read 38 HPE ProCurve reviews
  • 1,596 Views
  • 1,329 Comparison Views
97% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

HPE ProCurve and Cisco FabricPath compete in the network solutions category, aiming to enhance connectivity and efficiency. Cisco FabricPath seems to have the upper hand with its superior features, justifying its higher price with robust capabilities.

Features: HPE ProCurve features straightforward network management, a scalable architecture, and an intuitive menu-based interface. Cisco FabricPath offers advanced data center capabilities, high performance through multipath networking, and reliable security features.

Room for Improvement: HPE ProCurve could enhance its performance for more complex networking needs, improve its advanced data center capabilities, and update its user interface for better efficiency. Cisco FabricPath could work on simplifying deployment procedures, providing more user-friendly interfaces, and lowering initial costs to appeal more to budget-conscious businesses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE ProCurve is known for its uncomplicated deployment process, appealing to organizations with limited IT resources, and comes with good community support. Cisco FabricPath, although more complex to deploy, is supported by comprehensive technical assistance.

Pricing and ROI: HPE ProCurve offers a lower initial setup cost, appealing for budget-conscious businesses, and provides quick ROI due to efficient network management. Cisco FabricPath demands a higher initial investment but delivers significant long-term ROI through superior network performance and stability.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco FabricPath vs. HPE ProCurve Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco FabricPath vs. HPE ProCurve
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 FabricPath
Ranking in LAN Switching
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
HPE ProCurve
Ranking in LAN Switching
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco FabricPath is 2.1%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProCurve is 12.5%, down from 13.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

SanjitAchary - PeerSpot reviewer
Delivers comprehensive assessments and superior post-procurement service
In Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, and in the Latin America region, delivery times can be quite lengthy. This is challenging in terms of logistics and customs. Additionally, parts availability in these regions needs improvement to address hardware failure situations, such as the availability of parts like a power cable.
Read full review
Sandeep Rajguru - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers reliability and helps with vulnerability assessment
I use HPE ProCurve network in our organization. I can say that the product has improved the network flexibility in our company since I haven't seen any challenges from the last seven to eight years. The most valuable product for network management revolves around the area of VSB, also known as virtual switch bonding, which can quickly attach two or three switches or make them come together to quickly form a single switch. From a security perspective, my company does vulnerability assessment. From a security perspective, my company does vulnerability assessment. Following the hardening guidelines, the switches are configured according to the hardening parameters. The tool's reliability and uptime match our company's needs. My company enjoyed configuring the switches a lot, especially since we saw similarities between Cisco's and HPS's configuration processes. HPE ProCurve is user-friendly. We have a different product for network management, so my company doesn't use HPE ProCurve since we have already collaborated with some third-party products. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it, especially since I have been using it without any issues for many years. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.
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

"It's very stable."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable soltuion."
"Cisco FabricPath is very fast, stable, extendable, and scalable. It doesn't have issues with patches or problems because it's built on the stable NXOS operating system. In a scenario using FabricPath, the spin and leaf architecture is beneficial. For example, we can use two separate spine switches like 9980s and multiple leaf switches as access switches. These leaf switches are connected using VPC between them, with each switch separated and not directly connected to the spine. This setup improves data center architecture by allowing two ways to arrange destinations, connecting the first connection to the first spine and the second to the second spine. The spines are configured as a virtual chassis. In FabricPath, we can enhance VXLANs, VPNs, and integrate with Cisco ISE for user authentication. It can also be configured with WLC to manage wireless technology, depending on the client's architecture."
"The setup is straightforward."
"Cisco is the best choice in terms of cost, quality, and post-procurement services."
"We can also enhance our service line with disaster recovery."
"The tool makes it easy to manage multi-layer networking and increases network efficiency. I haven't faced any challenges in integrating it into our existing infrastructure."
"The technical assistance is good."
More Cisco FabricPath pros
"The product is robust."
"HPE ProCurve's most valuable feature is that it is user-friendly."
"The user interface is simple to use."
"The user interface is the most valuable aspect of the solution for us."
"HPE ProCurve is used to connect servers and storage in the data center."
"We don't mind the cost in general."
"The LAN features give us exactly what we need."
"In my experience, the scalability has been good."
More HPE ProCurve pros
 

Cons

"The solution should offer better reporting."
"They should consider upgrading the memory feature of the product."
"Lack of security features for which we need to use another solution."
"I would like one management console to control the network."
"Layer 3 does not have higher availability."
"The solution is complex to set up."
"The pricing could be adjusted to make it easier to sell to clients."
"Cisco FabricPath has room for improvement in areas like technical support and design."
More Cisco FabricPath cons
"A few areas included in the network performance managers can be integrated into the solution's dashboard since it is the only area with a few concerns."
"Our customers are focused on features and generally, they would like to have a more feature-rich solution."
"The product must provide something similar to Cisco’s command-line interface."
"The solution should offer different gigabit interfaces. Right now, they have ten gigabits. However, for our needs, we only need one gigabit. We don't need 24 or 48 ports. We only need eight to ten. HPE should introduce into their portfolio some smaller and more compact options."
"HPE ProCurve's web interface is old, and I have to log in on each device separately, making them the product's shortcomings that need improvement."
"They should learn from other vendors, such as Cisco. They all have a few specific routing features. HPE doesn't have any cheap BGP solution."
"The dashboards could be improved to be more interesting."
"We do occasionally have issues with the solution and need to change out the switches sometimes. This can be due to the fan, but, in most cases, it's because the power supply was broken."
More HPE ProCurve cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for this product is good."
"I rate it seven out of ten on pricing as it's a bit expensive. It would be better if the price were lower, but we prioritize quality over cost."
"Cisco is expensive but offers good-quality features, so I would rate it high on the pricing scale."
"FabricPath is very reasonably priced."
"The price of Cisco FabricPath could be reduced, it is expensive in the market here in Sri Lanka. The solution is subscriptions based, if the customer wants any future integrations, or if there are any future enhancements they will have to pay. There are different license options available, such as one or three years purchases."
"It is very expensive."
"The pricing of Cisco FabricPath can be quite high depending on the architecture, but it's justified by the stability it offers."
"The solution falls under the pricier category, but it provides value for the price charged."
More Cisco FabricPath pricing and cost advice
"The cost of HPE ProCurve is good."
"The purchasing cost a few years ago for two units was approx €5,000."
"The price of HPE ProCurve can be reasonable. However, it depends on the use case. They could improve the pricing model."
"You buy the switch and that's it."
"The solution is more expensive than other vendors. There is hardware and software that needs to be purchased in some circumstance. The software can sometimes be expensive."
"ProCurve's pricing is its strongest point. The value proposition is quite good, and we have seen a return on investment."
"We have an annual support subscription."
"The price could be more competitive."
More HPE ProCurve pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
20%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Educational Organization
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco FabricPath?
The tool makes it easy to manage multi-layer networking and increases network efficiency. I haven't faced any challenges in integrating it into our existing infrastructure.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco FabricPath?
Cisco solutions are expensive, and because of that, moving to new upgrades is challenging due to cost considerations. For licensing, I budget approximately $100 per user annually and project future...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco FabricPath?
We are phasing off Cisco FabricPath due to outdated protocols. The fault isolation mechanism in FabricPath is not as effective as the newer technology, Cisco ACI ( /products/cisco-aci-reviews ). He...
See all answers
What do you like most about HPE ProCurve?
It is easy to deploy.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProCurve?
HPE ProCurve is competitively priced, with a difference of approximately 30 to 35% compared to other vendors like Cisco. This makes it a viable option for businesses with limited budgets, particula...
See all answers
What needs improvement with HPE ProCurve?
The product could improve scalability and support for advanced networking features. Including advanced interfaces like QSFP and enhanced support for AI-driven network solutions would make it more c...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Juniper QFabric vs Cisco FabricPath
Compared 50% of the time
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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs HPE ProCurve Logo
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs HPE ProCurve
Compared 49% of the time
Aruba Instant On Switches vs HPE ProCurve Logo
Aruba Instant On Switches vs HPE ProCurve
Compared 40% of the time
NETGEAR Switches vs HPE ProCurve Logo
NETGEAR Switches vs HPE ProCurve
Compared 7% of the time
More HPE ProCurve Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco FabricPath
May 2025
Cisco FabricPath reportDownload Cisco FabricPath product report
Buyer's Guide
HPE ProCurve
May 2025
HPE ProCurve reportDownload HPE ProCurve product report
 

Also Known As

FabricPath
ProCurve, HP ProCurve
 

Overview

Cisco FabricPath is a Cisco NX-OS software innovation combining the plug-and-play simplicity of Ethernet with the reliability and scalability of Layer 3 routing. Using FabricPath, you can build highly scalable Layer 2 multipath networks without the Spanning Tree Protocol. Such networks are particularly suitable for large virtualization deployments, private clouds, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. The benefits of Cisco FabricPath include: Minimal commands per switch ease configuration and operation, Autodiscovery simplifies addition of new links and switches, Provision additional network bandwidth without impacting network, Supports one-, two-, or three-tier architectures, VLAN extensibility across the data center.
Cisco
HP Networking (HP ProCurve) products enable a cost-effective network that's agile, flexible, and fully interoperable. Boost availability, performance, monitoring, and productivity with HP network software, services, and support.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
 

Sample Customers

Bellevue, Calligaris, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Management Science Associates, Multi-Customer, Oediv, Roper St. Francis, SNAM
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School, DY 4 Systems, EdgeWing, Edmonton Public Schools District, Halton Catholic District School Board, Hartwick College, Hatch Associates, Huntingdon College, Roseville Joint Union High School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, One Superior Place
Buyer's Guide
Cisco FabricPath vs. HPE ProCurve
April 2025
Free Report: Cisco FabricPath vs. HPE ProCurve
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