Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs Fortinet FortiNDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Secure Network Analytics
Ranking in Network Detection and Response (NDR)
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (33rd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (5th), Cisco Security Portfolio (7th)
Fortinet FortiNDR
Ranking in Network Detection and Response (NDR)
12th
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Detection and Response (NDR) category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is 6.8%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiNDR is 4.1%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Detection and Response (NDR) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Secure Network Analytics6.8%
Fortinet FortiNDR4.1%
Other89.1%
Network Detection and Response (NDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Harun-Owr-Roshid - PeerSpot reviewer
Have streamlined network visibility and troubleshooting while seeing benefits from AI integration
In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper management of the database is also important; it should be centralized for easier data collection from a single database. When precise manual analysis is needed, it's sometimes difficult, so having a centralized database will allow network admins to find actual scenarios more effectively, especially since some information may not be visible on the GUI. Cisco should upgrade their hardware part to run the database, because sometimes it cannot handle the load while all features are running in the network. The database management should indeed be centralized because while AI runs behind the systems, central management is essential. For example, in a network with 100 Cisco switches, a few routers, firewalls, and access points, all data generated should be preserved in a central database. This approach simplifies management and analysis for troubleshooting, as GUI interfaces may not always provide visible information. Centralizing the database will allow for better understanding of which information is preserved for each specific device.
Anton Anton - PeerSpot reviewer
Network detection enhances security while seamless integration boosts utility
I use Fortinet FortiNDR for its Network Detection features, primarily with FortiGate on-premises. However, I do not handle day-to-day operations myself; my team manages the tools. In general, there is no issue with FortiGate in our company Some of the valuable features include FortiGate's Network…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We find that Stealthwatch can detect the unseen."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its reporting and mitigation capabilities."
"From what I understand, you can encrypt and unencrypt traffic moving in transit. This is one of the features that we liked about it."
"StealthWatch lets me see the ports running in and out and the country. It has excellent reporting, telemetry, and artificial intelligence features. With the telemetry, I can set thresholds to detect sudden changes and the alarms go through the PLC parts. I can see all the ports running on that trunk."
"The artifacts available in the tool provide better information for analyzing network traffic. It enables a holistic view of network traffic and general packet analysis. It's easy to identify anomalies without the use of signatures. The way in which we implemented Stealthwatch Cloud has enabled my team to analyze traffic behind proxies."
"Stealthwatch has greatly improved our network visibility, in terms of bandwidth, malware, and PCI violations."
"Another notable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is its Layer 7 visibility, which allows us to monitor and analyze network communications at the application layer."
"Overall, the implementation is very good."
"Using Fortinet FortiNDR as a bundle is cost-effective, providing a complete package of tools."
"The dashboards are very informative compared to other solutions like Cisco, providing valuable insights into network threats."
 

Cons

"If there was one improvement I’d suggest it would be that it detect traffic through an intranet. The product requires that traffic flow through a managed network device. The product is designed mostly for enterprise environments and not smaller environments or businesses."
"I would like to see interoperability with other Cisco products because we have ThousandEyes, Cisco Prime, and others. The interaction among these is important to us."
"It's a good solid solution but integration with Network Access Control products with Cisco ISE would be good."
"It hasn't really improved our direct detection rate but it has definitely reduced our incident response time as we wouldn't have been able to detect threats or immediate risks without this solution."
"I would like Cisco to make it easier for the administrators to use it."
"It would be better to let people know, up front, that is doesn't give you nice, clear information, as seen in the demos, without Cisco ISE installed."
"The solution should have the ability to analyze security events not only at the network layer but also at the application and OS layers."
"We had some trouble with the installation as we migrated from our previous solution."
"There is room for improvement in third-party integrations, particularly with other vendors like Check Point and Palo Alto."
"I would like to see the inclusion of sandboxing in the bundling. Currently, sandbox is not included in our package."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for this solution is good."
"This is an expensive product. We have quit paying for support because we don't want to have to upgrade it and keep paying for it."
"We pay for support costs on a yearly basis."
"NetFlow is very expensive."
"The yearly licensing cost is about $50,000."
"One of the things which bugs me about Lancope is the licensing. We understand how licensing works. Our problem is when we bought and purchased most of these Lancope devices, we did so with our sister company. Somewhere within the purchase and distribution, licensing got mixed up. That is all on Cisco, and it is their responsibility. They allotted some of our sister company's equipment to us, and some of our equipment to them. To date, they have never been able to fix it."
"Our fees are approximately $3,000 USD."
"The solution is expensive. It costs several hundred thousand dollars per year (depending on how many flows you are collecting)."
Information not available
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Detection and Response (NDR) solutions are best for your needs.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
22%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Outsourcing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise52
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Stealthwatch?
The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is the Threat Intelligence integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Stealthwatch?
Regarding cost, for the Bangladesh context, Cisco Secure Network Analytics is a little bit high-priced because we are a developing country, making it tough to manage affordable solutions. However, ...
What needs improvement with Cisco Stealthwatch?
In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiNDR?
Using Fortinet FortiNDR as a bundle is cost-effective, providing a complete package of tools.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiNDR?
I would like to see the inclusion of sandboxing in the bundling. Currently, sandbox is not included in our package.
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiNDR?
I use Fortinet FortiNDR ( /products/fortinet-fortindr-reviews ) for its Network Detection features, primarily with FortiGate ( /products/fortinet-fortigate-reviews ) on-premises. However, I do not ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco Stealthwatch Enterprise, Lancope StealthWatch
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. Fortinet FortiNDR and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.