Meraki Dashboard vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE comparison

Cisco and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #19 with an average rating of 8.5, while NETSCOUT is ranked #30 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco holds a 1.1% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of NETSCOUT users who would recommend it.

Meraki Dashboard

Read 56 Meraki Dashboard reviews

2,457 Views
2,162 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Read 50 NETSCOUT nGeniusONE reviews

3,348 Views
2,344 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Meraki Dashboard

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE and Meraki Dashboard compete in the network management category. Meraki Dashboard appears to have the upper hand due to its cloud-oriented simplicity and user-friendly deployment.

Features:NETSCOUT nGeniusONE provides detailed traffic analysis and packet inspection, application-specific monitoring, and troubleshooting, offering deep insights for identifying network issues. It also supports real-time communication monitoring and dependency mapping. Meraki Dashboard offers cloud management with easy multi-site visibility, integration capabilities, and a user-friendly interface, simplifying business deployment and management efforts.

Room for Improvement:NETSCOUT nGeniusONE could become more user-friendly and reduce tool complexity, with users calling for a more intuitive interface and less reliance on hardware. Meraki Dashboard could improve VPN client features, enable broader integration with non-Cisco products, and simplify user settings.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:NETSCOUT nGeniusONE requires on-premises deployment or hybrid cloud solutions and often needs dedicated support due to complexity. Although technical support is responsive, it may require on-site engineers, impacting immediacy. Meraki Dashboard allows cloud-oriented deployment options that simplify setup, with customer service known for being accessible and effective, rated highly for practicality and remote management.

Pricing and ROI:NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is noted for higher pricing, reflecting advanced features and extensive support, offering ROI by reducing troubleshooting time and increasing visibility. Meraki Dashboard, though perceived as expensive due to its subscription model, offers a clear pricing structure with support, delivering ROI through reduced admin time and effective network management.

To learn more, read our detailed Meraki Dashboard vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

July 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

Meraki Dashboard

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

19th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

30th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Meraki Dashboard is 1.1%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is 1.6%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Bilal-Ahmed

IT Manager at Fawaz

Seamless connectivity and comprehensive control over network devices

All of the features we are looking for are already in control. I think those features, which we are not currently utilizing, are already there. For example, the control for the cameras and everything else. The cameras are not connected through Meraki, but all other devices are on Meraki networks.

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Ruslan Melnyk

Business Unit Manager at BAKOTECH

Useful for network performance monitoring

My manager can explain the use cases attached to the product. I am a unit leader in my company, and I don't sell the product directly to our partners or customers. In my company, I manage certain processes and a team while building, developing, and providing them with a direction for the market. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is a good solution for network performance monitoring since it is not cloud-based. My company sells NETSCOUT nGeniusONE in eight to ten countries. I think the solution is not good for capacity planning, but it is better to help find problems in applications because not every infrastructure is good at managing working applications. I think it is a solution meant for applications. The tool is useful for solving problems attached to applications. The tool's real-time network monitoring capability was used when the product was more reactive. In our company, if we use real-time monitoring, then we need to deal with raw traffic. In our company, if we don't see any problem in the real-time systems, we have the possibility to rely on the tool since it acts like a time machine for us, which can allow us to get back to the areas of problem and solve them. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. For many users, it can be a good monitoring system that can be scaled up in the future. I think it is a good product to start with when working systems in an environment. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is another tool used to manage raw traffic, and I find it to integrate well into our customers' network. I am not using it actively on the system. I use the tool for network packet brokers. I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

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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

"It has improved my organization in the way that we've got a much better wireless coverage than we had before, and secondly, we have the visibility of all the users."

"The initial setup was easy."

"The overall product rating is ten out of ten."

"Meraki dashboard deserves an Oscar."

"The solution scales well."

"We like the visibility this solution gives us of the infrastructure."

"The most valuable feature of Meraki Dashboard is we can manage our switches and access point in one place."

"It is very stable and we have been using it for five years."

More Meraki Dashboard pros

"Network faults are easily and quickly identified through dashboards and drill down."

"The biggest advantage of NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is that when gathering logs, which require substantial bandwidth of more than 50 TB or 100 TB of data, NETSCOUT nGeniusONE can gather as much as possible."

"The most valuable features are visibility, real-time, on-demand."

"The valuable features include packet analysis, packet capture, and [that] it's easy to use."

"It has versatility to correlate different traffic types and performance management statistics."

"It catches bigger issues on a weekly basis. That's how often we find something big enough that the only reason we know about it is because of the nGeniusONE. The bigger issues are mostly security-type issues: Odd traffic leaving our network or coming into it, that has found its way past a firewall."

"The best feature is when we have it connected permanently via TAPs. That enables us to constantly collect data and then we can go back in time... To be able to rewind, back in time, and see the problem as it happened, is very helpful."

"The biggest benefit is the ability to do low-level packet inspection. When I say packet inspection, I don't mean looking at payload, but just looking at your communication handshakes and the like. It reduces troubleshooting time because you can get a much better view into the communications path between servers, database servers, web servers, and understand what's going on."

More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE pros

Cons

"We would like to be able to test the health of WAN connections."

"The product is missing a VPN and it is a major issue when it comes to deployment."

"The MDM, however, is bad. We're using another MDM now because Meraki was so bad."

"I am concerned about the fact that once your licensing expires the devices stop working and become a brick."

"The solution has a limited routing table and needs improvement by increasing the numbers as well as providing a summarization for the table."

"I think this product could be improved with a CLI for more directives."

"If I am a user and I have a seat on the fourth floor, if I move across the building, the system should be able to track me and should be able to figure out my whereabouts or my position within the building if I'm connected to the wireless. That would make the administrator's life easier in terms of reachability."

"It would be helpful to have the ability to create a floor plan based on an existing PDF or JPEG, which is automatically converted into a usable network map."

More Meraki Dashboard cons

"The GUI has gotten better over time but there could be some improvement in how the GUI is built."

"Datadog is more stable than NETSCOUT nGeniusONE, being a SaaS-based solution compared to on-prem solutions like NETSCOUT."

"A lot of tools highlight what's going on but they don't actually pinpoint the user experience. It would be good if there were a small message or something highlighting what the user experience is like and any degradation that's actually occurring."

"There are so many features that it makes it hard to know it all. You end up paying for things that you don't use and probably don't even need. It might be better if Netscout came up with a modular way to pay for what you're going to use and not pay for all of this "white elephant" without being able to take advantage of all of it."

"There was a point in GTP where we were creating services on nodes and after that we wanted to have services on APN. We can't have both... There are some limitations with these types of things. When we would like to use a feature, we have to remove another one."

"Some help screens would be nice, especially if we bring on new operators. It would be great to see if they have more helpful tips available."

"In previous versions, we used to have an icon on the dashboard when the situation analysis would present an alert. It would be nice if that would be made available on the dashboard again. Something that could be customizable to only illuminate on certain applications."

"Trying to set up dashboards is hard to figure out at times, if you don't do it every day. It's not really intuitive to set them all up... If there were a wizard to take us through, step-by-step, creating dashboards and the like, that would be really helpful."

More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You don't have to pay for the dashboard."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"The pricing for a small setup is only a few hundred dollars a year. The fee is subscription-based."

"My view is that it's expensive, but it's the best."

"The solution is currently the most expensive on the market."

"I’m not sure of the exact cost, however, it’s my understanding the Meraki WiFi is around $800. That’s for a three-year license. It’s about $150 a year."

"Meraki Dashboard is a utility and portal that's part of the Meraki solution."

"The licensing fees are $180 USD, per AP, for three years."

More Meraki Dashboard pricing and cost advice

"The product is too expensive compared to other products."

"The price is only for acquisition; it's not a licence."

"The scalability becomes very expensive quickly."

"Make sure you get the low down on your licensing and understand the licensing requirements before making a purchase, especially when it comes to an upgrade. Make sure that it suits your needs before you commit to it. For example, we purchased ATA at version 6.2.1. At that time, the licensing covered everything we need. NETSCOUT comes out with 6.2.2, stating that in order to upgrade, you had to purchase CyberStream licensing. Now that requires some additional funding from both a capital investment and a maintenance cost. That's something that should have been said, "Well, if you want these additional features, you will need to purchase these CyberStreams." Otherwise, we should be allowed to continue on the basic operations as it is now through the newer releases without being stuck."

"I rate the price of NETSCOUT nGeniusONE a four out of five."

"It is very expensive, but it's well worth the money."

"Licensing is flexible, it's not tied to anything else. We can easily switch up the licensing piece... Obviously, NETSCOUT is a little bit in the higher range, but it gives you value for money. You get what you pay for."

"The platform is expensive."

More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Meraki Dashboard?

We greatly utilize the network because we can plug it into the DNS, VPN, or equipment. It's very good. Meraki Dashboard enhances wireless network management. We appreciate its flexibility, as it al...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki Dashboard?

The cost of the Meraki solution is high, which may not be affordable for smaller companies, especially in developing countries.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?

The aspect I find challenging about this solution is that it is too extensive and complex. For example, when comparing Meraki Dashboard to Juniper Mist, the latter is quite simple. Mist is a very a...

See all answers

Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?

I would say if it’s an ISP that will build a scrubbing center, Netscout/Arbor is a good solution. In all other solutions, Imperva is a great choice.

See all answers

What do you like most about NETSCOUT nGeniusONE?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NETSCOUT nGeniusONE?

The pricing is a bit high yet not overly expensive. The cost depends on the size of the customer, as sizing controls the pricing.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco DNA Center vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 19% of the time

Zabbix vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 14% of the time

ThousandEyes vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 12% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 6% of the time

More Meraki Dashboard Competitors

Dynatrace vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Compared 10% of the time

Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Compared 10% of the time

ThousandEyes vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Compared 10% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Compared 8% of the time

Ixia Network Packet Brokers vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

Compared 5% of the time

More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard

August 2025

Download Meraki Dashboard product report

Buyer's Guide

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

August 2025

Download NETSCOUT nGeniusONE product report

Also Known As

No data available

NETSCOUT nGenius, nGeniusONE

Overview

Meraki Dashboard is a comprehensive cloud-based platform that offers centralized management and control for all Meraki networking and security products. It provides a user-friendly interface, allowing administrators to easily monitor and configure their network infrastructure from anywhere. With real-time visibility, troubleshooting becomes effortless, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing downtime.

The intuitive dashboard offers a holistic view of the network, enabling quick identification of potential issues and proactive measures. It simplifies network deployment and scaling, with zero-touch provisioning and automatic firmware updates. The robust security features include advanced threat protection, content filtering, and VPN connectivity.

Meraki Dashboard also offers powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, providing valuable insights into network usage, application performance, and user behavior. With its seamless integration and scalability,

Meraki Dashboard is the ideal solution for organizations of all sizes, ensuring efficient network management and enhanced productivity.

Cisco

The nGenius Real-Time Monitor software provides you with tools to monitor and display information about your network both historically and in real time. The nGenius Real-Time Monitor software allows you to understand your current network usage and to plan for future needs. It also allows you to proactively troubleshoot problem areas in your network.

NETSCOUT

Sample Customers

Coop eG, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Priefert Manufacturing, Century Care Management, Clifton College, Zürs Ski Resort, Capital FM Arena, MAXI Autohöfe

Cerner Corporation

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

July 2025

Free Report: Meraki Dashboard vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE

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