Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

Arista and Cisco are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Arista is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4. Arista holds a 3.7% mindshare in LS, compared to Cisco’s 26.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Arista Campus LAN Switches

Read 7 Arista Campus LAN Switches reviews

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294 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 177 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

5,572 Views
3,120 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Arista Campus LAN Switches

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Arista Campus LAN Switches and Cisco Catalyst Switches compete in the networking industry. Cisco has the upper hand for its extensive support and advanced features, while Arista excels in automation and customer service.

Features: Arista offers unmatched automation and programmability, centralized management through CloudVision Portal, and scalability with up to 256x10GbE ports. Cisco Catalyst Switches provide robust security features, PoE for seamless integration of devices, and advanced Layer 3 capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Arista could improve in providing more comprehensive documentation and expanding deployment scenarios. Additionally, enhancements in security features would benefit users aiming for comprehensive protection. Cisco could work on simplifying its interface and reducing initial deployment complexity, and making its support resources more navigable.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Arista is praised for straightforward deployment and highly effective customer support. Cisco, while having a complex deployment procedure, compensates with extensive support tools and documentation, simplifying troubleshooting for many users.

Pricing and ROI: Arista presents a cost-effective solution with competitive pricing and favorable ROI due to lower setup costs. Cisco, with its higher initial costs, justifies its expense with long-term ROI through feature-rich, secure networking solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

September 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

Arista Campus LAN Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

177

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (6th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Arista Campus LAN Switches is 3.7%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 26.4%, down from 30.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches	26.4%
Arista Campus LAN Switches	3.7%
Other	69.9%

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

Moshiur-Rahman Khan

CEO at IOPoint.com

A switching solution that provides seamless connectivity but has a high renewal cost

We have numerous implementations of Arista switches. Cisco has a significant issue. It cannot maintain its service commitment regarding daily LAN returns, leading to client dissatisfaction. There are substantial delivery delays. Furthermore, Cisco currently charges double for the same product, which impacts cost-effectiveness. We found an issue with Arista Campus LAN Switches regarding license renewals. We have to renew the license every three years, which can be a challenge for customers. Arista, like other vendors, now follows a license-based system. In the past, we could purchase a Cisco system that would run without needing continuous license renewals. However, the current model requires regular license renewals, typically every three years, similar to Arista's approach. The renewal cost for Arista licenses is quite high. For instance, Cisco's renewal cost is about 22% of the total system cost, and Aroware also has a 22% renewal cost. In contrast, Arista's renewal cost is almost 55% or more, presenting a significant challenge for customers.

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Joshua Odunsi

I.T INFRASTRUCTURE/SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR at Haggai Mortgage Bank Ltd

Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed

Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.

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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

"I use the solution for connectivity in data centers and LANs, providing Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity based on network needs."

"The technology is scalable as much as you want."

"The solution's most valuable feature is its stability because Arista falls in an industry that is very similar to Cisco."

"QoS is the most valuable feature because our clients work with VOIP and Critical applications."

"The CloudVision Portal allows us to centrally manage all of our Arista products."

"The feature sets are pretty cool. They've got almost everything that the competition offers."

"The PoE capability of Catalyst Switches is great for using WAPs and other PoE equipment, such as security cameras."

"It is very reliable."

"We use the VLANs to separate library, office, and individual apartments. With some of the reporting that receive, we're able to take and track down where people like to put in their own wireless routers. Sometimes they will take a DSL modem from AT&T that they brought from home, hook it in backward, and it will give rogue addresses causing issues."

"The most valuable feature is the interface, it's easy to configure. The command line uses a switch that gives us security."

"The main valuable features for me are the ease of configuration, the CLI, and the GUI."

"Catalyst switches are highly stable and easy to use. It's a technology well known by most engineers."

"It can be expanded."

"The installation process is very straightforward."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

Cons

"I think there's still room for improvement. Arista Campus LAN Switches are not highly scalable as they are hardware-based. If hardware requirements exceed capacity, the product needs to be changed, which can impact service."

"I would like to see a version available with eight or sixteen ports."

"It would be ideal if the solution was less expensive."

"One of the issues that we have been faced with here in Brazil is that we don't have any list times for delivery."

"We have to renew the license every three years, which can be a challenge for customers. Arista, like other vendors, now follows a license-based system."

"The complex setup phase is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The solution was stable 10 years ago, there is room for improvement in this area."

"I use the Cisco Catalyst Switches command-line interface(CLI) a lot out in the field, but there are some web interfaces features that are available that I haven't used very much. I'm more comfortable with the CLI, but the web interfaces are very lacking."

"The configuration options on the Cisco Commerce website could be more efficient."

"The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved."

"It would be good if they added some machine learning which would allow us to abandon the rigid rules for processing traffic priorities and, at the same time, save money, because equipment with similar logic (like DPI) is much more expensive."

"The customer service and support need a bit more improvement and a faster response. So, there is an area of improvement."

"The price could be improved."

"Cisco has to lower the price of its products to make them more cost-effective."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The only licensing costs are for CloudVision, although the upfront price of the device is not cheap."

"The price is not that good, but our clients value the solution despite the price."

"The licenses are definitely expensive. There is a need to make annual payments towards the subscription or licensing costs attached to the solution."

"Cisco switches are expensive. Their price range is based not only on what the product does but also the name in the industry. They are good at what they do. If you need a better product, there are other lineups available."

"The cost of Cisco switches is a little more expensive than the competition. However, as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for." If you want a reliable solution and other benefits, Cisco Catalyst Switches are worth the money."

"There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an affordable solution."

"You don't have to pay any additional costs while using the product."

"The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive."

"The price could be improved."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	1

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	78
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	78

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Campus LAN Switches?

I have cross-checked because this network is a ten-gig network. We are using the multigig switches, which Cisco also has. We found that Cisco's cost is 100%, while the cost of the multi-gig switche...

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What needs improvement with Arista Campus LAN Switches?

I think there's still room for improvement. Arista Campus LAN Switches are not highly scalable as they are hardware-based. If hardware requirements exceed capacity, the product needs to be changed,...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Arista Campus LAN Switches?

I use the solution for connectivity in data centers and LANs, providing Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity based on network needs.

See all answers

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?

We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 35% of the time

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Compared 22% of the time

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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

October 2025

Download Arista Campus LAN Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

October 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

Overview

Arista Campus LAN Switches are the perfect network solution for your most demanding workloads.With native support for VMware Virtualization and hundreds of Linux applications integrated into hardware platforms designed to meet the stringent power and cooling requirements of today's most demanding data centers, Arista delivers the most efficient and best performing 10Gb Ethernet platforms.

Arista

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

Sample Customers

University of Winchester, AWE, picturemaxx, Medical Mutual, Leonix, CloudEra, National Physical Laboratory, Tri-State G&T, AIS, Morph, SingTel, SDSC, BBC

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena

Buyer's Guide

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

September 2025

Free Report: Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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