Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 11, 2022
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
14th
Ranking in Data Center Networking
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Ranking in Data Center Networking
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
171
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 2.9%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 1.1%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
Unique Categories:
Data Center Networking
16.5%
LAN Switching
26.2%
 

Featured Reviews

AnkurKumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 21, 2022
A data-driven cloud networking solution that provides low latency
In the media industry, if you work for a channel, even a single second of screen loss will lead to a business outage and impact the business. After Arista solutions came into the picture, we deployed it, particularly for multicasting purposes. We were quite happy when I was in the media industry at…
AD
Jan 15, 2024
The online support available for the tool is good, but it can be difficult to understand the functioning of the solution
It doesn't take much time to set up any Cisco device, but again, it depends on how comfortable you are with the tool. From my personal viewpoint, Cisco Catalyst Switches are pretty much easy to set up. The product's deployment phase initially starts with a discovery and a design workshop. After that, our company mostly automates a lot of stuff based on the design and discovery workshop, where we come up with some artifacts with respect to configuration, and then we leverage some automation tools to deploy it. The solution is deployed on an on-premises model. Depending on the size of the deployment, around eight to ten people are required from an operation standpoint, and not more than two people are required to manage the deployment process.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"If someone uses Arista Networks Platform, I believe they are secured."
"We find the CloudVision switching feature of this solution really useful."
"They support open standard features."
"The solution is very stable."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The solution has good load latency. They're the market leader in this aspect right now."
"The most valuable feature is the Linux shell, which is useful for troubleshooting or capturing traffic."
"The solution is scalable."
"The product offers very good routing and ranking capabilities."
"The network is secure."
"The 802.1X port security and other security features work well and help keep the network secure."
"The product’s scalability and performance are valuable."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco equipment is reliability."
"One of the main features of this solution is it is easy to manage."
"If we lose some network connections, the system automatically creates new connections between equipment."
"The hardware and the security are the product's valuable features"
 

Cons

"The community is good but is not good enough. It still needs to grow more."
"They should have a more stable code."
"The solution needs to improve their product range."
"The CVP management platform needs to be improved."
"A smoother transition between ISPs during failover would improve the user experience by reducing unnecessary notifications and interruptions."
"The solution’s pricing could be better."
"The solution is quite expensive. One of the negative aspects of it is the pricing."
"Arista Networks Platform should focus on improving the compatibility or integration with Cisco solutions."
"The delivery dates need to be more expedient."
"Cisco is the most expensive product."
"Compared to other switches, the Cisco products are expensive."
"We would like the solution to be more stable."
"It would be good if Cisco Catalyst Switches could align maintenance with one version."
"The solution’s licensing could be improved."
"The price could be better. For Cisco, there is no need for improvement except for the price. It's expensive."
"Cisco is a bit complex."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Specific tools definitely require a license for the subscription. But we are not using these tools in our environment. In terms of licensing, you need to spend approximately $10,000 per month."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."
"I remember that when our customers were offered the Arista Networks Platform, they used a checklist to compare the prices between Arista and Cisco for their requirements, and found that the prices were almost the same."
"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."
"Arista Networks Platform was cheaper than Cisco. I have heard that the product is affordable for enterprise-sized companies."
"I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten where ten is high price and one is low price."
"Cost wise, Arista Networks Platform is more expensive than other networking solutions."
"The price of the Arista Networks Platform could be less expensive for the hardware and license."
"The price of this solution could be reduced, it is expensive and I am using an annual license."
"We had to pay for the product’s licenses."
"It is reasonably priced because we have already conducted a tender, allowing Cisco and other vendors to compete for the best price."
"The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive."
"It's very pricey. Compared to competitors, it's a lot more expensive."
"The cost of a license before COVID and before the lockdown was approximately three lakh 70,000 in Indian Rupees. After this COVID situation, the cost has gone down to two lakh 46,000 rupees."
"Pricing is an issue I have been facing, in comparison with HPE or Juniper. The Nexus series is out of the question right now. Scalability is more an issue on the pricing side and less on the technology side."
"The price for Cisco Catalyst Switches is not cheaper than other solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
7%
Educational Organization
56%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
From VMware, I think the cost of the tools is very high. I think the cost of the tool may have a global impact.
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 ...
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I would rate the pricing a ten out of ten, with ten being expensive.
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: July 2024.
793,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.