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Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.5
Arista Networks offers excellent ROI with higher costs, being cheaper than Cisco and requiring less deployment time and staff.
Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Nexus offers strong ROI with cost savings, reliability, and ease of use, balancing initial costs with long-term benefits.
We save on employees and also save time because it is easy to install.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
I saved between five to six hours using Arista Networks Platform, as it takes less time to actually add your APs to the dashboard and deployment is quite fast and easy.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Speeding up our response times and reducing errors and incidents with automation and available APIs.
Global Head, Network Endpoint Connectivity at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.6
Arista Networks Platform offers highly regarded, prompt technical support, though some users note documentation lacks depth and concern over initial costs.
Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Nexus boasts responsive, knowledgeable support with quick resolutions, though service quality sometimes varies between representatives or escalation steps.
All network engineers from the organization were present in the program, and the Arista engineer provided a solution in less than five minutes.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
They provide instant support and maintain commitments regarding replacement products.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
We would rate the customer support as a nine to 9.5 out of ten.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
For us, we have a time advantage because we know the solution, and the technological refresh is easier.
Systems Area References Specialist at Fondazione Poliambulanza
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Arista Networks Platform offers seamless scalability and ease of expansion to support diverse and large-scale data center environments.
Sentiment score
7.6
Cisco Nexus offers scalable solutions for enterprises, supporting numerous nodes with flexibility despite cost concerns.
Scalability is a key feature of Arista, owing to the possibilities to manage the entire data center network from a single console.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
We can easily scale up with Arista Networks Platform, as it is not difficult, and they have a platform that encourages scalability.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Arista Networks Platform is stable and reliable, with minimal downtime, supported by strong performance and a robust customer base.
Sentiment score
7.9
Cisco Nexus is highly stable, with minor bugs, improved reliability, and long uptime, enhancing user satisfaction significantly.
I have not had any downtime using Arista Networks Platform.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
We have been working with Arista Networks Platform for the past five years, and we can say it is stable.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Initially, the stability of Cisco Nexus, particularly with the ACI, was problematic due to unstable codes, requiring replacements.
Global Head, Network Endpoint Connectivity at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Arista Networks needs improved documentation, integration, pricing, and features like microsegmentation to align better with user expectations.
Cisco Nexus requires better GUI, programmability, multi-tenancy support, simplified licensing, improved tools, automation, integration, and competitive pricing.
Feature-wise, it addresses most customer requirements.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
It might be pretty expensive for other companies.
Director at WAJDA GROUP
The solution is on-premises and stable.
Systems Area References Specialist at Fondazione Poliambulanza
When I talk about data centers, which are critical infrastructure and centralized application hubs, the Nexus platforms should be highly stable.
Global Head, Network Endpoint Connectivity at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Arista Networks is often seen as expensive, but some find its value and features competitive against Cisco.
Cisco Nexus pricing is high, with complex licensing and significant costs, though discounts are possible through negotiation.
The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
Arista products are perceived as costly, especially compared to competitors like Cisco.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
All solutions are very expensive and not an economy solution.
Systems Area References Specialist at Fondazione Poliambulanza
The price of Cisco Nexus is on the higher side due to the premium services Cisco offers.
Global Head, Network Endpoint Connectivity at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Arista Networks Platform excels in cost-efficiency, scalability, and advanced features with reliable management, deployment, and support.
Cisco Nexus is praised for flexibility, scalability, strong security, and ease of use, making it ideal for data centers.
The best features Arista Networks Platform offers are the dashboards where you can see all your APs that have been deployed and installed across all locations, making it quite unique to access, manage, and monitor performance from that dashboard.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Features include plug-and-play auto-discovery, allowing centralized configuration and management.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
The access points are easy to install and the switches are easy to install. I can install seven or eight access points in less than two hours.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
It has helped streamline network-related operations with its automation and API capabilities.
Global Head, Network Endpoint Connectivity at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
For us, we have a time advantage because we know the solution, and the technological refresh is easier.
Systems Area References Specialist at Fondazione Poliambulanza
I would recommend Cisco Nexus for large enterprises and the government sector, as they can afford it.
Director at WAJDA GROUP
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Ranking in Data Center Networking
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (11th)
Cisco Nexus
Ranking in Data Center Networking
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
107
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Data Center Networking category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 15.7%, up from 14.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Nexus is 15.3%, down from 18.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Center Networking Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Arista Networks Platform15.7%
Cisco Nexus15.3%
Other69.0%
Data Center Networking
 

Featured Reviews

Adeagbo Olamide - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Cloud-managed access points have simplified deployments and saved significant installation time
I have been using Arista Networks Platform for three years now. Arista Networks Platform is easy to use, and after deployment of the access points, the dashboard makes it easy and convenient to use with easy navigation, which is excellent. The access points on Arista Networks Platform operate in the cloud through the GUI where you operate the access points and perform all configurations for the access points on the platform. In terms of performance with Arista Networks Platform, I would give it a perfect score as it has not failed me before. The only time I had an issue with Arista was when the access point went into rest mode, probably after a power outage in an infrastructure. After contacting Arista and attending an Arista program, I was guided through a solution via the Arista GUI, which I implemented, and since then, the performance has been excellent. In terms of security, I have no issues with Arista; it performs really well in terms of security. Arista Networks Platform is very convenient overall. Arista Networks Platform has really boosted our organization to the extent that our organization does not want to think about any other platform except Arista in terms of access points and switches. We are just diving into the switch area. In terms of time saved with Arista Networks Platform, the access points are easy to install and the switches are easy to install. I can install seven or eight access points in less than two hours. It is really easy to install and time-saving. In terms of cost, I think it is cost-efficient compared to others in the same field.
reviewer2669133 - PeerSpot reviewer
Global Head, Network Endpoint Connectivity at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Streamlines network operations with automation and visibility while initial setup complexity and code stability improve
When I talk about data centers, which are critical infrastructure and centralized application hubs, the Nexus platforms should be highly stable. Initially, the codes I received through ACI were quite unstable, causing me to frequently replace them, which led to significant issues. However, it is much more stable now. Nonetheless, the initial instability with ACI iOS upgrades was a significant problem.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Performing Arts
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise82
 

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?
I do not handle the pricing for Arista Networks Platform as other departments handle the costing. I am a network engineer in my company.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
I have not had any issues with Arista Networks Platform in terms of improvements. I would only advise that they should dive deeper into the Nigerian market and make it easily accessible.
What do you like most about Cisco Nexus?
The product's initial setup phase is very easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Nexus?
We are a reseller, and we sell products to our customers.
What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?
Cisco Nexus may not be very popular because of the requirements that we come across, as it will go into the core data centers, whereas we work with most of the corporate sectors, so Cisco Nexus is ...
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. Cisco Nexus and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,711 professionals have used our research since 2012.