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

Azure Network Watcher vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Microsoft and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #48 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.2. Microsoft holds a 0.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Cisco users who would recommend it.
Azure Network Watcher
Read 12 Azure Network Watcher reviews
  • 705 Views
  • 663 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
Cisco DNA Center
Read 42 Cisco DNA Center reviews
  • 8,314 Views
  • 1,912 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco DNA Center and Azure Network Watcher are competing in network management and monitoring. Cisco DNA Center seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive automation capabilities, while Azure Network Watcher excels in Azure ecosystem integration.

Features: Cisco DNA Center offers network automation, assurance, and segmentation along with integration across multi-vendor devices. It is versatile for diverse network environments. Azure Network Watcher provides in-depth network monitoring, diagnostics, and analytics, seamlessly integrating with Azure services, which benefits cloud-focused infrastructures.

Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could improve its ease of deployment and simplify its extensive integration process. It may also enhance customer support accessibility. Azure Network Watcher can expand its automation capabilities and improve compatibility with non-Azure environments. It might also provide more detailed analytics beyond Azure services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center involves a more complex deployment due to its extensive features, often requiring specialized expertise and support. Azure Network Watcher benefits from straightforward deployment within Azure environments, with integrated customer service enhancement.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center generally requires a higher initial setup cost but provides substantial long-term ROI by reducing manual network management efforts. Azure Network Watcher has a lower entry cost, with ROI closely tied to Azure service integration and usage.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center
September 2025
Download the complete report
Helped 867,341 peers since 2012

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

Azure Network Watcher
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
48th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco DNA Center
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
11th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Azure Network Watcher is 0.4%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco DNA Center1.4%
Azure Network Watcher0.4%
Other98.2%
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Bijoyendra Roychowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Network monitoring provides comprehensive analytics while the interface requires further development
The quality of Azure Network Watcher is quite good in terms of the in-depth analysis you can create from these matrices. There are other monitoring tools such as New Relic, AppDynamics, and Dynatrace which provide very detailed network tracing. Cloud providers such as Azure or AWS do not have that kind of GUI-based capability at this point, but using PowerShell or Python, you can develop it yourself. From the GUI perspective, it still needs to evolve in terms of quality and standard, though overall, it is quite good for troubleshooting. Regarding areas for improvement, when comparing to other network tools beyond Azure Monitor or Azure Network Watcher, those tools can identify single failed packets. This level of granularity is not currently possible with cloud providers as they only go to a certain level rather than the granular level needed for deep troubleshooting, though they do provide hints with available matrices.
Read full review
Ahmed Helmy - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience unified visibility and monitoring for enterprise campus and significant time savings and enhanced troubleshooting with reliable support
We have been working with Cisco DNA Center for ten years. Our clients use Cisco DNA Center for unified visibility/monitoring across Enterprise Campus both LAN & WLAN along with Access and fast technical issues troubleshooting The solution provides fast troubleshooting capabilities and fast…
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is the cloud-native application firewall. It is helpful for securing databases."
"The solution is stable."
"The stability is very good. I rate it a ten out of ten."
"We use the solution to monitor network services. It helps to capture any network issues."
"The most valuable features I have found are typology, visualization, and capture."
"I like the visibility."
"What I like most about Azure Network Watcher is that it's focused more on the architecture. I also like that it has a packet capture feature that tells you how the packet travels and whether it's exiting Azure, etc."
"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is using the gateways with the connections. The monitoring is useful for the logs and application insights into the data. The traffic filtering issues when it comes to deploying those applications are helpful."
More Azure Network Watcher pros
"It enables monitoring of various components such as access points, switch cards, and other elements within the company's solutions."
"It offers automation, security enforcement, analytics, and integration with other Cisco technologies, making it a key driver for efficient network operations and compliance with security protocols."
"It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."
"The best feature of Cisco DNA Center is the visibility page, where you can see everything on the dashboard, and you don't have to be a technical person to view the issues."
"Has a good processing feature with a high level of accuracy."
"We can monitor all devices and get the required information using the product."
"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."
"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration."
More Cisco DNA Center pros
 

Cons

"Azure Network Watcher needs to have better documentation and it needs to capture information accurately."
"Azure Network Watcher could improve by having other built-in applications. For example, an application to log activities for in and outbound traffic."
"I would like to see in the future if we can troubleshoot as a firewall because it is equipment as a network player and some diagnostics."
"User experience could be improved."
"The initial setup and initial learning curve could be improved to be easier."
"Technical support from Microsoft needs significant improvement compared to other product vendors."
"I still use Wireshark and Azure Network Watcher to get the required data. My team captures the traffic from Azure Network Watcher, downloads it, then imports that traffic into Wireshark to get more details on the number of hits and replies, for example. If you can do that on Azure Network Watcher and have Wireshark built-in, that would make Azure Network Watcher better. If Azure Network Watcher has that functionality where you won't need a third-party tool to get what you need, that would be helpful. I'm also expecting more from Azure Network Watcher. It's more complex than knowing how the IP flows from its source to the destination. The tool also needs more open-source features, such as having some built-in Wireshark that improves monitoring for customers. Sometimes, you encounter a VPN tunnel, network, or routing issue, but finding out more about the blockage is challenging. Is it one hundred percent an Azure issue? Is it a peer issue? You don't get complete information from Azure Network Watcher, so you must use other tools and depend on your strategies to resolve a specific issue. If more features could be added in the next release of Azure Network Watcher, specifically ones you can find on open-source tools, then that would be a plus point for the tool."
"The solution could improve by limiting the need to clarify the logs. When the clarification is minimized, it is better for everyone involved."
More Azure Network Watcher cons
"The solution’s security side could be improved."
"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."
"The solution's setup process needs enhancement."
"There are some software problems from version to version. It takes a long time for DNA Center to recognize the video and control access devices."
"I would like is to have a small information pointer available. It could be a plus feature that I want to implement. When I hover my mouse over the user interface, it should provide a brief explanation. It would be helpful to have it incorporated into the UI."
"The solution can be quite pricey."
"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."
"Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."
More Cisco DNA Center cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."
"The pricing is good. It's not too expensive."
"Price-wise, I have no information on how much Azure Network Watcher costs."
"The solution is expensive."
"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."
"The tool is medium-priced."
"Our licensing agreement is for three years."
"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."
"We have a three-year license with them."
"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."
"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."
More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Monitoring Software solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise24
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Network Watcher?
I like the visibility.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Network Watcher?
Azure Network Watcher is affordable from the perspective of basic costing. It doesn't cost too much at this point unless you are requesting customizable detailed matrices. For the default configura...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Azure Network Watcher?
The quality of Azure Network Watcher is quite good in terms of the in-depth analysis you can create from these matrices. There are other monitoring tools such as New Relic, AppDynamics, and Dynatra...
See all answers
What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?
The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?
After evaluating other solutions, we will provide feedback.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
We have utilized the software-defined access (SDA) feature of Cisco DNA Center. The AI-driven needs enhancements and Integration and unification of visibility and monitoring to include other areas ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

ThousandEyes vs Azure Network Watcher Logo
ThousandEyes vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 30% of the time
Microsoft Network Monitor vs Azure Network Watcher Logo
Microsoft Network Monitor vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 26% of the time
Nmap vs Azure Network Watcher Logo
Nmap vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 25% of the time
SolarWinds NPM vs Azure Network Watcher Logo
SolarWinds NPM vs Azure Network Watcher
Compared 19% of the time
More Azure Network Watcher Competitors
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 15% of the time
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 7% of the time
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 5% of the time
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 5% of the time
More Cisco DNA Center Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher
September 2025
Azure Network Watcher reportDownload Azure Network Watcher product report
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center
September 2025
Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
DNA Center
 

Overview

Azure Network Watcher is a comprehensive network monitoring and diagnostic service offered by Microsoft Azure. It provides a range of tools and capabilities to help users monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into their Azure network infrastructure. With Network Watcher, users can capture and analyze network traffic, monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and gain visibility into network topology. It also offers features like packet capture, flow logs, connection monitoring, and VPN diagnostics to ensure the smooth operation of Azure networks. Network Watcher enables users to proactively identify and resolve network issues, optimize network performance, and enhance the overall reliability and security of their Azure network environment.

Microsoft

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?
  • Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
  • Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
  • Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
  • Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
  • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
  • Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.
What benefits should users consider?
  • Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
  • Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
  • Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
  • Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco
Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center
September 2025
Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our Azure Network Watcher vs. Cisco DNA Center report.
See our list of best Network Monitoring Software vendors.

We monitor all Network Monitoring Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.