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Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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

Brocade Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
25th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
179
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.2%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.1%
Brocade Ethernet Switches1.2%
Other94.7%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

PB
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
Experience seamless configuration with secure and adaptable network solutions
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They are connected and used every day in our operations It is good and scalable. It is easy to configure and provides good technical support. Brocade Ethernet Switches are good to…
AG
Unit Nos at Orange
Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas
Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."
"CLI and supported technologies are very close to Cisco."
"It has good integration with HPE Primera; they have smart zoning in which the administration is very easy, and you don't have to do anything because zoning and other things are done automatically if you just enable the smart zoning."
"The technical support is good."
"The switches are very flexible and easy to deploy and manage, are energy-saving and help to effectively reduce costs, perform at great speeds, protect the topology using root guard, and can handle redundancy and failovers automatically."
"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."
"It is easy to configure and provides good technical support."
"The most important feature of this solution is the performance because we have many switches and we have a performance for Brocade Ethernet Switches that needs about 16 gigabyte per second."
"The most valuable features are the Stacking and the capacity of the switches because they have more throughput. Layer 2 is also part of its rich feature set."
"We can have multiple Cisco switches, like seven or eight, on a stack for 300 users. So it is highly scalable and easy to manage."
"It's easy to configure."
"The PoE capability of Catalyst Switches is great for using WAPs and other PoE equipment, such as security cameras."
"Technical support is always very helpful and fast to respond."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is managed switching."
"Scalable, stable, and reliable product that's easy to install. Technical support is dependable and can be contacted in a variety of ways, e.g. through their ticketing system, hotline number, and community forum."
"ROI for this solution is excellent."
 

Cons

"You need skills and knowledge to configure brocade switches."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"There are some performance issues."
"These switches are no longer supported."
"No graphical interface."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"This solution doesn't have a graphical interface and that's an issue."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches could improve by having more integration with third-party products."
"It is not easy for everyone to configure the product's initial setup part, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The price of the product is very expensive."
"The product could offer more integrations with other solutions."
"One feature that I would like to add is for the following: At times, when I add an access list for a hostname, it doesn't actually add the hostname, it adds the IP address."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive."
"The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"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."
"We are a large company and the price is reasonable because we have received a discount. However, the full price is expensive."
"It's very pricey. Compared to competitors, it's a lot more expensive."
"The licenses are definitely expensive. There is a need to make annual payments towards the subscription or licensing costs attached to the solution."
"The pricing is on the high end."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are a bit expensive."
"It's overpriced and should be cheaper."
"Pricing could be cheaper as well."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business80
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Brocade Ethernet Switches?
To improve, it could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface.
What is your primary use case for Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They are connected and used every day in our operations.
What advice do you have for others considering Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I would recommend Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are easy to configure and have good technical support. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
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?
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.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Ajubeo, Akquinet AG, Big Data Analytics Provider Boligkontoret Danmark Bristol is Open, CDE Lightband, Cicero School District 99, City and County of San Francisco, Department of Emergency, City of Chattanooga, Cloudscale.sh
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 Brocade Ethernet Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.