No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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
22nd
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
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
191
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.6%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Brocade Ethernet Switches1.6%
Other93.9%
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…
MS
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance
Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.

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 Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."
"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."
"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. You don't have to do anything. Zoning and other things are done automatically if you just enable the smart zoning. That's one very good thing in HP."
"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."
"I have been using this solution for a long time and kept with it, because everything I need is covered by it."
"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 switches last for a very long time; it's stable for doing its functions as a black and gray switch, and it's a very good switch, at least the older ones, which I have been using for ten years and are still in use."
"The solution has been issue-free."
"It has the ability to create new services for users, such as IP phones and video conference."
"We haven't needed to contact technical support because we haven't had any issues so far."
"The product is reliable."
"It can be expanded."
"The product has very good routing capabilities."
"The product’s scalability and performance are valuable."
"The configuration is easy."
 

Cons

"There are some performance issues that I would like to see improved."
"This solution doesn't have a graphical interface and that's an issue."
"You need skills and knowledge to configure brocade switches."
"No graphical interface."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"Technically the product is always improving the software part, but the hardware needs to be more reliable."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"Cisco has to lower the price of its products to make them more cost-effective."
"The GUI should be addressed."
"At first glance this switch looks exactly like an Ethernet switch, I would recommend that there be verbage in the documentation on exactly what gbit connectors are required."
"We have configurations for port channels between two facilities, and we cannot communicate between these two buildings. An SFP configuration uses one wire to send and receive the signal. It's opt-in. We cannot use it after the upgrade. What can we do in this situation? We already bought it."
"Cisco is the most expensive product."
"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."
"Installing and configuring these switches requires the proper training."
"Dell switching is coming up with a solution where you can put your own OS inside their switching infra. That is where they are talking about open networking. We can show that our Cisco is also an open-source. We are open to different switching operating systems if the customer is willing to put it in. We can support multiple operating systems inside the switching infrastructure. It removes the hardware and software dependency on each other. That is where I think there can be room for improvement. Then we can talk about open networking and that is where Cisco can also come up with open networking access."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are very expensive."
"We pay the licensing fees annually because we have an enterprise license agreement."
"The price of this solution could be reduced, it is expensive and I am using an annual license."
"We have a contract for service with this partner, meaning we don't purchase the license or equipment directly."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."
"Licensing is on a yearly basis. We usually spend up to $20,000."
"Pricing could be cheaper as well."
"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."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
914,322 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Healthcare Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business84
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise87
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
The price is very high. Compared to others, I find the price a bit high when compared to Juniper and Allied Telesis.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I cannot identify specific disadvantages with the product. However, the areas that have potential to be better are the timeline for the system and switch delivery. The delivery timelines for the pr...
 

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: September 2026.
914,322 professionals have used our research since 2012.