Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox comparison

Broadcom and Cisco are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Broadcom is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5. Broadcom holds a 1.2% mindshare in ES, compared to Cisco’s 9.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Brocade Ethernet Switches

Read 11 Brocade Ethernet Switches reviews

1,222 Views
1,222 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Read 138 Cisco Ethernet Switches reviews

10,555 Views
10,555 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

NVIDIA Mellanox

Read 8 NVIDIA Mellanox reviews

1,889 Views
1,889 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Brocade Ethernet Switches

Cisco Ethernet Switches

NVIDIA Mellanox

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Brocade Ethernet Switches, Cisco Ethernet Switches, and NVIDIA Mellanox based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches.

To learn more, read our detailed Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 885,789 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:

Mindshare comparison

As of April 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 Ethernet Switches is 9.5%, down from 16.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 1.9%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches	9.5%
NVIDIA Mellanox	1.9%
Brocade Ethernet Switches	1.2%
Other	87.4%

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

Pratap Barik

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…

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Myint Aung

Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies

Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases

I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.

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Nurudeen Suleiman

CEO at Tekpulse Ltd

Automation and integration improve operations efficiently

We wanted to utilize the advanced InfiniBand and Ethernet solutions offered by NVIDIA, but the users are not too familiar with the InfiniBand environment, which is why we are using the Linux Cumulus 5.6, which is usually the normal Ethernet. I am familiar with NVIDIA Mellanox, as I have products from NVIDIA on review here on our website. I use enhanced multi-tenancy features. Currently, within the data center, we have mixtures of both Cisco Nexus switches, NVIDIA switches, and Huawei switches, so eventually, we are changing all the switches to NVIDIA. On a scale of 1-10, I rate NVIDIA Mellanox an eight.

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

"CLI and supported technologies are very close to Cisco."

"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."

"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."

"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."

"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."

"The switches last for a very long time."

"I have been using this solution for a long time and kept with it, because everything I need is covered by it."

"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."

More Brocade Ethernet Switches pros

"Cisco's technical support is perfect."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches have good performance."

"The features that I have found most valuable with Cisco switches are that once you get your configuration you can rest assured that it will work. The OS is not going to be failing intermittently or anything like that. Once you get your configuration end-goal right, the firmware and the OS are usually very stable enough to work a long time without support. Support is needed once in a while. My experience is that the Cisco switches are usually rocket."

"As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."

"The hardware is rugged. We use it for the basic configuration."

"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."

"Once you install the switch, it just keeps running with little maintenance."

"I have found the solution to have good scalability. Cisco is the pioneers on switching technology, they are very good."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"Mellanox provides a feature called RDMA; this feature is very special and only Mellanox can provide it."

"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."

"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."

"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."

"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."

"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."

"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."

"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."

More NVIDIA Mellanox pros

Cons

"There are some performance issues."

"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."

"You need skills and knowledge to configure brocade switches."

"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."

"No graphical interface."

"These switches are no longer supported."

"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."

More Brocade Ethernet Switches cons

"Cisco is not user-friendly. It would be best if you had a technical expert. The graphical user interface is more like a command line, and most functionalities are on the command line."

"The product is on the expensive side."

"The initial setup can be simplified."

"The licensing needs to be improved."

"The pricing of the solution is pretty high. Compared with other switches, such as Huawei or HPE, it's very, very expensive."

"If we can have fewer bugs on our switches, that would be great. We had bugs that caused the switch to reboot."

"The NX-API REST is not very good and should be improved."

"The cost is very prohibitive both for us as well as other organizations. It's very expensive to buy Cisco switches."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."

"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."

"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."

"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."

"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."

"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement."

"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed."

More NVIDIA Mellanox cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."

"Users have to pay an annual licensing fee for Cisco Ethernet Switches, which is expensive."

"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."

"Its price is very high, but it is a good device. Cisco must work on its price. Other solutions provide a better price for similar functionalities."

"The solution can be comparatively cheaper."

"It is an expensive product since it is used in a large network where you cannot rely on some cheaply priced solution."

"Customers have to pay for some of the L3 switches licenses, which are expensive."

"Cisco now has more products that are priced for small businesses, so they do have some cheaper models."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."

"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."

"It's an open-source solution."

"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	60
Midsize Enterprise	35
Large Enterprise	55

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Brocade Ethernet Switches?

To improve, it could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface.

See all answers

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 ar...

See all answers

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 r...

See all answers

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 func...

See all answers

Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?

We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet F...

See all answers

In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?

The pricing is competitive. For its performance, it's cheaper, so I would rate it a four if cheaper is lower.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?

The feature we would want to see in future updates of NVIDIA Mellanox is improved accessibility for normal users, as ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?

NVIDIA Mellanox is usually used for numerous purposes, but in our case, we are using it in a data center for high-end...

See all answers

Comparisons

Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 12% of the time

HPE Ethernet Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Aruba Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 6% of the time

More Brocade Ethernet Switches Competitors

Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 24% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 14% of the time

H3C Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 5% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Ethernet Switches Competitors

Arista Networks Platform vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 8% of the time

Juniper QFX Series Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 7% of the time

Broadcom StrataXGS vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 6% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 5% of the time

More NVIDIA Mellanox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

March 2026

Download Brocade Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

March 2026

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

March 2026

Download NVIDIA Mellanox product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700

Overview

From the world's first Ethernet fabric technology, to an open controller that eliminates vendor lock-in, to a switch stack that you can distribute throughout your campus, Brocade Ethernet Switches give you choices. Whether that means functionality, vendors, or even locations beyond the wiring closet, every option is secure, economical, and easily manageable.

Broadcom

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

Cisco

NVIDIA Mellanox empowers data centers with advanced networking capabilities, featuring RDMA, user-friendly interfaces, efficient design, and competitive performance. Designed for Linux-based environments, it ensures robust network automation and AI integration.

Known for its compact hardware, NVIDIA Mellanox delivers dependable networking through its innovative features like no-drop traffic handling and essential data center protocols BGP EVPN and VXLAN. It enhances efficiency with its integration into AI-driven environments and extensive configuration options on Linux. Though the installation and its command-line interface pose challenges for some, its automation capabilities complement complex infrastructures in data centers. Users highlight its scalability in networking, yet seek improvements in documentation, training, and OS transition aspects for smoother integration and enhanced accessibility. Ongoing advancements are anticipated, particularly regarding support response and platform compatibility like Elastic.

What are the key features of NVIDIA Mellanox?

RDMA: Enables high-throughput, low-latency networking.
No-drop Traffic Support: Maintains data integrity during high loads.
BGP EVPN and VXLAN: Essential networking protocols for data centers.
Low Power Consumption: Efficient energy usage.
AI Environment Integration: Seamlessly aligns with AI workloads.
Automation with Ansible: Simplifies network management tasks.

What benefits should users expect?

Enhanced Performance: Improves networking efficiency in data centers.
Cost-effective: Competitive pricing with robust features.
Operational Efficiency: Streamlined processes through automation.
Scalability: Supports growth and increased network demands.
Energy Savings: Reduces operational costs through low-power design.

In industries operating networking infrastructures, NVIDIA Mellanox offers LAN and AI data center solutions, integral to high-performance computing. Users in sectors utilizing spine-and-leaf topology for top-of-rack and core devices leverage its infinite band speed and EVPN/VxLan capabilities. With support for edge, storage, and border gate switches, it optimizes networking automation beginning with Ethernet-based setups. Organizations gradually enhance complexity as their networking needs evolve.

NVIDIA

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

Linz AG

CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: March 2026.

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