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Cisco Catalyst Center vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Cisco Catalyst Center
Ranking in Network Management Applications
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SolarWinds Network Topology...
Ranking in Network Management Applications
21st
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmad Attal - PeerSpot reviewer
Delivers strong analytics and integration capabilities but requires regular updates and training
My customers often complain about numerous software bugs requiring frequent software patches and updates to resolve these issues. Furthermore, the complexity of the solution can be challenging for some customers as they often require extensive training to fully understand and utilize the product. They have concerns about the high number of software bugs and the need for regular updates to address these bugs.
SS
Very user-friendly and stable
I'm still learning how the solution works, figuring out how to check reports and system information. I'm a student and customer of SolarWinds The tool seems to be widely used and I find it user-friendly The Network Topology Mapper is on the expensive side - it would be helpful if it were less…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"There is a lot of documentation for the platform, which is an advantage."
"Cisco's technical support is excellent."
"Cisco Catalyst Center allows me to manage all the fabric SD Access from one location."
"Cisco Catalyst Center allows me to manage all the fabric SD Access from one location."
"Cisco Catalyst Center was flexible in terms of scalability, offering advanced security features and reliable performance."
"The analytics feature is quite good, and the hardware is very performant."
"Cisco Catalyst Center has greatly enhanced the user-friendliness of configuring Catalyst switches."
"The best feature of Cisco is its industry-standard nature."
"It's user-friendly."
 

Cons

"Advanced hardware replacement services have seen a degradation in quality, with delays in replacement parts."
"The main drawback of Cisco Catalyst Center is that it can only manage and monitor Cisco devices with a DNA license, specifically the Catalyst 9000 series."
"My customers often complain about numerous software bugs requiring frequent software patches and updates to resolve these issues."
"Cisco Catalyst Center could improve its graphical user interface. Currently, it is CLI-based, which makes it challenging for those without Cisco training."
"My customers often complain about numerous software bugs requiring frequent software patches and updates to resolve these issues."
"There is room for improvement in introducing auto-heal AI capabilities. In the current setup, incidents are always reactionary, and it would be beneficial if Cisco Catalyst Center could proactively handle issues such as bandwidth crunches and packet drops."
"The price to get in the door is quite high."
"The only limitation is when integrating with other products due to Cisco's proprietary protocols."
"This is a relatively expensive product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
15%
Government
12%
Energy/Utilities Company
9%
Healthcare Company
7%
Government
13%
Educational Organization
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Energy/Utilities Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Center?
The cost is relative and depends on the market and one's budget provision. While Cisco provides a good return on investment, they are also facing competitive pricing challenges from Huawei.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Center?
If they can add a layer of portable hotspots with some licensing flexibility for 20 to 50 users, it would be a great feature.
What is your primary use case for Cisco Catalyst Center?
We use Cisco Catalyst Center ( /products/cisco-catalyst-center-reviews ) for managing switches in our IT infrastructure. Our primary focus has been on utilizing Catalyst ( /products/cisco-catalyst-...
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Also Known As

No data available
SolarWinds NTM
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Management Applications. Updated: June 2025.
859,957 professionals have used our research since 2012.