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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Huawei Enterprise Routers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.6
Organizations see significant ROI with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN through cost reduction, improved efficiency, and enhanced reliability within 12 months.
Sentiment score
8.5
Huawei Enterprise Routers provide reliable performance, excellent security, reduced maintenance costs, and enhanced connectivity, leading to improved productivity.
They are now back to do that with the remainder of their company, so they've realized the value in 12 months and are willing to invest in the remainder of their organization.
Information Technology Consultant at Island Networks
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, though occasional outsourced support delays are noted.
Sentiment score
4.0
Huawei Enterprise Routers support is efficient and 24/7, with local intermediaries aiding despite regional language barriers and connectivity issues.
Cisco engineers can be found everywhere compared to Versa.
Senior Client Partner at NTT DATA
I would rate Cisco's support, their customer service, and technical support as excellent.
Solution Architect at Sonda S.A.
I would consider Cisco support a 10 out of 10.
Information Technology Consultant at Island Networks
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is scalable, versatile, and preferred for businesses, despite occasional licensing or deployment complexities.
Sentiment score
6.8
Huawei Enterprise Routers offer effective scalability but may require additional equipment and face challenges during large-scale expansions.
The ease of configuration and features like zero-touch provisioning enhance the scalability of Cisco SD-WAN, especially in disaster recovery situations.
Engineer at Routz
Cisco SD-WAN is highly scalable and can be expanded to more than 10,000 sites.
Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is highly stable and reliable, with minor update bugs overshadowed by robust performance and industry approval.
Sentiment score
7.4
Huawei Enterprise Routers are generally stable and reliable, receiving high ratings, though occasional stability issues and patching concerns exist.
While some software-related issues and bugs were encountered, they did not cause the whole environment to crash.
Engineer at Routz
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN needs improvement in pricing, integration, support, user-friendly interfaces, cloud compatibility, documentation, and enhanced security.
Huawei Enterprise Routers require enhanced security, stability, support, integration, affordability, and flexibility compared to competitors like Cisco.
Now, they change frequently, making it difficult to obtain long-term support.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Including more features like integrating with Splunk for monitoring vulnerabilities would help eliminate the need for other SOC solutions.
Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd
They might want to consider incorporating features seen in Versa or other competitors to improve their points.
Senior Client Partner at NTT DATA
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is costly but valued for quality; pricing involves complex subscription-based hardware and software expenses.
Huawei Enterprise Routers offer cost-effective solutions with competitive pricing, though some services and support incur additional charges.
It is also relatively cost-effective for smaller businesses when using the Meraki version.
Engineer at Routz
The pricing of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is rated between eight and nine out of ten, where ten is the most expensive.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Its pricing is justifiable due to the comprehensive solution it offers.
Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN provides robust security, efficient management, and scalability for enterprises with its comprehensive, automated networking solutions.
Huawei Enterprise Routers provide cost-effective, easy setup, platform compatibility, and advanced connectivity with efficient GUI and strong support.
It also provides robust security features, including port security, analysis, mirroring, and multiple other security solutions.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
It is important that Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN supports cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments for my organization because it allows for scalability and faster deployment in the cloud.
Solution Architect at Sonda S.A.
Integration capabilities provide comprehensive security.
Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Ranking in WAN Edge
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
97
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (6th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd)
Huawei Enterprise Routers
Ranking in WAN Edge
15th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Routers (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the WAN Edge category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is 13.5%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Enterprise Routers is 2.2%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
WAN Edge Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN13.5%
Huawei Enterprise Routers2.2%
Other84.3%
WAN Edge
 

Featured Reviews

Henry Rosenstiehl - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at Sonda S.A.
Comprehensive support and ease of implementation enhance operational efficiency
With Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, I have centralized orchestration and management. The transport independence of MPLS or connectivity and internet connectivity is another excellent feature. End-to-end segmentation is also provided. I use the application-aware routing feature. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN supports dynamic police-based routing decisions based on application type or different performance metrics such as jitter or latency. The benefit of that feature is that it improves user experience. The principal benefit of application-aware routing is that critical applications are prioritized or routed over the best performing paths to reduce outages and service degradation. There is full visibility of applications. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN has integrated security features which include base firewall, URL filtering, IPS, and secure segmentation, and it supports integration with other Cisco products such as Umbrella or Snort. This feature is beneficial for the client because the information is secure. It is important that Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN supports cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments for my organization because it allows for scalability and faster deployment in the cloud. It reduces operational needs because I don't need to manage physical controller hardware, and updates and maintenance can be centralized and automated. The zero-touch provisioning feature is very important for the speed of deploying new branch locations. I can deliver the device to the branch, and it is important because simplified deployment makes the implementation start more easily since devices are auto-configured and authenticate without manual intervention.
EP
Network Engineer at Technical University of Crete
Reliable border connectivity with responsive support but there's room for more intuitive documentation
The documentation is somewhat lacking and not easy to navigate. There are some errors and misleading information. The general appearance of the company site is also not user-friendly for downloading firmware. Firmware updates should be more straightforward. More security features would be appreciated, however, they should be easy to understand and implement.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business44
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise43
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco SD-WAN?
When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
The pricing of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is rated between eight and nine out of ten, where ten is the most expensive.
What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?
More or less, it's the same with Cisco in terms of complexity and pricing, so there's not much of a difference. They might want to consider incorporating features seen in Versa or other competitors...
What do you like most about Huawei Enterprise Routers?
The solution provides support for 5G connectivity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Enterprise Routers?
The product is very cheap and offers a huge discount as they are trying to enter the market. However, you have to pay extra for some services and support.
What needs improvement with Huawei Enterprise Routers?
The documentation is somewhat lacking and not easy to navigate. There are some errors and misleading information. The general appearance of the company site is also not user-friendly for downloadin...
 

Also Known As

Cisco SD-WAN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
Bus Online, VisionChina Media Inc. (VisionChina), China Network Television (CNTV), Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, ABC, BovenIJ hospital
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Huawei Enterprise Routers and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.