Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the Data Center Networking category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while Dell Technologies is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.1. Cisco holds a 17.9% mindshare in DCN, compared to Dell Technologies’s 4.0% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 178 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,543 Views
2,355 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Read 268 Dell PowerEdge R-Series reviews

13,767 Views
138 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 30, 2025

Cisco Catalyst Switches and Dell PowerEdge R-Series are key competitors in the networking and server industries, respectively. Dell PowerEdge R-Series seems to have the upper hand in management tools and deployment ease, while Cisco excels in reliability and performance in harsh environments.

Features:Cisco Catalyst Switches offer security, stacking, data traffic management, PoE, RSPAN, and VTP, recognized for reliability in extreme conditions and strong community support. Dell PowerEdge R-Series includes comprehensive management tools, OpenManage, virtualization support, redundancy, and the iDRAC feature for remote management.

Room for Improvement:Cisco Catalyst Switches could improve by reducing costs, simplifying GUI management, increasing scalability, enhancing compatibility, and streamlining licensing. Dell PowerEdge R-Series might benefit from better pricing, improved automation, deployment, integration with third-party hardware, noise reduction, and configuration flexibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:Cisco Catalyst Switches are primarily used on-premises with mixed technical support reviews. Dell PowerEdge R-Series is largely deployed on-premises and in hybrid/private cloud settings, praised for ease of installation and responsive technical support.

Pricing and ROI:Cisco Catalyst Switches are seen as expensive but justified through reliability and support. There is demand for more competitive pricing. Dell PowerEdge R-Series offers good value, often cheaper than HP, with straightforward and transparent licensing options. Both provide excellent ROI with long-term use, noted for durability and performance.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerEdge R-Series Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerEdge R-Series

February 2026

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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

6.0

Cisco Catalyst Switches provide high ROI with consistent performance, durability, and operational reliability, despite initial cost concerns.

Sentiment score

6.5

Dell PowerEdge R-Series enhances stability and cost-effectiveness with reliable performance, reduced maintenance, and extended hardware lifespan.

From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

By not having to worry about it, I would estimate we save two to four hours a week, depending on what's happening, such as if we need to spin up a new server, which would contribute to more time if done the old way.

Desi Rodriguez

Manager, Systems & Desktop Support at Tilson Home Corporation

In my immediate case for antenna analysis, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers offer a reduction from days of computing to half a day or hours.

Duane Harvey

Senior Radio Frequncy Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

The value of uptime to us is critical.

reviewer2707641

VP IT Operations at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.9

Cisco Catalyst Switches support is mixed; users praise documentation but criticize slow responses and varying expertise levels.

Sentiment score

7.4

Dell PowerEdge R-Series support is effective and responsive, despite occasional delays, offering tailored experiences with high customer satisfaction.

When requesting an RMA, they replace defective items in just one day.

Yaser_Altwailey

Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX

On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Cisco at 10 out of 10.

Jaya Pradeep

student at St. Joseph's College of Engineering

Cisco's support is good, one of the best supports that you will get.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

I would give Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a ten because they're always able to answer all the questions we have; they reach a solution no matter how long it takes, and they don't give up.

reviewer2706693

Manager, Systems Security at a healthcare company with 501-1,000 employees

It has always been scheduled maintenance, which says a lot for a production environment, as we haven't had to call in a trouble ticket for the actual hardware during its entire run.

Desi Rodriguez

Manager, Systems & Desktop Support at Tilson Home Corporation

Typically, the contacts we have on-site are very knowledgeable, they come in within a day and usually have it fixed and taken care of if there are issues.

Brad Dugenske

Senior Systems Engineer at Federal Data Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Cisco Catalyst Switches provide scalable solutions for diverse deployments, supporting seamless network growth and expansion in varied environments.

Sentiment score

7.3

The Dell PowerEdge R-Series provides scalable and flexible options, accommodating organizational growth with adaptable hardware despite potential cost hurdles.

The scalability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very much scalable, as it supports the stacking feature and growth; for instance, with 94K modular switches, based on the requirement, we can even increase modules for more bandwidth.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and I would rate them eight to nine out of ten for scalability.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

The scalability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is excellent.

reviewer1362099

Software Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Any outages or blackouts are limited to particular servers, not affecting the whole chassis or enclosures.

reviewer926175

Senior Systems Engineer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

We bought our product with scaling involved, and we've been scaling it up anytime we've needed more storage.

Adnan Yasin

Director, Information Technology at TEXAS PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE GUARANTY ASSOCIATION

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.2

Cisco Catalyst Switches are praised for their reliability and stability despite occasional minor hardware issues, making them a preferred choice.

Sentiment score

7.9

Dell PowerEdge R-Series is highly reliable and durable, offering stable performance with minimal downtime and effective workload handling.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

Over four years, we've had less than 1 percent downtime.

Thim Johnsen

It support lead at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

There is a feature to update the server while it is running, so there is no need to restart.

Hariraj Chauhan

Manager, Regions Information Technology Security at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

We have truly not had any downtime on the infrastructure at all.

Adnan Yasin

Director, Information Technology at TEXAS PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE GUARANTY ASSOCIATION

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches need improved third-party integration, simpler licensing, better documentation, user-friendly configurations, and enhanced security and AI features.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series needs performance, documentation, interface improvements, enhanced GPU, faster delivery, energy efficiency, support, compatibility, and cost reduction.

Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

It is the highest cost in the market.

Yaser_Altwailey

Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX

Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

We need to know about any upcoming updates so that we can plan accordingly.

Merin David

End User Manager at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees

The beneficial aspect of that feature was that we could skip the PowerStore and just have the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers alone, as they also served as storage, which helped us save money.

Mikko Peltoniemi

Director of IT at Star Kay White

This forces you to go up to a larger server to get the desired processor, which increases the cost.

ScottAllen1

Team Lead Infrastructure at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches are reliable but costly, with complex licensing; potential buyers seek competitive pricing and bulk purchase discounts.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series offers competitive pricing with reliable performance, justified costs, and robust support ideal for enterprises.

Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.

Premnath Jaganathan

Product Manager at Uop Ipl

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

They have been stable and running for years without performance downtime or significant disc failures.

Zaryab Khalil

Product manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

Some customers find it cheaper due to contractual agreements, while others find it expensive, especially when scaling up.

Dacio Ferreira

System Administrator at Tigs

The software associated with servers, like VMware subscription licenses, drives costs.

reviewer1362099

Software Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches are robust, versatile, and scalable, featuring advanced management and supporting diverse network infrastructures with excellent documentation.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series delivers scalable, high-performance solutions with reliable management, robust security, and customizable design for demanding applications.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.

Premnath Jaganathan

Product Manager at Uop Ipl

The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support.

reviewer1339014

Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization.

Joshua Odunsi

I.T INFRASTRUCTURE/SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR at Haggai Mortgage Bank Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Catalyst Switches report

They keep running for at least five to seven years without any issues.

Naeem Afzal

IT Manger at Dubai precast LLc

With PowerEdge Servers, I don't need a one-to-one ratio redundancy, which leads to about eighty percent downtime reduction.

Zaryab Khalil

Product manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

One of the valuable features is Active Directory, which helps in managing the network.

Ahmed Salah

IT Manager at Misrconsult

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge R-Series report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in Data Center Networking

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

178

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), Ethernet Switches (5th), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Ranking in Data Center Networking

2nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

268

Ranking in other categories

Converged Infrastructure (1st), Blade Servers (4th), Rack Servers (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Data Center Networking category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 17.9%, down from 23.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge R-Series is 4.0%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Center Networking Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches	17.9%
Dell PowerEdge R-Series	4.0%
Other	78.1%

Data Center Networking

Featured Reviews

Arun Giri

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.

Read full review

reviewer2776431

Supply Chain and Procurement Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Relied on consistent support and efficient hardware to streamline engineering test environments

Currently, it is sometimes challenging when a component gets out of fashion or is no longer available at end of life, to quickly get a drop-in replacement. I would appreciate an XE version of the server where we have some drop-in replacements lined up beforehand, and we already know how to validate them. Right now, when this happens, we have about three months to validate the new systems, and that is usually a little short notice for us. I am already happy we get the time we get. I do have something to say about customer service and support. From time to time, we need to get special licenses or extended warranties or other items, especially for end customers. I think that could be streamlined. Right now, there is a human factor in it; there is not a click and buy option. This could save Dell some time to iterate that as well. If we have a technical question, it can take a little time, especially if we are trying to reach the Dutch support line. Usually, we still get redirected to a UK representative, which is acceptable because I speak English, but some of our customers are a little less happy. It would be beneficial if there were more local technical support. All of our questions get answered usually within a day or two, which I consider pretty quick. If it is high priority or critical, it gets answered within a couple of hours.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

University

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	79
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	79

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	95
Midsize Enterprise	59
Large Enterprise	112

Questions from the Community

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 ...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

When shopping for a rack server, would you go with Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether the Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem rack servers were the better fit for us. We ultimately decided to go with Dell EMC Poweredge....

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers?

It has helped us reduce unplanned downtime by 20% to 30%.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers?

I am not the right person to talk about improvements for Dell PowerEdge R-Series because I am not related to the networking aspect; I am related to CAE. At my end, everything looks good for me. In ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 39% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 9% of the time

IBM Power Systems vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 6% of the time

Huawei FusionServer RH Series Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 5% of the time

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

February 2026

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

February 2026

Download Dell PowerEdge R-Series product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

PowerEdge R-Series delivers high performance, flexibility, and scalability for data centers. It supports demanding tasks with robust management tools and advanced cooling, providing reliability and efficiency across various workloads.

Engineered for large deployments, PowerEdge R-Series supports extensive configurations optimizing performance in data centers. With features like advanced cooling and energy-efficient architecture, it empowers organizations to manage heavy workloads while facilitating seamless scalability. It offers remote management, robust security, and integration with VMware ensuring operational excellence and high availability for business-critical applications.

What are the key features of Dell PowerEdge R-Series?

Scalability: Supports flexible configurations for diverse workloads.
Remote Management: iDRAC and OpenManage facilitate easy oversight.
Energy Efficiency: Architecture helps reduce energy consumption.
Security: Robust features ensure protected performance.
VMware Integration: Enhances manageability and productivity.

What benefits and ROI should you look for?

Performance: Handles high-performance and demanding tasks.
Flexibility: Offers easily upgradable configurations.
Reliability: Provides consistent performance with long-term support.
Efficiency: Reduces energy use and operational costs.
Ease of Use: Simplifies management and maintenance.

PowerEdge R-Series is deployed across industries for virtualization, database hosting, and application servers. It supports environments like VMware and Hyper-V for AI, cloud infrastructure, and computing tasks. Widely used by finance, healthcare, and academia, it enhances reliability and efficiency of IT infrastructure.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

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

NxtGen Datacenter, Medien-Service Untermain (MSU), Exasol, IndigoVision, Dayco

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerEdge R-Series

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerEdge R-Series and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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