Cisco Catalyst Switches vs HPE ProCurve comparison

Cisco and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.1. Cisco holds a 28.6% mindshare in LS, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 12.5% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 175 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,606 Views
3,248 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

HPE ProCurve

Read 38 HPE ProCurve reviews

1,671 Views
1,403 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

HPE ProCurve

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

HPE ProCurve and Cisco Catalyst Switches compete in the advanced networking solutions category. HPE ProCurve edges ahead with pricing and ease of deployment, while Cisco Catalyst is preferred for its advanced features that justify the cost difference.

Features: HPE ProCurve offers an intuitive menu-based interface, lifetime warranty, and energy-efficient design. Cisco Catalyst provides enhanced stability, advanced security features, and flexible deployment options.

Room for Improvement: HPE ProCurve could improve its scalability and offer more comprehensive security features. Enhancing advanced configuration options would also benefit users. For Cisco Catalyst, reducing complexity in setup and more competitive pricing would be beneficial. Their customer support system could also be streamlined for easier access.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE ProCurve is noted for easy deployment and user-friendly interface. Its customer service is efficient, offering replacements under a lifetime warranty. Cisco Catalyst, though complex in deployment, is backed by extensive resources and specialized support services adding value despite the initial complexity.

Pricing and ROI: HPE ProCurve is cost-effective with favorable ROI due to its affordable setup costs and efficiency. Cisco Catalyst involves a higher initial cost but offers higher ROI through superior performance and durability, aligning with businesses focused on long-term investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. HPE ProCurve Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. HPE ProCurve

April 2025

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

175

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

HPE ProCurve

Ranking in LAN Switching

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 28.6%, down from 31.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProCurve is 12.5%, down from 13.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

Joshua Odunsi

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

Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed

Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.

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Sandeep Rajguru

Team Lead Manager at Tata Motors

Offers reliability and helps with vulnerability assessment

I use HPE ProCurve network in our organization. I can say that the product has improved the network flexibility in our company since I haven't seen any challenges from the last seven to eight years. The most valuable product for network management revolves around the area of VSB, also known as virtual switch bonding, which can quickly attach two or three switches or make them come together to quickly form a single switch. From a security perspective, my company does vulnerability assessment. From a security perspective, my company does vulnerability assessment. Following the hardening guidelines, the switches are configured according to the hardening parameters. The tool's reliability and uptime match our company's needs. My company enjoyed configuring the switches a lot, especially since we saw similarities between Cisco's and HPS's configuration processes. HPE ProCurve is user-friendly. We have a different product for network management, so my company doesn't use HPE ProCurve since we have already collaborated with some third-party products. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it, especially since I have been using it without any issues for many years. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly reliable and stable."

"As there are many who are knowledgeable of this technology, this translates into extensive support for it."

"The product is reliable."

"Technical support is very responsive and helpful."

"The configuration and command set are user-friendly."

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

"A good feature of Cisco Catalyst is that it records crash log files which can be used to literally identify the cause of a crash because there is a lot of information. And Cisco Catalyst supports the use of external flash disks for storing of images and file systems."

"Its implementation is quite simple as there's good documentation you can reference."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"The most valuable features of HPE ProCurve are the reports, lifetime warranty, and CLI."

"The solution is fast and inexpensive."

"The user interface is the most valuable aspect of the solution for us."

"The most valuable features are the price and the warranty."

"It has an excellent menu system where you can use both the CLI and a menu system and the GUI version. They have three options for manipulating, updating, and changing the switch, which we like."

"HPE ProCurve's most valuable feature is that it is user-friendly."

"The user interface is simple to use."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

More HPE ProCurve pros

Cons

"The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved."

"The configuration options on the Cisco Commerce website could be more efficient."

"Needs to improve cloud services and mobile software."

"Cisco forces end-users to accept billing for some capabilities or services that they may not want."

"The tool is not user-friendly."

"The switches could be improved."

"Its initial setup can be simpler, and it would be great if we can work with a reference architecture. Cisco has the capability to provide a very integrated solution. They have DNA Center, Cisco ISE, Cisco Prime, FMC, and AMP. We are looking at all the products, but it is rather complex to pick out the right licenses that you need. The license structure is a bit complex. Sometimes, there is an overlap in products, which does not really make sense. For example, you have DNA Center and Cisco Prime, and it is not really clear what you would use for what exactly. There is a lot of information on the Cisco website, but it takes a while to go through all this and look at the presentations that are available from Cisco Live. These presentations are appreciated, but sometimes, they are a bit too much like bullet points. You don't exactly know what's behind it, so you have to do a second guess. Overall, there is a lot of information but not always to the point."

"The product must provide a better central tool for management."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"The dashboards could be improved to be more interesting."

"HPE ProCurve's web interface is old, and I have to log in on each device separately, making them the product's shortcomings that need improvement."

"If we're aiming for an improvement, focus on enhancing security features in HPE ProCurve, particularly in terms of filtering."

"These switches can be made more stable and robust."

"The product could be cheaper."

"One of the weakest points of this solution is its on-premise. We are not able to do all we need to with the CLI."

"The solution's pricing could be made cheaper."

"The product must provide something similar to Cisco’s command-line interface."

More HPE ProCurve cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's very pricey. Compared to competitors, it's a lot more expensive."

"They are a little bit expensive. We are a public institution, so we go through other traders, and sometimes, they put in their own surplus price because it is a government contract. Cisco products are expensive, especially when you compare them to Huawei."

"We are a large company and the price is reasonable because we have received a discount. However, the full price is expensive."

"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."

"The general price of the solution could be cheaper."

"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"The cost of this solution could be less expensive, and we are on an annual license."

"The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general. There is an annual license required."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"There is no need to pay for the solution's license."

"We are a public company, so we are obliged to take the best offer from the vendors. They gave us the best price for the needs we had. It was considerably less than Cisco. It had maybe 40% lower cost."

"The purchasing cost a few years ago for two units was approx €5,000."

"The cost of HPE ProCurve is good."

"HPE ProCurve is competitively priced, with a difference of approximately 30 to 35% compared to other vendors"

"The licensing for HPE ProCurve is a one-time cost, though it's varied somewhat. What my company purchased was usually between $3,500 and $5,000 one-time cost."

"The price of this product is cheap."

"The price of HPE ProCurve can be reasonable. However, it depends on the use case. They could improve the pricing model."

More HPE ProCurve pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

64%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 ...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

Although Juniper is cheaper, Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.

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What do you like most about HPE ProCurve?

It is easy to deploy.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProCurve?

HPE ProCurve is competitively priced, with a difference of approximately 30 to 35% compared to other vendors like Cisco. This makes it a viable option for businesses with limited budgets, particula...

See all answers

What needs improvement with HPE ProCurve?

The product could improve scalability and support for advanced networking features. Including advanced interfaces like QSFP and enhanced support for AI-driven network solutions would make it more c...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 18% of the time

Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 8% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 8% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

Aruba Instant On Switches vs HPE ProCurve

Compared 40% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs HPE ProCurve

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco FabricPath vs HPE ProCurve

Compared 4% of the time

More HPE ProCurve Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

April 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE ProCurve

April 2025

Download HPE ProCurve product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

ProCurve, HP ProCurve

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

HP Networking (HP ProCurve) products enable a cost-effective network that's agile, flexible, and fully interoperable. Boost availability, performance, monitoring, and productivity with HP network software, services, and support.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School, DY 4 Systems, EdgeWing, Edmonton Public Schools District, Halton Catholic District School Board, Hartwick College, Hatch Associates, Huntingdon College, Roseville Joint Union High School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, One Superior Place

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. HPE ProCurve

April 2025

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. HPE ProCurve

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. HPE ProCurve and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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