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 #4 with an average rating of 8.2. Cisco holds a 30.6% mindshare in LS, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 12.2% 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 173 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

7,794 Views
4,002 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

HPE ProCurve

Read 38 HPE ProCurve reviews

1,981 Views
1,713 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

HPE ProCurve

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

HPE ProCurve and Cisco Catalyst Switches compete in the switching solutions market. HPE ProCurve primarily holds the advantage in terms of affordability and customer support, while Cisco Catalyst Switches excel with comprehensive feature sets.

Features: HPE ProCurve is known for its affordability, reliability, and comprehensive feature set with a focus on basic network management and LAN features. It provides a lifetime warranty and intuitive interface that aids in seamless networking. Cisco Catalyst Switches, on the other hand, offer advanced security options, seamless scalability, and support complex environments with a robust set of networking capabilities such as stacking, VLAN monitoring, and high performance for demanding applications.

Room for Improvement: HPE ProCurve could enhance its offerings by expanding its security capabilities and providing more advanced features for large-scale deployments. Greater integration with third-party tools and improved web interface features could also add value. Cisco Catalyst Switches, while feature-rich, can improve in terms of pricing to appeal to smaller businesses and might benefit from simplifying their interface for ease of use. Streamlining setup processes even further and reducing the complexity of configurations could also be areas of enhancement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Catalyst Switches provide a straightforward deployment complemented by strong technical support, which ensures quick resolutions and assistance when needed. HPE ProCurve also offers an easy deployment process, backed by highly responsive customer service that swiftly addresses any issues, giving it an edge in situations requiring rapid responses.

Pricing and ROI: HPE ProCurve is cost-effective, featuring competitive pricing which significantly reduces initial setup costs and ensures a quicker ROI. Cisco Catalyst Switches, despite a higher initial cost, offer superior long-term performance and advanced security features that justify the investment over time by providing substantial ROI.

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. HPE ProCurve

January 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

173

Ranking in other categories

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

HPE ProCurve

Ranking in LAN Switching

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 30.6%, down from 31.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProCurve is 12.2%, down from 13.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

SameerBali

Network Architect at Syriatel Mobile Telecom

Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed

I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide. Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world. I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.

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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

"The most valuable features are the Stacking and the capacity of the switches because they have more throughput. Layer 2 is also part of its rich feature set."

"The CLI is pretty much the same across all switching and routing platforms from Cisco, making deployment of new switches, replacement of damaged equipment, or upgrades to newer platforms very easy."

"The product offers very good routing and ranking capabilities."

"The solution is easy to implement and quick to deploy."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuring a switch."

"A very expandable solution."

"One good feature is UPOE. Another is having a built-in controller, the customer doesn't have to ask for another controller. For example, you get a built-in controller with the C650. And two-port is one of the premium factors from Cisco."

"It has become easier for us to troubleshoot and find issues faster in the management software for the switches. It saves us troubleshooting time because if the network is down it has a big impact on production."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"HPE ProCurve is used to connect servers and storage in the data center."

"HPE ProCurve is very complex for junior engineers and beginners. You need a lot of experience in managing switches in order to use this switch."

"It is easy to deploy."

"Its easy manageability is most valuable. It's easy to manage."

"In my experience, the scalability has been good."

"Inter-VLAN is a great feature."

"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."

"The LAN features give us exactly what we need."

More HPE ProCurve pros

Cons

"The prices are high. It's more expensive than other similar options."

"Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement, because usually it requires to reboot the router to get them"

"They need to implement sFlow."

"First of all, there are some features that take a long time to get implemented, and other vendors have them for a long time before them. For example, it took a long time to have a way to commit change with the timer, so it gets undone if the user doesn't accept the change after it's done. Like, having to say the changes be done, and everything works fine. In the end, everything works fine, but it didn't exist. That's just an example of stuff that came late to Catalyst."

"The current catalyst is probably outdated so we will most likely move to the newer version of the solution soon."

"The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it."

"When users put Cisco Catalyst Switches in the same environment or infrastructure where other devices or products exist, like HPE, Aruba, and Ubiquiti, it doesn't work properly."

"Services should be improved."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"The product could improve scalability and support for advanced networking features."

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

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

"The pricing model could be improved in HPE ProCurve."

"I would like to see some kind of packet tracer where people can study how the switch is operating."

"The product could be cheaper."

"If you make a change and you disconnect yourself from the switch, you will create an issue."

"A few areas included in the network performance managers can be integrated into the solution's dashboard since it is the only area with a few concerns."

More HPE ProCurve cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Try to buy everything you need in bulk purchases and ask Cisco for volume discounts."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."

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

"It is reasonably priced because we have already conducted a tender, allowing Cisco and other vendors to compete for the best price."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches are a bit expensive."

"I don't see any price issue with Cisco. Whenever you buy a quality product, you always have a mindset of paying the premium amount. For any good product, you pay a premium amount, but that also means you are going to recover that premium over a period of time in terms of performance."

"It would be great for the user if Cisco lowered the prices for their routers and switches."

"This is an expensive product."

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 product is reasonably priced."

"HPE ProCurve products are reasonably priced."

"It provides quite good value for money."

"This is an expensive switch."

"You buy the switch and that's it."

"The price of this product is cheap."

More HPE ProCurve pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

64%

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

14%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

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?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.

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What do you like most about HPE ProCurve?

It is easy to deploy.

See all answers

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...

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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

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 23% of the time

Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 12% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 8% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

Aruba Instant On Switches vs HPE ProCurve

Compared 37% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs HPE ProCurve

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco FabricPath vs HPE ProCurve

Compared 3% of the time

More HPE ProCurve Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

January 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE ProCurve

January 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

January 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: January 2025.

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