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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Huawei Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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 Ethernet Switches
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
187
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
13th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.2%
Other92.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MS
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance
Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.
Muhammad Kabir Salihu - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Director at NITDA
Cost-effective performance enhanced by security features with easy configurations
I mainly use Huawei Switches and also work with Huawei Wireless. I deal with both Huawei and Cisco Switches, and I find Huawei to be more cost-effective Huawei has helped to save costs and is cost-effective, which also helps save time for the company. The performance of Huawei is good, and it…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco provides very good support services."
"It's got one feature, and that's handling extreme temperatures."
"I would recommend this solution; it is a good product and there are a lot of users of Cisco solutions in Pakistan."
"Cisco has a really good option, a one-dashboard option for maintaining and surveilling your entire network."
"Scalable product."
"Cisco delivers when it comes to business value."
"The solution is very stable and the performance is good."
"We decreased budgets on the support corporate network and increased user satisfaction."
"This product is competitive technically with the best products in the class."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are functional. It has a good response to resolve issues."
"The most valuable feature is the audit systems. I also like that it can synchronize on the alternate configuration of products together at the same time."
"The functionality is basically the same as Cisco."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The most valuable features are that it is easy to use, easy to configure, it's priced well, and the operating system is easy to understand."
"It is straightforward to set up, the solution is stable and the performance is good, we can scale the solution, and we have found the pricing to be reasonable."
"The solution is very inexpensive, the documentation is very good, and technical support is also very good."
 

Cons

"The solution offers a bit of complexity and you need a specialized workforce."
"The solution's stability is questionable."
"I have experienced some downtime crashes occasionally."
"The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."
"The product is expensive."
"Reducing the price would be an improvement."
"I would like to see the integration of the 2960 SX switches. I would also like to see more information about them."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly."
"The only thing that could be better is the security module."
"We had a few issues with integration."
"Presently, the solution doesn't offer any AI integrations with the product hardware."
"Dashboard could be improved."
"The tool's support is not good, making it an area where improvements are required."
"I've found that the Huawei switches around the core fail, or at least the 9300 series do. I've had to move to Cisco."
"The documentation needs to be better"
"One of the problems with Huawei is that when you receive a product quote from one of the vendors, you cannot get prices from the other ones because they register your request with Huawei."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"These switches are expensive."
"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."
"The price can definitely be lower."
"Cisco's prices are not cheap, but the stability is worth it."
"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."
"The pricing should be improved."
"The price could always be lower."
"​The price should go down instead of up. ​"
"The tool's price is affordable and I would rate it a five out of ten. The prices are fixed with no additional cost involved."
"The price is one of the only issues I have regarding this solution."
"The pricing is good. Still, I can choose a cheaper solution that offers a good value."
"We have a one-year license. There are no additional costs besides the licensing fee."
"The pricing is good so is rated an eight out of ten."
"I would say that the product is cost-effective."
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"From the initial purchase, you will pay for a license and you do not need to pay for a license again. The price depends on the size of the infrastructure."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business83
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise85
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise20
 

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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
Those aspects regarding pricing, setup, cost, and licensing are managed by management, so I am not directly involved.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I believe that Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved by being given AI capability and advanced licensing, which would be beneficial.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands.
What needs improvement with Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion.
What is your primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches is for network purposes, including SaaS services.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
Newcastle University, Jingyang District of Deyang City in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, Glasgow Rangers Soccer Team, RMIT, Insurance Industry Association of Zhejiang Province, China, APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT)
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.