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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
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
181
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (2nd), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
11th
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 May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.3%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.3%, 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 Switches4.3%
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.3%
Other92.4%
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

"There is a lot of improvement in the network segment after replacing the older switches. I have not seen any kind of issue with these switches since deployment. They are pretty much stable."
"The scalability is excellent."
"The 802.1X port security and other security features work well and help keep the network secure."
"We have dealt with Cisco's technical support in the past. They were especially helpful and very polite. They are always there if we need them and their insights are always excellent. I would say that we have been satisfied with the level of support we've gotten so far."
"It is easy to install."
"The solution is very easy to set up."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuring a switch."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable."
"When you buy a switch from Huawei, the switches come along with a lot of features that you do not need to pay extra money for."
"Huawei is very cost-effective and they have all the features, so I would not have a problem recommending it to anybody."
"They're straightforward to set up."
"The tool’s pricing is reasonable. It has a high throughput capacity."
"I advise people to use this solution because it's very conducive to tropical environments and can withstand very hot weather conditions."
"The solution is scalable."
"We don't have any issues with the security of Huawei Ethernet Switches."
"It is easy to understand all the features of Huawei Switches."
 

Cons

"The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."
"The solution could improve by allowing administrators to create scripts to help automate processes to make tasks easier."
"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."
"We have configurations for port channels between two facilities, and we cannot communicate between these two buildings. An SFP configuration uses one wire to send and receive the signal. It's opt-in. We cannot use it after the upgrade. What can we do in this situation? We already bought it."
"The cost is not reasonable. It is the highest cost in the market. The pricing needs to be reduced."
"The cost could be reduced. If they worked on lowering the price, they would be able to attract more customers."
"The pricing could be better. Cisco is quite expensive."
"The product must improve its security."
"The performance has been slow at times."
"There could be some improvement in the dashboards and that's something that could be included in the next update."
"We would always prefer if the solution were cheaper."
"The configuration could be improved and deployment should be easier."
"It wasn't that stable at all. We had lots of issues due to the definitions, or due to the way they set up VLANs or the types of VLANs."
"We would like to have a greater level of automation using this solution. The customer support could also be faster."
"I would like to see some improvements in the access layer switch that is available in Aruba."
"Huawei Switch can make further advancements, as the current CLI lacks functionality. The majority of tasks are performed through the CLI, making it difficult for those without technical expertise to work with. They should enhance the CLI of the access switches to make them more user-friendly. The GUI of the Ethernet Switches should also be improved to allow non-technical users to perform technical tasks with ease. Additionally, the documentation of the solution could improve."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"This is expensive, even when compared to competitors' products."
"Pricing could be cheaper as well."
"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."
"The pricing of these devices can be better."
"Pricing is an issue I have been facing, in comparison with HPE or Juniper. The Nexus series is out of the question right now. Scalability is more an issue on the pricing side and less on the technology side."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are a bit expensive."
"Compared to other brands, I think that the price is quite fair."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"It's a reasonable price, cheaper than some other vendors."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheap and cost around ten dollars."
"I rate the tool's pricing a five out of ten."
"The pricing is good so is rated an eight out of ten."
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"A cost-effective product"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business81
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
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 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...
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.
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: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.