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Cisco DNA Center vs DX Performance Management comparison

Cisco and Broadcom are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0, while Broadcom is ranked #56 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Broadcom’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.
Cisco DNA Center
Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews
  • 1,823 Views
  • 1,148 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
DX Performance Management
Read 32 DX Performance Management reviews
  • 423 Views
  • 258 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

DX Performance Management and Cisco DNA Center compete in the network management space. Cisco DNA Center has an upper hand due to its extensive features, which justify its higher cost compared to DX Performance Management's advantage in support and pricing.

Features: DX Performance Management specializes in performance analytics, network performance optimization, and resource management reporting. Cisco DNA Center offers advanced network automation, enhanced security features, and capabilities for seamless integration and scalability in complex networks.

Room for Improvement: DX Performance Management could enhance its automation tools, improve integration with diverse platforms, and expand its security features. Cisco DNA Center might focus on simplifying its configuration process, offering more competitive pricing, and streamlining user interfaces to improve usability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: DX Performance Management provides straightforward deployment with personalized customer service, meeting user needs effectively. Cisco DNA Center offers detailed setup guides and responsive support, benefiting from structured deployment frameworks for various network environments.

Pricing and ROI: DX Performance Management offers lower initial setup costs, which provide a quicker ROI for cost-focused businesses. Cisco DNA Center demands higher upfront investment but yields significant returns, particularly beneficial for larger, complex networks.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. DX Performance Management Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center vs. DX Performance Management
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 DNA Center
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)
DX Performance Management
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
56th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Infrastructure Capacity Planning (2nd), DX NetOps (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of DX Performance Management is 0.2%, down from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features
The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.
Read full review
Sandip Kheni - PeerSpot reviewer
The vertical database loads faster than any other product available
We experience disconnections between the solutions own components. In the last five years, there have been many intermittent connection issues with the four components and we still don't know the reasons. The solution has issues when loading groups that have been created in the application interfaces. It would be nice to have a mobile application. In the current industry and technical word, the mobile phone is the only thing that is always in your hands. Other Broadcom products have mobile applications but the solution doesn't offer one. It would be great to view device parameters and view or download graphs from a mobile device.
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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

"I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network."
"It enables monitoring of various components such as access points, switch cards, and other elements within the company's solutions."
"Automation helps configure devices without manual intervention, enabling zero-touch provisioning."
"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."
"The product gives a consolidated view."
"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."
"What's most valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the ability to manage any Cisco infrastructure and device through it. Setup was straightforward."
"Cisco is a leading network company."
More Cisco DNA Center pros
"You can create intelligent alerts so you have enough time to replace the router or interface before it's full. The same is applicable for CBQoS channels.​"
"Since the implementation of the tool, it has cut down on probably 60% of our outages and letting us know what is going on."
"Spectrum is very good at monitoring all network faults and configurations."
"It gave us one location, one place to do all of group administration, and to build dashboards, and device administration, inventory counts... it really reduced our overall administrative overhead."
"When we deployed it, right out of the box we were able to stand up Performance Management within two weeks, in our production environment, with full discovery and relevant information, actual information, that we could use in our command center, our 24/7 operations center."
"The ability to very quickly and graphically navigate around, being able to zoom in to a timeframe, apply it to all the other panels... are all very intuitive."
"Downloads and records are the most valuable features."
"My sales representative, I would not trade him in for the world. He has done a really good job. I am really happy with him.​"
More DX Performance Management pros
 

Cons

"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."
"Technical support could be better. The price could be better, and it could be more stable."
"The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."
"What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive."
"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."
"The solution's integration feature can be better."
"Requires more focus on the digital side of things."
"The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."
More Cisco DNA Center cons
"Product has issue collecting IP SLA data."
"It would be helpful if CA provided online training for its customers."
"​Global synchronization errors. Sometimes it just doesn't finish in time due to the load."
"Spectrum's topology view sometimes does not rebuild automatically when a device is shut down and reconnected. It requires manual discovery and rebuilding of the topology, which I hope can be improved."
"Policies could be improved."
"The solution could improve the database model. It is also not very good because they have a lot of interconnections with other data sources, such as NFA and VNA."
"I think it would be helpful having a more comprehensive set of certifications so that I could natively deploy devices to my environment and the tool would immediately recognize and immediately be able to provide relevant performance information without a lot of tuning on my part."
"When it goes through discovery, or whatever it is doing in the back-end that slows it down, sometimes we get some failures with it. ​"
More DX Performance Management cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."
"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."
"The product is very costly."
"Our licensing agreement is for three years."
"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."
"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."
"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."
"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."
More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
"Do your homework and know how many devices you will be managing out of the gate. Be sure to project what your growth will be each year."
"The tool's pricing is based on the number of network devices."
"We purchase a license to use the solution every three years and we have multiple contracts. They have been increasing the price annually. We have a baseline for three years and then we need to pay the difference from the baseline, and we are in the process of negotiating a new price for all the licenses we need. The price overall is affordable."
"They should provide more scalable licensing for the product."
"We were looking at other vendors in the marketplace for NetFlow, and CA just beat everybody else in price, cost, and the size to implement. ​"
"I like the licensing model because it's device-based."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Financial Services Firm
28%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?
The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?
The cost is very high.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
The system is working fine for me currently.
See all answers
What do you like most about DX Performance Management?
The tool helps us understand network performance.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for DX Performance Management?
The tool's pricing is based on the number of network devices.
See all answers
What needs improvement with DX Performance Management?
Spectrum's topology view sometimes does not rebuild automatically when a device is shut down and reconnected. It requires manual discovery and rebuilding of the topology, which I hope can be improved.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 11% of the time
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 7% of the time
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 5% of the time
More Cisco DNA Center Competitors
IBM SevOne Network Performance Management (NPM) vs DX Performance Management Logo
IBM SevOne Network Performance Management (NPM) vs DX Performance Management
Compared 42% of the time
SolarWinds AppOptics vs DX Performance Management Logo
SolarWinds AppOptics vs DX Performance Management
Compared 30% of the time
DX Spectrum vs DX Performance Management Logo
DX Spectrum vs DX Performance Management
Compared 28% of the time
More DX Performance Management Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center
May 2025
Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
Buyer's Guide
DX Performance Management
May 2025
DX Performance Management reportDownload DX Performance Management product report
 

Also Known As

DNA Center
CA Performance Management
 

Overview

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?
  • Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
  • Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
  • Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
  • Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
  • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
  • Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.
What benefits should users consider?
  • Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
  • Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
  • Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
  • Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco

CA Performance Management is a comprehensive and highly scalable network performance monitoring and analytics platform. It was built to meet the unique demands of big data and modern networks architectures, including highly dynamic and complex hybrid cloud and software-defined networks (SDN).

The platform is design to reduce complexity inherent in modern networks built across numerous technology stacks through advanced network performance monitoring and relationship mapping for improved operational assurance.

Combined with CA Virtual Network Assurance, the platform extends operator visibility through advanced discovery and network performance monitoring of highly sensitive cloud and multi-layered SDN networks and service chains.

Broadcom
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Jack Henry & Assoc, Target, CenturyLink, Bell Canada, BrightHouse Networks, Telus, Unisys, Verizon, Southern California Edison, GEICO, Fidelity Investments, Wells Fargo, American Family Insurance Group, Deutsche Telekom AG 
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center vs. DX Performance Management
April 2025
Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. DX Performance Management
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco DNA Center vs. DX Performance Management and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
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