Cisco DNA Center vs Fortinet FortiManager comparison

Cisco and Fortinet are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while Fortinet is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.9. Cisco holds a 25.1% mindshare in NMA, compared to Fortinet’s 5.5% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

6,085 Views
3,733 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiManager

Read 66 Fortinet FortiManager reviews

912 Views
680 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Fortinet FortiManager

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

Fortinet FortiManager and Cisco DNA Center compete in centralized security and network management. Cisco DNA Center has the upper hand in network visibility and analytics, while FortiManager excels in the centralized management of Fortinet environments.

Features: Fortinet FortiManager provides centralized management for up to 100,000 devices with automation for deployments and policy creation. Its integration with Fortinet solutions offers seamless zero-touch provisioning and management capabilities. Cisco DNA Center excels in automation and provides comprehensive network visibility and analytics, enhancing security integration with Cisco devices.

Room for Improvement: FortiManager users report issues with documentation, real-time troubleshooting, and integration with external products. The VPN manager and user interface could be more intuitive. Cisco DNA Center experiences challenges with pricing, integration with non-Cisco products, and more detailed failure reporting, alongside desires for improvement in flexible configurations and intuitive interfaces.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both FortiManager and Cisco DNA Center offer on-premises deployment options, with FortiManager additionally thriving in cloud environments. FortiManager provides solid technical support, though sometimes lacking in speed and expertise. Cisco's support is more dependable but at a higher cost, providing consistent customer service due to its global reach.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiManager is seen as affordable with pricing flexibility based on device numbers, offering a significant ROI by optimizing management tasks. Cisco DNA Center, perceived as expensive, offers value in centralized management for large enterprises but may deter smaller businesses due to its cost. While offering comprehensive management tools, Cisco's high pricing impacts its ROI perception.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. Fortinet FortiManager Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Fortinet FortiManager

April 2025

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Helped 849,686 peers since 2012

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 Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (12th), Network Automation (2nd)

Fortinet FortiManager

Ranking in Network Management Applications

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 25.1%, down from 29.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiManager is 5.5%, up from 4.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

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.

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HamedWasel

Senior Network Security Engineer at Orange

Easy to set up with good integration capabilities but we've had troubles when moving devices

We've faced an issue when we need to move devices. Templates need to be recreated instead of having the policies, et cetera, cut and pasted over. Everything should just move over when we need to move devices instead of recreating everything from scratch. For the IPSEC tunnels, Fortimanager doesn't have all of the features that are available on Fortigate.

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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

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"The solution has the capability to scale."

"Has a good processing feature with a high level of accuracy."

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

"Cisco VXLAN is a protocol that has been around for some time, but the practical implementation and operational capability of Cisco DNA Center bring it to life."

"Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

"It gives us automation capabilities for pushing out the configuration to branch networks. It also provides visibility into the health of user network devices."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"FortiManager enables us to set unified firewall policies from one centralized dashboard, reducing human error. If you do not have a central dashboard, there's a chance you might set a policy on one firewall and forget to do it for another."

"FortiManager helps automate configuration deployment, allowing us to plan and schedule configurations."

"Fortinet has the option of synchronization in the cloud, so you can manage everything if you have a cloud account."

"The SD-WAN deployment environment, and the SD-WAN templates are particularly useful. Managing the solution is very intuitive. The initial setup of the solution was very straightforward."

"Central management system for Fortinet devices that's simple, scalable, and stable, with a straightforward setup."

"Everybody is quite happy with the way that the graphical user interface works."

"The central management feature is the most valuable to me."

"Without FortiManager, you cannot manage a complex environment across several sites with multiple firewalls."

More Fortinet FortiManager pros

Cons

"Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."

"The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."

"The solution’s security side could be improved."

"The weaknesses primarily involve pricing and the ongoing need for increased bandwidth and data throughput."

"There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates."

"They can improve the network visibility. Licensing and its maintenance are also needed."

"The features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."

"It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Issues arise when customers experience unstable electricity or poor grounding conditions."

"Fortinet is releasing quite a lot of new versions and I would say that most of the versions are not well tested before they're pushed out. Even the new versions sometimes are a bit buggy before it's all correct."

"Can be difficult to configure."

"The graphics interface between Fortinet FortiManager and any Forti products should be standardized."

"You cannot integrate with other solutions."

"I prefer configuring rules and the VPN on the standalone device, not on the manager."

"FortiManager could improve by making it easier to port larger policy packages to the FortiGate firewalls. Sometimes, there's an issue when we install a big package of policies. If you have a couple thousand policies for FortiGate firewalls, it can take a few minutes to receive a response from the remote devices. It's only an issue when you're dealing with thousands of policies and installing them on a large number of devices."

"The GUI is not ideal."

More Fortinet FortiManager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."

"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."

"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."

"The solution is expensive."

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"I hope that the prices will become more competitive in subsequent releases, as the current pricing is perceived as somewhat elevated."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."

"The pricing is based on a licensing model by feature."

"Fortinet FortiManager is not expensive at all if you compare it with other vendors like Check Point and Cisco. Fortinet products are the least expensive on the market in the category of firewalls."

"Fortinet FortiManager is a low-priced product."

"Fortinet FortiManager can be expensive."

"The pricing model is affordable."

"The solution requires you to have a license for every device, as well as for any advanced features being used, which makes it costly for high-volume users. However, for a large-scale environment with a lot of customers we have found it to be a worthwhile investment."

More Fortinet FortiManager pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

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 Fortinet FortiManager?

The most valuable feature is the centralized management console.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiManager?

Pricing is reasonable and does not pose challenges.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiManager?

The graphical user interface could use improvement as it appears complex and not user-friendly. Better integration of Fortinet ADC into FortiManager would be beneficial.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

NetBrain vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 68% of the time

Fortinet FortiOS vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 9% of the time

AlgoSec vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 4% of the time

Fortinet FortiWeb vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 3% of the time

Zabbix vs Fortinet FortiManager

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiManager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

April 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiManager

April 2025

Download Fortinet FortiManager product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

No data available

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

Fortinet FortiManager is used for centralized management of FortiGate firewalls, utilizing zero-touch deployment techniques to optimize configuration and deployment, reducing installation time and errors while improving network security and efficiency.

By centralizing policy management and monitoring across devices and locations, Fortinet FortiManager enhances security and operational efficiency. Automation tools simplify management, control, and consistent configuration across environments. It offers scalability for managing large numbers of devices, beneficial for organizations seeking unified threat protection and streamlined administration from one console. The platform integrates effortlessly with Fortinet products, supporting zero-touch provisioning, SD-WAN, and traffic analysis. Although intuitive, the graphical interface and overall performance require refinement, alongside enhanced support and documentation for troubleshooting and configuration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiManager?

Centralized Management: Streamlines device configuration across multiple systems.
Automation Tools: Simplifies implementation and maintenance of configurations.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Reduces setup time and minimizes errors.
SD-WAN Support: Enhances wide-area network efficiency and effectiveness.
Traffic Analysis: Monitors network traffic for improved security insights.
Policy Pushing: Facilitates efficient deployment of security rules.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Operational Efficiency: Reduces installation time and configuration errors.
Scalability: Supports management of numerous devices.
Improved Security: Centralized management enhances threat protection.
Time Savings: Automation reduces manual intervention needs.
Cost-Effectiveness: Simplified administration can lower management costs.

Fortinet FortiManager is implemented across diverse industries like telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, where centralized management and enhanced security are crucial. Its ability to streamline processes and integrate with existing Fortinet products makes it ideal for organizations looking to maintain robust network security standards.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Fortinet FortiManager

April 2025

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