Cisco DNA Center vs Forward Enterprise comparison

Cisco and Forward Networks are both solutions in the Network Automation category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.2, while Forward Networks is ranked #18. Cisco holds a 12.8% mindshare in NA, compared to Forward Networks’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Forward Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 42 Cisco DNA Center reviews

8,314 Views
1,746 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Forward Enterprise

Read 1 Forward Enterprise review

286 Views
232 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Forward Enterprise

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco DNA Center and Forward Enterprise based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Cisco, VMware and others in Network Automation.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Automation Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

August 2025

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Helped 866,561 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 Automation

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (11th)

Forward Enterprise

Ranking in Network Automation

18th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (23rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 12.8%, down from 16.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Forward Enterprise is 2.5%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco DNA Center	12.8%
Forward Enterprise	2.5%
Other	84.7%

Network Automation

Featured Reviews

Ahmed Helmy

Sr. Director, Business Development & Sales Operations at connect professional services

Experience unified visibility and monitoring for enterprise campus and significant time savings and enhanced troubleshooting with reliable support

We have been working with Cisco DNA Center for ten years. Our clients use Cisco DNA Center for unified visibility/monitoring across Enterprise Campus both LAN & WLAN along with Access and fast technical issues troubleshooting The solution provides fast troubleshooting capabilities and fast…

Read full review

Rozita Ahmadi

IT Architectural System Expert at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

Plenty of useful features, and simple implementation

Forward Enterprise has improved the way my organization functions All the features are valuable in Forward Enterprise. Forward Enterprise could improve by increasing flexibility. Additionally, there should be an Android version or desktop. I have been using Forward Enterprise for approximately…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I think that their LAN automation is a very good feature."

"I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network."

"People like to use the dashboards to get an overview of their network."

"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."

"DNA Center is scalable."

"Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."

"Cisco is a leading network company."

"The product gives a consolidated view."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"All the features are valuable in Forward Enterprise."

Cons

"The solution's setup process needs enhancement."

"The tool's deployment is complex. It also needs to improve its GUI."

"From the recent DNA point of view, there are some stability challenges with Cisco, but very minor."

"One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."

"The product has many features that do not work properly."

"They should include UTM features in the product."

"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Forward Enterprise could improve by increasing flexibility. Additionally, there should be an Android version or desktop."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"It is an expensive solution."

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

"We have a three-year license with them."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

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

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

"The product is very costly."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"We pay for the solution annually."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	24

No data available

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?

After evaluating other solutions, we will provide feedback.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

We have utilized the software-defined access (SDA) feature of Cisco DNA Center. The AI-driven needs enhancements and Integration and unification of visibility and monitoring to include other areas ...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 15% 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

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

NetBrain vs Forward Enterprise

Compared 100% of the time

More Forward Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

August 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

August 2025

Download Forward Enterprise 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

The company provides a robust network assurance and verification platform to reduce business risk and improve network operations.

Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Cisco, VMware and others in Network Automation. Updated: August 2025.

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