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Cisco DNA Center vs NETSCOUT vSTREAM comparison

Cisco and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0, while NETSCOUT is ranked #79. Cisco holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NETSCOUT 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
NETSCOUT vSTREAM
Read 3 NETSCOUT vSTREAM reviews
  • 432 Views
  • 333 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco DNA Center and NETSCOUT vSTREAM are competing network management solutions. Cisco DNA Center is favored for its integration capabilities and ease of use, whereas NETSCOUT vSTREAM impresses with detailed data insights and effective tracking.

Features: Cisco DNA Center offers robust automation features, seamless integration with Cisco hardware, and tools for network optimization. These enhance both network visibility and operational efficiency. NETSCOUT vSTREAM provides comprehensive performance monitoring, in-depth analytics, and visibility across hybrid cloud environments. A key differentiator is Cisco's focus on automation, while NETSCOUT emphasizes rich analytical insights.

Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could benefit from expanding device compatibility, improving intuitive user controls, and enhancing real-time alerting systems. NETSCOUT vSTREAM might refine its user interface, streamline the complexity of its reporting tools, and accelerate data processing speeds to improve user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center is praised for its straightforward deployment process and strong customer support, making setup more manageable. NETSCOUT vSTREAM, while having a more complex deployment model, provides detailed guides and experienced customer service for integrated troubleshooting support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center has higher initial costs but promises substantial long-term ROI through productivity-enhancing integration and automation. NETSCOUT vSTREAM offers a cost-effective setup with ROI driven by its analytic strengths, providing strategic operational benefits over time.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM
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)
NETSCOUT vSTREAM
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
79th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 NETSCOUT vSTREAM is 0.3%, down from 0.3% 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
MM
Troubleshooting at the packet level helps us resolve issues more quickly
The solution provides increased visibility during an IT deployment. It enables us to troubleshoot a service when it is down. As we expand our company, more users are using the tool to quickly resolve issues. It helps us and them get to root cause quickly. For example, last week a DNS was not running anymore. We checked the packet and saw that there was a buffer overload. It has cut our overall troubleshooting time. Sometimes it took a month to troubleshoot something that we can now do within days. nGenius has helped increase application or network uptime. The DNS I mentioned is now a better server with more capacity than before, because of our troubleshooting. We see a measurable decrease in mean time to know and mean time to repair. We see that when our customers are using this tool, their stability on the link is getting better and better, every time they use it. Also, we use the solution for unified communication application performance and it helps with uptime and end-user experience. Sometimes the quality of voice calls is not good enough, so we use the Media Monitor to check the quality in real-time.
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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

"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."
"The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."
"It gives us automation capabilities for pushing out the configuration to branch networks. It also provides visibility into the health of user network devices."
"The product gives a consolidated view."
"What's most valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the ability to manage any Cisco infrastructure and device through it. Setup was straightforward."
"Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."
"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."
"DNA Center is scalable."
More Cisco DNA Center pros
"One of the valuable features is the packet decoding."
"vSTREAM gives us better visibility and reporting about our network infrastructure, allowing for cost-optimization."
 

Cons

"As a user, it would be good if I could plug in controllers, suites, and devices from other vendors to Cisco DNA Center."
"The product has many features that do not work properly."
"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 features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."
"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."
"There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that you can have in your network, and this has caused us problems with some customers."
"The cost is very high."
"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."
More Cisco DNA Center cons
"I would like for it to have a smaller footprint of the virtual appliance and better performance."
"I would like to see improvements made to the user guide."
"Room for improvement exists in filtering in the packet decode."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."
"The tool is medium-priced."
"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."
"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."
"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."
"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."
More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
"Licensing is quite expensive."
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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
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
12%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
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?
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
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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
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE vs NETSCOUT vSTREAM Logo
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE vs NETSCOUT vSTREAM
Compared 100% of the time
More NETSCOUT vSTREAM Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center
May 2025
Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
Buyer's Guide
Network Monitoring Software
April 2025
NETSCOUT vSTREAM reportDownload NETSCOUT vSTREAM product report
 

Also Known As

DNA Center
vSTREAM
 

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 vSTREAM virtual appliance complements existing Adaptive Session Intelligence (ASI)-based instrumentation to provide the same level of visibility within virtualized and cloud infrastructures that is already possible in physical environments. The vSTREAM virtual appliance is ideal for monitoring service-critical traffic running within virtualized or cloud infrastructures, either locally on a host or as an aggregation point for multiple hosts. With complete visibility across physical, virtual and cloud networks, the vSTREAM virtual appliance presents real-time views of end-to-end call trace data and network-wide KPIs, to protect the reliability and availability of networks and application services.

NETSCOUT
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Metropolitan Police Agency, Banpara, PropertyRoom.com
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM
April 2025
Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco DNA Center vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
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