Cisco DNA Center vs NinjaOne comparison

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Cisco DNA Center

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco DNA Center and NinjaOne are competing in network management. Cisco DNA Center holds the advantage in feature-richness and scaling capabilities while NinjaOne is known for cost-effectiveness and straightforward deployment.

Features: Cisco DNA Center offers network automation, assurance, and analytics, enhanced by robust security integrations and advanced telemetry insights. NinjaOne provides remote monitoring, endpoint management, and patch management, emphasizing IT management simplicity and broad capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could improve in reducing its deployment complexity, simplifying user interface navigation, and enhancing integration ease with third-party applications. NinjaOne might benefit from expanding its feature set to include more network-specific functionalities, increasing scalability for larger organizations, and adding deeper analytic tools for comprehensive insight.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center requires extensive deployment due to its complexity, and its support services can be complex to navigate. NinjaOne is known for quick setup and intuitive deployment, with customer support noted for responsiveness and simplicity.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center involves higher setup costs due to enterprise-grade features but offers significant ROI for large enterprises. NinjaOne's budget-friendly pricing model provides attractive ROI for smaller businesses needing efficient IT management solutions.

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

Cisco DNA Center vs. NinjaOne

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

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)

NinjaOne

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

29th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (11th), IT Service Management (ITSM) (7th), Remote Access (20th), Vulnerability Management (25th), Mobile Device Management (MDM) (5th), IT Alerting and Incident Management (11th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (1st), Patch Management (5th), MSP Backup (3rd), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (8th)

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 NinjaOne is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

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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Jörg Köhler

Owner at AvalisNT AG

Enhances remote access and integration with third-party tools

I use NinjaOne for managing smaller clients, specifically their devices and software, for small to medium businesses. I provide remote management services through NinjaOne. It allows clients to use NinjaOne for remote access to their computers for home office purposes. This feature is highly…

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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

"The automation features are significant, reducing configuration time. This means outstanding functionality. By deploying the controller automatically, the rest becomes automated"

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

"The product offers an intuitive and automated way to manage user networks. It gives me an insight into the network health."

"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."

"Cisco is a leading network company."

"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."

"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."

"It is a stable solution."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Good at managing updates and for remote support."

"The software's automation tools have solved critical deployment problems for small businesses."

"NinjaOne helps us view the status of software patching, whether the PC is locked or unlocked."

"A significant feature of NinjaOne is its remote access capability, which is essential for my clients’ home office usage."

"The most relevant feature is the monitoring, which provides built-in tools for sending commands."

"The best feature of NinjaOne is the SLA system. Every IT person can check their performance, how long it takes to resolve an issue, and how many SLAs are breached."

"The most important aspect of this tool is the security it provides our company."

"NinjaOne has a feature where we can create custom scripts that we can run on devices remotely."

More NinjaOne pros

Cons

"Technical support could be better. The price could be better, and it could be more stable."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."

"An area for improvement in Cisco DNA Center is the latency in data correlation. For example, sometimes, when an issue happens, and I check the logs, I can't find the corresponding log. There's a delay in log replication, so this is what needs improvement in Cisco DNA Center. Reporting in Cisco DNA Center could also be improved because it only has a few templates, and you can't customize it based on your requirements. There aren't many options available in Cisco DNA Center regarding reporting, versus Cisco Prime, which has excellent features for different levels of detailed reports. I'd like to see real-time data replication in the next release of Cisco DNA Center, similar to what's done in Meraki. Data in Meraki is real-time with no delay, so data is immediately replicated in the cloud. Currently, there's a lag in Cisco DNA Center, and addressing that lag is the enhancement I'd like to see in Cisco DNA Center. The solution also needs to be more user-friendly."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

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

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

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

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The inclusion of XENServer and Proxmox as virtual platforms in NinjaOne is currently missing."

"I would like to see more scripts for PowerShell commands."

"The NinjaOne distribution server is highly dependent on an active directory."

"The ticketing system in NinjaOne is not the best."

"Lacks sufficient integrations with other PSAs."

"The solution could improve by optimizing the internet connection being used."

"I want NinjaOne to improve the reports."

"The inclusion of XENServer and Proxmox as virtual platforms in NinjaOne is currently missing."

More NinjaOne cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

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

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

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

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is reasonable and cheaper than ConnectWise."

"We currently pay $1.20 per device on a monthly basis."

"NinjaOne's price is fine since my workplace is an educational institution, so we get the product at a really good price considering that we do not pay taxes, making the prices very fair and worth the product."

"We got a pretty good deal. It was fairly affordable."

"I rate the solution’s pricing a five out of ten, where one is the lowest and ten is the most expensive."

"NinjaRMM uses a subscription model."

"Its pricing is great."

"It roughly costs $400 a month. It provides a good value because of the number of tools that you get in the solution. I would rate it a four out of five in terms of pricing. There are no additional costs other than the standard licensing fees."

More NinjaOne pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

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.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

The cost is very high.

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

What do you like most about NinjaOne?

NinjaOne helps us view the status of software patching, whether the PC is locked or unlocked.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NinjaOne?

The price or licensing of NinjaOne is a little bit high.

What needs improvement with NinjaOne?

The network monitoring needs to be improved.

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Product Reports

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Cisco DNA Center

May 2025

Download NinjaOne product report

April 2025

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

NinjaOne automates the hardest parts of IT, delivering visibility, security, and control over all endpoints for more than 20,000 customers.The NinjaOne automated endpoint management platform is proven to increase productivity, reduce security risk, and lower costs for IT teams and managed service providers. The company seamlessly integrates with a wide range of IT and security technologies. NinjaOne is obsessed with customer success and provides free and unlimited onboarding, training, and support. - Learn more here: https://www.ninjaone.com/

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Status Pros, Mitchell and Company