Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds ipMonitor comparison

Cisco and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.2, while SolarWinds is ranked #75 with an average rating of 6.0. Cisco holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 43 Cisco DNA Center reviews

7,884 Views
1,892 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

SolarWinds ipMonitor

Read 2 SolarWinds ipMonitor reviews

344 Views
224 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

SolarWinds ipMonitor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

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

Find out in this report how the two Network Monitoring Software solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds ipMonitor Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds ipMonitor

September 2025

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Helped 869,760 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 Monitoring Software

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

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

SolarWinds ipMonitor

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

75th

Average Rating

6.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (55th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds ipMonitor is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco DNA Center	1.4%
SolarWinds ipMonitor	0.2%
Other	98.4%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Mahir Öztürk

Network Engineer at NGN Bilgi ve İletişim Hizmetleri

Client history has helped resolve past network issues more efficiently

I mostly use the client history feature of Cisco DNA Center. I didn't use the real-time monitoring capability of Cisco DNA Center because I primarily used it for client history regarding issues and problems. I don't use it for real-time monitoring. If there is a problem, I can inspect the situation and see what is happening, which is beneficial.

Read full review

Masud Alam

Manager at Optimum Origens Inc.

IP address management improves network efficiency but licensing cost could decrease

We are using SolarWinds for NPM and NCM, and we use IP address management for IP address monitoring. It helps us track which IP address is live and which is not. It also provides DHCP reservation and allows us to declare IP addresses for our integration. We have been using it for IP address…

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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

"What I found valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the Software-Defined Access Network, so the entire LAN network can be centralized and managed from a single dashboard. Cisco DNA Center is suitable for centralized management and lets you deploy switches in a centralized fashion. You can also do multiple switch port configurations simultaneously and segregate your traffic into multiple fabrics. Another valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is enhanced security through Scalable Group Tags. Cisco DNA Center can be integrated with your Cisco ISE to enhance the port securities, and this paves the way for Software-Defined Networking in the LAN segment, which is the main advantage of Cisco DNA Center. I also like that you can use Cisco DNA Center for data assurance or correlation. The solution shows your network and client health parameters, which I find convenient for troubleshooting."

"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 most valuable features include AI-driven insights which make troubleshooting much easier."

"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."

"We can monitor all devices and get the required information using the product."

"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."

"The product's most valuable feature is the visual representation of the switch's front panel."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"IPAM is used for IP address reservation and tracking, helping us easily identify live IP addresses."

"The most valuable feature is the availability of end devices."

"IPAM is used for IP address reservation and tracking, helping us easily identify live IP addresses."

Cons

"Requires more focus on the digital side of things."

"What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive."

"They should include UTM features in the product."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"The solution needs to improve the dashboard."

"The cost is very high."

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

"Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The licensing cost is high compared to open source tools."

"The solution does not include enough features and has some performance issues."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool is medium-priced."

"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."

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

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."

"Affordability is a problem because it's created for large enterprises only. So, some customers, even if their engineers want the solution, might have problems with budget limitations."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The solution is a bit expensive because the annual license does not include new features that are priced as add-ons."

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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	25

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 ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds ipMonitor?

The licensing cost is high compared to other open-source tools. Being a corporate client, we require corporate licensing, which adds to the cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SolarWinds ipMonitor?

The licensing cost is high compared to open source tools. The state monitoring tools could be improved with AI integration to track IP usage history. There is no local support; we must contact thei...

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What is your primary use case for SolarWinds ipMonitor?

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 16% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

SolarWinds NPM vs SolarWinds ipMonitor

Compared 100% of the time

More SolarWinds ipMonitor Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

October 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

October 2025

Download SolarWinds ipMonitor product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

ipMonitor

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

Monitor network devices, servers, VMware hosts and applications from one console
Receive alerts for availability and performance issues
Monitor network status on maps and NOC view
Minimize downtime by automating remediation actions
Enhance monitoring with built-in reports and dashboards

SolarWinds

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds ipMonitor

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds ipMonitor

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds ipMonitor and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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