Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper comparison

Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Download the complete report

Helped 885,264 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

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (19th), Network Automation (2nd)

SolarWinds Network Topology...

Ranking in Network Management Applications

12th

Average Rating

9.6

Reviews Sentiment

2.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 12.3%, down from 27.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper is 2.6%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco DNA Center	12.3%
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper	2.6%
Other	85.1%

Network Management Applications

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

reviewer2687874

Design Engineer at a wholesaler/distributor with 501-1,000 employees

Effective tools simplify network mapping and analysis

I can't really articulate any areas that could be improved with the product right offhand. Just as long as they keep it around, since I know things are going into subscription models. One thing we do appreciate about the tool is that it's essentially a perpetual tool. Once you purchase it and the Engineer's ToolBox, it's been beneficial, serving as another utility tool on the network. I can't think of anything specific offhand for how SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper could improve, because I treat it as a simple utility tool that serves those needs. It scans the network for SNMP and ICMP echoes to map the topologies of the existing network. It's a small utility tool that's very helpful and beneficial, another option for us to utilize, and while there's always room for more features, that typically comes with a cost that we have to weigh.

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

"It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."

"It is a stable solution."

"The most valuable features of Cisco DNA Center are wireless assurance and visibility."

"We have many people from the team who manage a lot of devices. By using Cisco DNA Center, it has taken some of that burden away, we are impressed with it. We did the investment in CAPEX, but in the OPEX was very low."

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

"Scalability in Cisco DNA Center is good; we are using it for Software-Defined Access solution, and we haven't reached our device limit yet— from my experience, we can easily manage numerous devices."

"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."

"The best feature of Cisco DNA Center is the visibility page, where you can see everything on the dashboard, and you don't have to be a technical person to view the issues."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"One of the best features of SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper is that it has over 60 utility tools to utilize, so it offers a lot of different features, more than I have time to discuss at this moment, making it a good extra set of utility tools that we can incorporate onto our network."

"It's user-friendly."

Cons

"It's quite good, however, it's not ideal for smaller organizations as it's cost-prohibitive."

"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."

"What I want to see in Cisco DNA Center in the future is more support for other platforms so that you can manage third-party products, such as Fortinet."

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

"I would like is to have a small information pointer available. It could be a plus feature that I want to implement. When I hover my mouse over the user interface, it should provide a brief explanation. It would be helpful to have it incorporated into the UI."

"The tool's IoT integration should be better."

"It's a very hard software to learn. It's very deep, and when we first got it, there wasn't a whole lot of documentation on it."

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

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"This is a relatively expensive product."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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 tool is medium-priced."

"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."

"The product is very costly."

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

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

Information not available

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Management Applications solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

885,264 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Educational Organization

13%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Construction Company

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.

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

After evaluating other solutions, we will provide feedback.

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

In my opinion, the client history in Cisco DNA Center can be longer than 10 days, perhaps extending to 15 or 20 days. I am using it in a huge factory in Turkey, and sometimes I need to see what occ...

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?

In general, I use it for scanning IT and OT devices for networks and laying out their topology mapping. The industry I use it for is manufacturing. We specifically don't use it as our network manag...

What advice do you have for others considering SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?

The Engineer's Toolset is something I use hand-in-hand with the Topology Mapper, and it complements it well. Regarding pricing and licensing with SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper, I haven't faced...

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Comparisons

Compared 9% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

DataMiner vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 25% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Center vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 19% of the time

LANCOM Management Cloud vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 9% of the time

IBM Tivoli NetCool vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 9% of the time

More SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper Competitors

Product Reports

Cisco DNA Center

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Network Management Applications

Download SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper product report

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper report

Also Known As

DNA Center

SolarWinds NTM

Overview

Cisco DNA Center delivers powerful centralized security, automation, and comprehensive analytics for enhanced network management. With an intuitive dashboard and integration with Cisco devices, it reduces errors, boosts efficiency, and ensures seamless wired and wireless network operations.

Organizations leverage Cisco DNA Center for network management and automation, offering increased visibility into traffic flows and efficient device provisioning. It supports real-time data transmission, network segmentation, and integrates with ISE. Features like wireless assurance, centralized management, and AI-driven insights into network health promote an efficient network environment while addressing compliance issues. However, improvements are necessary for better third-party integration, affordability, and more user-friendly documentation.

What are the solution's most important features?

Comprehensive Analytics: Provides in-depth network insights through real-time data.
Centralized Security: Unifies security management, offering enhanced protection.
Network Management: Simplifies device configuration and policy compliance.
Automation Capabilities: Reduces human error and facilitates efficient network operations.
AI-Driven Assurance: Delivers insights into network health for proactive management.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Increased Efficiency: Streamlines operations by reducing manual tasks.
Improved Security: Enhances protection through centralized policies.
Cost Effective: Simplifies management, potentially lowering operating costs.
Enhanced Visibility: Offers comprehensive data for better decision-making.

In industries like healthcare, finance, and education, Cisco DNA Center's advanced features facilitate the management of complex network infrastructures and aid in achieving compliance efficiently. Its ability to manage LANs and WLANs supports diverse networking environments including greenfield projects and SPN setups.

Cisco

Automate device discovery and mapping
Build multiple maps from a single scan
Export network diagrams to Visio
Auto-detect changes to network topology
Perform multi-level network discovery
Address regulatory PCI compliance

SolarWinds

Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper