Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper comparison

Cisco and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while SolarWinds is ranked #21. Cisco holds a 25.1% mindshare in NMA, compared to SolarWinds’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

6,085 Views
3,733 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Network Topology...

Read 1 SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper review

288 Views
208 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

SolarWinds Network Topology...

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Executive Summary

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

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Management Applications.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Management Applications Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

April 2025

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Helped 849,686 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

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (12th), Network Automation (2nd)

SolarWinds Network Topology...

Ranking in Network Management Applications

21st

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 25.1%, down from 29.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper is 1.6%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

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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Sumaiya Sirat

Student at Centennial College

Very user-friendly and stable

I'm still learning how the solution works, figuring out how to check reports and system information. I'm a student and customer of SolarWinds The tool seems to be widely used and I find it user-friendly The Network Topology Mapper is on the expensive side - it would be helpful if it were less…

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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

"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."

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

"The monitoring is very valuable to me."

"The solution has the capability to scale."

"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."

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

"Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."

"It enables monitoring of various components such as access points, switch cards, and other elements within the company's solutions."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"It's user-friendly."

Cons

"When it comes to deploying wireless fields, integrating defaults into the DNS interface can be challenging."

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

"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."

"They should include UTM features in the product."

"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."

"It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."

"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."

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

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"This is a relatively expensive product."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is very costly."

"The solution is expensive."

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

"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."

"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 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."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

16%

Computer Software Company

12%

Educational Organization

10%

Comms Service Provider

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.

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

The cost is very high.

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What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 11% 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 6% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Aruba Airwave vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 61% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Compared 39% of the time

More SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

April 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

April 2025

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper report

Download SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

SolarWinds NTM

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

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

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

April 2025

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We monitor all Network Management Applications reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.