Cisco Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches comparison

Cisco and H3C are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8, while H3C is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 12.4% mindshare in ES, compared to H3C’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of H3C users who would recommend it.

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Read 136 Cisco Ethernet Switches reviews

12,875 Views
12,875 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

H3C Ethernet Switches

Read 9 H3C Ethernet Switches reviews

2,211 Views
2,189 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Ethernet Switches

H3C Ethernet Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Cisco and H3C compete in the Ethernet switch market, with Cisco generally having an advantage in performance and flexibility, while H3C is preferred for its affordability and warranty offerings.

Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches feature a power-saving design, MACSec encryption for enhanced security, and StackPower technology. They offer flexible remote management protocols and support for a range of standards and routing protocols. H3C Ethernet Switches are known for their reliability and cost-effectiveness, offering advanced routing and redundancy, ideal for budget-conscious users.

Room for Improvement: Cisco faces challenges with complex licensing, high pricing, and compatibility issues with third-party systems, often requiring skilled professionals for setup. H3C could enhance its user interface and provide more accessible configuration tools to address perceptions of a technological gap with Western standards.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco offers flexible deployment for hybrid cloud and on-premises environments, with overall good technical support despite occasional inconsistencies. H3C primarily supports on-premises deployments but is recognized for reliable support, with limited need due to product reliability. Both brands achieve similar customer satisfaction levels.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco is known for higher prices with significant licensing costs, though they often provide a strong ROI due to durability and reliability. H3C, with prices around $500 per unit, offers competitive and affordable options targeting SMBs, with no additional subscription costs, appealing to cost-conscious buyers seeking solid long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches

September 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 Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

136

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

H3C Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 12.4%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of H3C Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches	12.4%
H3C Ethernet Switches	2.6%
Other	85.0%

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung

Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies

Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases

I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.

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SHARIQ ALI SHAH

Manager Sales at Megaplus

Enhanced network management and good performance with vital IMC features

The primary use case is about managing network infrastructure. The H3C Ethernet Switches are used internally as switches in the system H3C Ethernet Switches have improved network performance significantly when compared to middle-class networks. The solution has been cost-effective, being much…

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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 Ethernet Switches have good performance."

"The layer-2 switching is very fast."

"The security of the switches is pretty impressive. There are many security features available on the product."

"You get good support for Cisco Ethernet Switches versus other products in the market."

"The most valuable feature is the performance."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very stable product."

"The solution is a high-end router that can handle a huge network with tons of traffic."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the performance of the product."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"H3C Ethernet Switches have a fast delivery time."

"Offering a five-year warranty, compared to competitors' one-year warranties, is a unique advantage of H3C switches."

"A good high-performance solution."

"To date, it has proven to be highly reliable. We have encountered no issues or challenges with it thus far."

"Network performance is very good, suggesting that stability has not been an issue."

"H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution."

"We can configure the switch stack on the internet. Other vendors do not offer this facility. It is fast and easy to manage."

"The IMC feature is valuable."

More H3C Ethernet Switches pros

Cons

"The solution is expensive."

"In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions."

"The ease of use of Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve. It is different to use them if you do not have prior knowledge."

"The pricing should be reduced so that they are more competitive."

"Technical support could be better. Firmware upgrades should be better. We have an issue with upgrading the firmware. It's not upgradable. I think it should be easy to improve and upgrade the firmware."

"Cisco's equipment is expensive, especially since it introduced the obligatory purchase of Cisco DNA."

"Technical support for integrations with other network products is insufficient and should be improved."

"An improvement would be to change their market intention. Almost all the Cisco switches are now coming with a license called DNA. D for Delta, N for number and A for apple. That feature is required, he must purchase it and it is a mandatory thing that has been introduced. This is not matching with the Asian market."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"GUI needs to merge with CLI."

"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."

"Lacks decent cloud management."

"To enhance H3C switches for the next release, improving the user interface is crucial."

"The solution’s stability could be improved."

"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."

"There should be more public tools for configuration and comparing products."

"The only improvement needed is the significantly better lead time for delivery compared to other American products. In terms of technology, there isn't much difference, especially since X3 is a subsidiary of XP, and they use the same technology. However, the delivery time is notably better."

More H3C Ethernet Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."

"Cisco is an industry leader, but the price is very high."

"The product is expensive."

"Cisco now has more products that are priced for small businesses, so they do have some cheaper models."

"Its price is very high, but it is a good device. Cisco must work on its price. Other solutions provide a better price for similar functionalities."

"The price is a bit on the high side."

"While Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees, its overall features and support community make it a solid choice."

"When we want an extra feature then we need to purchase another license bundle."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"H3C Ethernet Switches is targeted for SMBs because it's cheaper compared to Huawei switches."

"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."

"H3C Ethernet Switches are reasonably priced."

"The pricing is very affordable, making it a not-so-expensive choice. On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I would rate it a seven."

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Comparison Review

it_user82779

Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Jan 29, 2014

Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco

Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	58
Midsize Enterprise	36
Large Enterprise	53

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

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Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?

We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...

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In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...

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What do you like most about H3C Ethernet Switches?

H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution.

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What needs improvement with H3C Ethernet Switches?

There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for H3C Ethernet Switches?

The primary use case is about managing network infrastructure. The H3C Ethernet Switches are used internally as switches in the system.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

September 2025

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

August 2025

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Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

No data available

Overview

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

Cisco

H3C S5560 High Performance Ethernet Switch is the latest development of Gigabit speed Layer 3 Ethernet switch. This powerful and highly secure series switch is built based on industry-leading high performance hardware architecture and H3C Comware V7 platform. It supports diversified services, high capacity GE access port as well as high density 10GE uplink, which meet the requirements for high density campus access and high performance aggregation.

H3C

Sample Customers

Linz AG

Ying Wa College, Centro Digital Pictures

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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