Cisco MDS Series vs NetApp AFF A-Series comparison

Cisco and NetApp are both solutions in the Enterprise SAN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 10.0, while NetApp is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.7. Cisco holds a 6.7% mindshare in ES, compared to NetApp’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NetApp users who would recommend it.

Cisco MDS Series

Read 9 Cisco MDS Series reviews

991 Views
922 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

NetApp AFF A-Series

Read 8 NetApp AFF A-Series reviews

580 Views
209 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco MDS Series

NetApp AFF A-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco MDS Series and NetApp AFF A-Series based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco MDS Series vs. NetApp AFF A-Series Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco MDS Series vs. NetApp AFF A-Series

March 2026

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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 MDS Series

Ranking in Enterprise SAN

4th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NetApp AFF A-Series

Ranking in Enterprise SAN

5th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

All-Flash Storage (19th)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 6.7%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp AFF A-Series is 2.4%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco MDS Series	6.7%
NetApp AFF A-Series	2.4%
Other	90.9%

Enterprise SAN

Featured Reviews

OğuzKalaycı

system engineer at Yaşar Holding

Ensures consistent availability during updates and integrates seamlessly

I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections The product is very stable and performs well. During the update periods, the devices do not need to reload, ensuring constant availability. It is easy to set up and use. I do not have a central management…

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Chetan-Patil

Service Advisor at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Customer support excels with quick escalations and problem-solving capabilities

NetApp AFF A-Series is faster and more robust compared to the all-flash storage of NetApp. Its deduplication feature is also quite good. Additionally, in terms of support, NetApp has a strong side as their services are more prompt and feature an escalation matrix. The vendor's support is noted for immediate action when issues are escalated.

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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 most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."

"MDS's reliability is at a high level, the issues with these switches are extremely rare, and the whole product line is very predictable and stable."

"The product is easy to use."

"The product is very stable and performs well."

"This solution is required for any type of IT infrastructure for Storage Networking and provides high availability for storage service."

"The features I found most valuable are the ease of deployment, it's easy to upgrade, easy to configure and easy to administer. There is no need for vendor professional services which saves project cost. The usage of WebUI for all primary features like hostname, IP address, SNMP traps, zone sets, addition and deletion of zone members or zone sets, backup of switch DB is very simple."

"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."

More Cisco MDS Series pros

"NetApp's hot and cold storage are its most valuable features. We currently use the A series. Immutable snapshots are another advanced security feature that is positive."

"MetroCluster is the best product on the market. It synchronizes the storage. NetApp's update packages are a huge advantage because the firmware and server updates are in one package."

"The amazing thing is that whenever we have come up with an issue where we need to get something done, and it wasn't necessarily available, they could do things for us, usually within the next revision of the software."

"NetApp AFF A-Series is faster and more robust compared to the all-flash storage of NetApp."

"NetApp helps us get the fastest output."

"The deduplication and compression options from NetApp AFF A-Series are good to use for efficient storage capacity."

"NetApp support is fantastic."

"We've reduced downtime. Without all of NetApp's benefits, we would have had to reconfigure parts of storage that would have required downtime. We have dramatically reduced our downtime through successive generations of NetApp, allowing us to get Five 9s availability."

More NetApp AFF A-Series pros

Cons

"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having SAN Manager with life cycle management features and Integration with 3rd party storage monitoring tools."

"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."

"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."

"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."

"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."

"Webui needs Data Center Network Management tool licensed copy for accessing Cisco Switches instead a web-based GUI should be made easily available the way Brocade san switch is managed."

"It is quite a stable product. It should be shipped with the latest firmware to avoid download and upload schema at the beginning of the initial setup. There should also be the possibility of downgrading the firmware when required. WebUI needs DCNM instead a web-based GUI should be made available like Brocade san switch."

"I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling."

More Cisco MDS Series cons

"Pricing could always be lower."

"NetApp AFF A-Series should work on cost. The solutions, especially enterprise-level storage, should be more affordable to improve their appeal to businesses."

"It would be helpful if our partner organized a yearly session with my team to discuss the new feature sets on our current solutions and other ways NetApp can help us. Perhaps we are missing some information to help us make the right decision."

"The solution's ransomware protection could be improved."

"We have several problems with the limitations of NetApp systems in terms of volume shares. We have a brick in a 700 or a controller, and we sometimes make small volumes, but Kubernetes container volumes don't allow us."

"I really don't have a lot of complaints. In the past, there were issues, however, they've really done a great job of reaching out."

"NetApp is shifting to the cloud and adopting AI, but it is not improving its core technology to deliver faster storage. We're still waiting to see if it improves speed with solutions like the 90 series."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the Cisco MDS Series is high."

"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."

"Pricing cannot be considered an advantageous trait of the solution since it is expensive. I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

15%

Government

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

12%

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco MDS Series?

The pricing could be improved as the solution is very expensive. I am on a yearly payment basis.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco MDS Series?

I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco MDS Series?

I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NetApp AFF A-Series?

NetApp is doing great with cloud integration; however, there may be room for improvement in integrating with existing VMware devices for better support, especially since many companies are looking ...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering NetApp AFF A-Series?

It would be great to see some automation from NetApp. I rate NetApp AFF A-Series a nine out of ten.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetApp AFF A-Series?

With respect to pricing, NetApp can be competitive but hasn't been explored to a large extent.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 20% of the time

INFINIDAT InfiniBox vs Cisco MDS Series

Compared 13% of the time

IBM SAN24B-4 Express vs Cisco MDS Series

Compared 9% of the time

Dell PowerVault vs Cisco MDS Series

Compared 9% of the time

HPE B-series SN6000B Fibre Channel Switch vs Cisco MDS Series

Compared 9% of the time

More Cisco MDS Series Competitors

Dell PowerStore vs NetApp AFF A-Series

Compared 32% of the time

NetApp AFF C-Series vs NetApp AFF A-Series

Compared 25% of the time

Fujitsu Eternus AF Series vs NetApp AFF A-Series

Compared 12% of the time

Huawei OceanStor vs NetApp AFF A-Series

Compared 11% of the time

NetApp ASA vs NetApp AFF A-Series

Compared 11% of the time

More NetApp AFF A-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise SAN

March 2026

Download Cisco MDS Series product report

Buyer's Guide

All-Flash Storage

March 2026

Download NetApp AFF A-Series product report

Also Known As

Cisco MDS 9100, Cisco MDS 9222i, Cisco MDS 9700

No data available

Overview

Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches have met and often exceeded the demanding requirements for storage area networks for more than a decade. They offer a combination of performance, non-stop operations, and multiprotocol flexibility.

Cisco

NetApp AFF A-Series is ideal for high-performance storage in enterprise environments. It efficiently handles large-scale data and provides reliable storage for virtual machines, databases, and critical applications.

NetApp AFF A-Series stands out for its speed, reliability, and robust data protection features. Users find its management easy and appreciate the efficiency in handling large workloads. Its seamless integration with cloud services and high data transfer speeds with reduced latency enhance its appeal. Scalability and support for various applications make it a top choice for enterprises. However, there is room for improvement in documentation, technical support response time, and third-party application integration.

What are the standout features of NetApp AFF A-Series?

High Performance: Delivers fast data transfer speeds and reduces latency.
Data Protection: Robust features ensure data integrity and security.
Ease of Management: Simplified administration enhances efficiency.
Cloud Integration: Seamless integration with cloud services.
Scalability: Easily handles growing data and application demands.

What benefits should users look for?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlined management processes save time.
Increased Reliability: High reliability ensures continuous operation.
Improved Data Security: Advanced data protection features safeguard information.
Cost-Effective Scaling: Efficiently scales to meet growing storage needs.
Better Cloud Utilization: Leverages cloud capabilities for more flexibility.

NetApp AFF A-Series is implemented across industries to support virtual machines, large databases, and critical applications. It's particularly valuable in financial services for fast transaction processing, in healthcare for managing extensive patient records and imaging data, and in tech companies for supporting development environments and big data analytics.

NetApp

Sample Customers

National Rugby League

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco MDS Series vs. NetApp AFF A-Series

March 2026

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