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Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) vs Cisco Packet Tracer comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Modeling Labs (CML)
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
4th
Average Rating
6.0
Reviews Sentiment
3.2
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Packet Tracer
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
6th
Average Rating
0.0
Number of Reviews
0
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is 13.1%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Packet Tracer is 8.4%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

OB
Limited support and costly setup detract from potential benefits
The stability of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is not very good. The iOSs consume so much memory that most typical machines do not have sufficient memory to utilize. For example, the Cisco 9200 iOSs require 24 gigabytes of memory to run in that tool, and that is only one image.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
13%
Government
10%
University
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
University
19%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
On a scale of 1 to 10, Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is about eight or nine in terms of expense.
What needs improvement with Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
There are other areas where they could improve the product in my opinion.
What is your primary use case for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
I have always used Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) in lieu of building practical labs and buying products for the labs so I can simulate configurations and test interoperability and things of that nature.
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Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Ekahau, NetAlly, iBwave and others in Network Modeling and Simulation. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.