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Cisco Prime [EOL] vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

The compared Cisco and SolarWinds solutions aren't in the same category. SolarWinds is ranked #14 in CM , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.
Cisco Prime [EOL]
Read 35 Cisco Prime [EOL] reviews
    91% willing to recommend
    SolarWinds Network Configur...
    Read 27 SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager reviews
    • 3,158 Views
    • 1,105 Comparison Views
    95% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

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    Executive Summary
    We performed a comparison between Cisco Prime [EOL] and SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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

    DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
    To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Prime [EOL] vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Report (Updated: March 2023).
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL] vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
    March 2023
    Download the complete report
    Helped 892,287 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 Prime [EOL]
    Average Rating
    7.8
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.5
    Number of Reviews
    35
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
    SolarWinds Network Configur...
    Average Rating
    8.2
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.9
    Number of Reviews
    27
    Ranking in other categories
    Configuration Management (14th), Network Automation (4th)
     

    Featured Reviews

    ZeeshanAli1 - PeerSpot reviewer
    ZeeshanAli1
    Senior Network Engineer at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
    Robust, cost-effective, and provides good visibility, but the scalability could improve
    We are extremely satisfied with the reliability and robustness of Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which we have been using for many years. Compared to newer products such as DNS centers or others, it has proven to be much more stable, which is important for large-scale operations. Stability is a primary concern for us, and we are glad that Cisco Prime Infrastructure meets our expectations in that regard. Furthermore, in regards to Legacy Plus new hardware, Cisco Prime has proven to be a reliable and adaptable solution thus far. Not only can it support older hardware, but it also has the capability to handle new features with the latest updates. If we consider new solutions such as DNS Center, we may have to sacrifice some legacy features that we still rely on. We may need to continue using these legacy features for a few more years due to various reasons such as budget constraints or the site not being a high priority. However, if we switch to a new product at this stage, we may lose a lot of the monitoring and other capabilities that we have with Cisco Prime. We have a close relationship with Cisco and understand that they are not prioritizing investments in Cisco Prime as they are encouraging customers to adopt the Cisco DNA Center. This means that we don't anticipate many new features to be added to the product in the future. While we know that we will eventually have to transition to a new solution, in the meantime, we plan to do a quick refresh of our legacy products.
    Read full review
    AB
    Alastair Brand
    MD at Thembanet
    Flexibility and reliability enable effective network monitoring with integrations and compliance reporting
    The flexibility and reliability of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are particularly valuable. It allows for a significant amount of integrations, including with collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Telegram, as well as ServiceNow and Microsoft BI. The solution facilitates compliance reporting through an NCM module, effectively generating out-of-the-box reports on software vulnerabilities and outdated software versions. Additionally, the real-time change detection feature significantly reduces the time to resolve issues by allowing alerts to be tracked through to resolution. The use of templates helps in deploying configuration standards, preventing configuration errors.
    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

    "The map overview of our campus environment shows the distribution of RF frequency channels and the distribution of a client, providing us with a great idea of where the busier areas are within our environment to allow us to tweak and tune."
    "In terms of reliability especially, Cisco is light years ahead."
    "Cisco Prime is a one-stop place to log in and manage our entire wireless infrastructure."
    "Cisco Prime allows us to do a lot of functions with the users and it is flexible."
    "Operationally, Prime is quite easy to use and I like the wireless heatmap and search management features."
    "Technical support is great, and we find them to be helpful and responsive."
    "It gives you the ability to upgrade switches remotely, schedule the upgrade time, perform backups, and monitor the health of all networks."
    "Cisco Prime is very good management-wise, giving you the ability to upgrade switches remotely, schedule the upgrade time, perform backups, and monitor the health of all networks."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pros
    "We push all our configurations to the servers with ease and the logs capture almost all the transactions needed for an internal audit."
    "It's a helpful tool and I really like it."
    "The scanning features have proven to be highly valuable, particularly due to the comprehensive information they provide."
    "The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and best practices. Automation capabilities have greatly impacted workflows, enabling tasks such as configuration backups, template deployment, and firmware upgrades to be automated, thereby streamlining processes and saving time. Compliance reporting features provide valuable insights into network compliance, offering pre-built security audit reports and customizable options to meet specific requirements."
    "The network performance monitoring of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is a vital feature"
    "The features we find most valuable is the configuration backup automation, the configuration compliance, the security vulnerability detection and upgrading devices."
    "It's perfect for network configuration management. It's easy to use."
    "The most valuable features the solution offers are compliance, reliability, and information about reliability."
    More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pros
     

    Cons

    "The onboarding process could be improved and developed to enhance compatibility for non-Cisco devices."
    "The reporting could be simplified and the information made clearer to the user."
    "Cisco Prime could improve the graphical user interface."
    "It should be able to monitor Palo Alto, Juniper, and Check Point products - not just Cisco solutions."
    "The overall management capabilities of Prime need to be improved."
    "If you look at some of the wireless site-survey tools that are available in the commercial space, Cisco should include similar solutions, which would help our on-plant engineers when they're doing a site survey."
    "I would rate the scalability of Cisco Prime a six out of ten. To scale up from a hundred to a thousand devices, the platform needs to be rebuilt logically. This process might require a downtime window and may involve changing the hardware or upgrading to a larger appliance."
    "The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] cons
    "The integration with the network performance monitor wasn't complete as at the last time I used it."
    "When we run the SolarWinds NCM jobs at the cellular line, it runs in the morning. They're just not finishing. We're getting false processing."
    "The solution could improve by being more secure."
    "I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."
    "It would be great if they include a network service manager, network performance manager, or a privileged assessment in the next release."
    "We had issues with the FailOver Engine module installation, due to the resources of each SolarWinds server."
    "Further improvements in automation are needed. Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly, and we expect more comprehensive device control."
    "Our experience has shown that most of the problems we've had with SolarWinds NCM are related to software issues."
    More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager cons
     

    Pricing and Cost Advice

    "The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."
    "If we have a license for Cisco DNA, we can use the same license for Cisco Prime."
    "I would rate the pricing of Cisco Prime a seven out of ten."
    "I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
    "We update the license every five years."
    "The cost is quite high."
    "I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
    "You need to get special quotes from the company for each order."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pricing and cost advice
    "There is a license for the use of this solution and it is priced well, there is a lot of value for the money."
    "You have a base license for 50 devices, and then you can add more licenses as you go."
    "In Africa, the cost is a major factor in decision-making for many companies. As a result, some companies may choose cheaper solutions, even if they are open-source, over more expensive ones, such as SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. However, as an engineer, I believe that the functionalities and services offered by SolarWinds justify the cost. Nonetheless, many companies in Africa may still view the prices as unaffordable."
    "There is a license needed to use SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."
    "With a minimal bundle, we pay about $3000 a year in licensing costs. If you have multiple devices in your network, you must buy the bundle, which is 100% identical for your infrastructure. If you have 15 devices, you need 15 licenses, for example. That's one bundle. You don't pay for anything over and above that."
    "I have a yearly subscription."
    "The pricing is good."
    "The price of the solution is high compared to other solutions."
    More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice
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    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    Government
    12%
    Construction Company
    9%
    Manufacturing Company
    8%
    Healthcare Company
    7%
    Government
    12%
    Manufacturing Company
    10%
    Computer Software Company
    7%
    University
    7%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
    By reviewers
    Company SizeCount
    Small Business9
    Midsize Enterprise4
    Large Enterprise24
    By reviewers
    Company SizeCount
    Small Business15
    Midsize Enterprise5
    Large Enterprise8
     

    Questions from the Community

    What do you like most about Cisco Prime?
    The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco Prime?
    The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive.
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for Cisco Prime?
    We use Cisco Prime for centralized configuration management backups and monitoring.
    See all answers
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
    The licensing costs of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are expensive, but considering its reliability, feature enhancements, and support, it is worthwhile.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
    NCM could benefit from enhanced automation capabilities — for instance, enabling workflow-based configuration automation tasks. While regex and command-line scripting are available, they require sp...
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
    I work with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager ( /products/solarwinds-network-configuration-manager-reviews ) as a significant part of our operations. Our primary use case involves handling c...
    See all answers
     

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    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    April 2026
    Cisco Prime [EOL] reportDownload Cisco Prime [EOL] product report
    Buyer's Guide
    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
    April 2026
    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager reportDownload SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager product report
     

    Also Known As

    Cisco Prime Infrastructure
    SolarWinds NCM
     

    Overview

    Cisco Prime products deliver next-generation management by supporting an intuitive workflow-oriented user experience and integrated lifecycle operations across Cisco architectures, technologies, and networks.

    Cisco

    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager provides essential tools for network performance monitoring, configuration compliance, and vulnerability management, ensuring streamlined operations for network administrators with real-time change detection and backup automation capabilities.

    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager offers extensive features that empower network management through integration with platforms like Microsoft Teams and ServiceNow. It manages network devices effectively, automating backups and streamlining configuration compliance. Users find it flexible and reliable for network configuration and security management, including support for IP SLA management, which enhances device health checks. The solution facilitates remote network configuration, mass changes across devices, and efficient backup and restore procedures for disaster recovery. While improvements in node-related limitations, AI features, and integrations are noted, the tool remains critical for aligning configurations with enterprise standards and ensuring network visibility.

    What are the key features?
    • Network Performance Monitoring: Provides insights into network health and potential issues.
    • Configuration Compliance: Ensures all network configurations align with internal policies.
    • Real-Time Change Detection: Alerts users immediately about configuration changes.
    • Backup Automation: Simplifies backup processes for network configurations.
    • Vulnerability Management: Identifies and manages security vulnerabilities effectively.
    • IP SLA Management: Enhances device health checks through service level agreements.
    • Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams, ServiceNow, and more.
    What benefits should users consider?
    • Enhanced Security: Protects networks with robust vulnerability management.
    • Streamlined Operations: Automates routine tasks to save time and resources.
    • Improved Compliance: Ensures adherence to configuration policies and standards.
    • Comprehensive Network Visibility: Offers a clear view of network performance and issues.
    • Disaster Recovery Support: Facilitates quick recovery from network failures with efficient backups.

    In industries such as telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is implemented to manage complex network infrastructures, optimize performance, and maintain security compliance. These sectors rely on the tool's ability to conduct mass device configurations and ensure continuous network monitoring, which is crucial for operations that require consistent uptime and quick response to potential security threats.

    SolarWinds
     

    Sample Customers

    Mohawk Industries, Universidad EAFIT, Halton Healthcare
    United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL] vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
    March 2023
    Free Report: Cisco Prime [EOL] vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Prime [EOL] vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager and other solutions. Updated: March 2023.
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