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Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs Fortinet FortiNDR 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 Secure Network Analytics
Ranking in Network Detection and Response (NDR)
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (31st), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (4th), Cisco Security Portfolio (8th)
Fortinet FortiNDR
Ranking in Network Detection and Response (NDR)
13th
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Detection and Response (NDR) category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is 7.2%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiNDR is 3.3%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Detection and Response (NDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Harun-Owr-Roshid - PeerSpot reviewer
Have streamlined network visibility and troubleshooting while seeing benefits from AI integration
In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper management of the database is also important; it should be centralized for easier data collection from a single database. When precise manual analysis is needed, it's sometimes difficult, so having a centralized database will allow network admins to find actual scenarios more effectively, especially since some information may not be visible on the GUI. Cisco should upgrade their hardware part to run the database, because sometimes it cannot handle the load while all features are running in the network. The database management should indeed be centralized because while AI runs behind the systems, central management is essential. For example, in a network with 100 Cisco switches, a few routers, firewalls, and access points, all data generated should be preserved in a central database. This approach simplifies management and analysis for troubleshooting, as GUI interfaces may not always provide visible information. Centralizing the database will allow for better understanding of which information is preserved for each specific device.
Anton Anton - PeerSpot reviewer
Network detection enhances security while seamless integration boosts utility
I use Fortinet FortiNDR for its Network Detection features, primarily with FortiGate on-premises. However, I do not handle day-to-day operations myself; my team manages the tools. In general, there is no issue with FortiGate in our company Some of the valuable features include FortiGate's Network…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Cisco Stealthwatch provides the solutions analytics and threat detection capabilities that I am looking for. It has also improved the network visibility of our organization."
"Using the Cognitive Analytics feature, we have complete visibility that we didn’t have before."
"I believe this solution has reduced our incident response time."
"Stealthwatch has greatly improved our network visibility, in terms of bandwidth, malware, and PCI violations."
"From a security standpoint, it is just seeing pockets as well. Visibility is very key for us."
"Being able to identify specific date closed across the network is invaluable."
"The solution reduces the amount of time it takes to detect and remediate threats."
"Able to drill down into a center's utilization, then create reports based on it."
"The dashboards are very informative compared to other solutions like Cisco, providing valuable insights into network threats."
"Using Fortinet FortiNDR as a bundle is cost-effective, providing a complete package of tools."
 

Cons

"The reporting of day-to-day metrics still has room for improvement."
"The ability to be natively integrated into Port Aggregator would be beneficial because it would reduce just one more component that's needed in order to have that type of view."
"Stealthwatch needs improvement when it comes to speed."
"I would like to see some improvement when it comes to reporting."
"Stealthwatch is still maturing in AI. It uses artificial intelligence for predictions, but AI still needs to mature. It is in a phase where you get 95% correct detection. As its AI engine learns more, it will become more accurate. This is applicable to all the devices that are using AI because they support both supervised and unsupervised machine learning. The accuracy in the case of supervised machine learning is dependent on the data you feed into the box. The accuracy in the case of unsupervised machine learning is dependent on the algorithm. The algorithm matures depending on retrospective learning, and this is how it is able to detect zero-day attacks."
"It's a good solid solution but integration with Network Access Control products with Cisco ISE would be good."
"Better integration between Cisco Secure Network Analytics and Cisco Secure Workload would be beneficial."
"It's not great as a standalone solution."
"I would like to see the inclusion of sandboxing in the bundling. Currently, sandbox is not included in our package."
"There is room for improvement in third-party integrations, particularly with other vendors like Check Point and Palo Alto."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is much higher compared to other solutions."
"NetFlow is very expensive."
"It is worth the cost."
"On a yearly basis, licensing is somewhere around $30,000."
"Today, we are part of the big Cisco ELA, and it is a la carte. We can get orders for whatever we want. At the end of the day, we have to pay for it in one big expense, but that is fine. We are okay with that."
"There are additional licenses needed for the number of so-called network flows. It's hard to plan the number of flows you need in the network, this is a problem. The price of the Cisco Stealthwatch is relatively inexpensive"
"Our fees are approximately $3,000 USD."
"The tool is not cheaply priced."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
27%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
23%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Stealthwatch?
The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is the Threat Intelligence integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Stealthwatch?
Regarding cost, for the Bangladesh context, Cisco Secure Network Analytics is a little bit high-priced because we are a developing country, making it tough to manage affordable solutions. However, ...
What needs improvement with Cisco Stealthwatch?
In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiNDR?
Using Fortinet FortiNDR as a bundle is cost-effective, providing a complete package of tools.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiNDR?
I would like to see the inclusion of sandboxing in the bundling. Currently, sandbox is not included in our package.
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiNDR?
I use Fortinet FortiNDR ( /products/fortinet-fortindr-reviews ) for its Network Detection features, primarily with FortiGate ( /products/fortinet-fortigate-reviews ) on-premises. However, I do not ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco Stealthwatch Enterprise, Lancope StealthWatch
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. Fortinet FortiNDR and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.