Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs NetMon comparison

Cisco and Exabeam are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #33 with an average rating of 8.5, while Exabeam is ranked #50 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 0.9% mindshare in NMS, compared to Exabeam’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Exabeam users who would recommend it.

Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Read 62 Cisco Secure Network Analytics reviews

9,783 Views
4,011 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

NetMon

Read 12 NetMon reviews

3,492 Views
2,794 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Secure Network Analytics

NetMon

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 1, 2026

Cisco Secure Network Analytics and NetMon are both network monitoring solutions, competing in the IT security and analytics category. Cisco Secure Network Analytics is perceived to have an edge due to its comprehensive features and user satisfaction

Features: Cisco Secure Network Analytics offers comprehensive network visibility, advanced threat detection, and the ability to integrate with Cisco's security suite. It stands out with features like network maps, server response times, and NetFlow data, enhancing threat analysis and packet inspection. NetMon excels in traffic analysis, offering a bundled solution with detailed summary reports and real-time traffic insights, but it lacks the application-level insights provided by Cisco.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Secure Network Analytics could improve integration in non-internet-connected environments and refine its reporting interface. Enhancements in device discovery and AI capabilities would also be beneficial. NetMon could benefit from more seamless third-party integrations, better setup documentation, and streamlined initial deployment processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both solutions provide on-premises deployment. Cisco Secure Network Analytics is predominantly on-premise and is praised for its support structure, though there's room for improvement in the Asia-Pacific region. NetMon has good technical support, but users report challenges with integration and expanded network capabilities.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Secure Network Analytics is considered expensive, with a pricing model based on network flows, but offers a positive ROI due to enhanced security and incident response. NetMon offers moderate pricing, but some users feel its cost isn't matched by performance benefits, indicating a need for more competitive pricing.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. NetMon Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. NetMon

August 2026

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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 Secure Network Analytics

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

33rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (5th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (6th), Cisco Security Portfolio (8th)

NetMon

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

50th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (15th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is 0.9%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetMon is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Network Analytics	0.9%
NetMon	0.7%
Other	98.4%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Harun-Owr-Roshid

CEO at BRIGHT-i SYSTEMS LIMITED

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.

Read full review

SumitRangari

Pan India IT Infrastructure Management / End-user Services at Tata Group

Has supported real-time event detection and reporting accuracy while database integration has required extra effort

Sometimes it may be difficult to incorporate new additional databases in NetMon, and we faced some challenges at that time. However, currently, it is not giving many challenges.It is difficult to integrate NetMon with other databases. We can customize NetMon's monitoring views, but it is done by the team who handles it, as it is outsourced.

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

"It's a dependable product that is able to pinpoint where we have vulnerabilities if they occur."

"Maps is a unique feature which provides logical grouping of different segments of the network with complete visibility and alerting based on a total or protocol base as per defined threshold."

"The feature most valuable for us is to gain visibility of what is actually floating through, so we can stop it based on whether it's good or bad traffic."

"Provides easily identifiable anomalies that you can't see with signature detections."

"Overall, the implementation is very good and the solution offers good security while being very good at collaborating with other solutions."

"Visibility. The ability to look East and West. To see what is passing through your circuits, where it is coming from, and how big it is."

"AI provides suggested common lines and protection features that help safeguard networks from various threats or unwanted situations."

"The amount of information that this product gives us for detecting threats is very valuable, and we don't have another product like this in our environment."

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics pros

"But just having it there, it's incredibly smart, incredibly easy to use, and the breadth of information we get off it is really good for investigations for us."

"We were sold on the product based on the fairly narrow use cases that the sales reps gave us, and what we're seeing during our usage is that we can get there, and we're very excited about the potential."

"In general, this is a good product."

"Visibility is a valuable feature, the ability to see even if the traffic is not going into the firewall"

"It has a very strong artificial intelligence engine."

"Compared to many other products in the market, I think LogRhythm has the highest cost to performance ratio in terms of its value."

"The analytics feature is the most valuable feature."

"The most valuable feature is the log, which can be analyzed by our SIEM solution."

More NetMon pros

Cons

"The version with the Dell server had iDRAC problems. Often, it reported iDRAC failure."

"The reporting of day-to-day metrics still has room for improvement."

"Cisco could improve the administration for the customers."

"Stealthwatch needs improvement when it comes to speed."

"This solution is a little expensive."

"Stealthwatch is still maturing in AI. It uses artificial intelligence for predictions, but AI still needs to mature."

"We need to be able to filter out internal IPs as non-threats."

"It's a good solid solution but integration with Network Access Control products with Cisco ISE would be good."

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics cons

"The training for this product is not very good and needs to be improved."

"Sometimes it's hard to find the network devices' self-audit logs."

"LogRhythm NetMon's pricing model is an area of concern that should be made a little bit cheaper in comparison to the other players in the market currently."

"Their technical support isn't so great."

"I would like to see better integration with multiple products. Integration is not something that is readily available for most of the products."

"Sometimes it may be difficult to incorporate new additional databases in NetMon, and we faced some challenges at that time."

"There is an issue with tunneling in relation to how the connectivity is established between the end devices and where NetMon is installed. On the console, I often observe that there's a difference of a few seconds or maybe a minute, and this lag time should not be there."

"Could use a topology diagram which would help get an exact visual."

More NetMon cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for this solution is good."

"We pay for support costs on a yearly basis."

"It has a subscription model. There is yearly support, and there is also three-year support. It depends on what the customers want."

"One of the things which bugs me about Lancope is the licensing. We understand how licensing works. Our problem is when we bought and purchased most of these Lancope devices, we did so with our sister company. Somewhere within the purchase and distribution, licensing got mixed up. That is all on Cisco, and it is their responsibility. They allotted some of our sister company's equipment to us, and some of our equipment to them. To date, they have never been able to fix it."

"It is worth the cost."

"Licensing is on a yearly basis."

"The solution is expensive. It costs several hundred thousand dollars per year (depending on how many flows you are collecting)."

"The yearly licensing cost is about $50,000."

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics pricing and cost advice

"LogRhythm's licensing part is something that depends on the license you want since they offer it on a perpetual and subscription basis."

"Pricing is okay. There were some competitors that were extremely expensive and there were some which were really inexpensive but LogRhythm stayed in the middle of them."

"I don't have visibility into the pricing of LogRhythm NetMon as it's handled through our commercial partnerships."

"NetMon's licensing costs about $85k per year, with some extra costs for support."

"The product is expensive for smaller companies."

"The price of this solution is too high, so it should be made more practical and more valuable for the customer."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Government

Construction Company

13%

Transportation Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	52

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

Questions from the Community

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, ...

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What needs improvement with Cisco Stealthwatch?

Several features often look very promising during evaluation or implementation but end up being used only lightly in day-to-day operations. Advanced reporting and scheduled compliance reports look ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco Stealthwatch?

My main use case for Cisco Secure Network Analytics has been network visibility and anomaly-based threat detection within the enterprise environment. In security operations and VAPT-related activit...

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What needs improvement with LogRhythm NetMon?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for LogRhythm NetMon?

We have outsourced our SIEM solutions at the moment, and we are using it.We have been using LogRhythm in our organization as a SaaS offering. We have outsourced it as part of the actual scope where...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering LogRhythm NetMon?

We use AWS as our cloud provider in a private cloud environment.It completely depends upon when incidents happen. To find the root cause analysis, we need to first gather the logs from the team. It...

See all answers

Comparisons

Darktrace vs Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Compared 7% of the time

Vectra AI vs Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Compared 4% of the time

ThousandEyes vs Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Compared 3% of the time

Nmap vs Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Compared 3% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics Competitors

SolarWinds NPM vs NetMon

Compared 6% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs NetMon

Compared 5% of the time

Vectra AI vs NetMon

Compared 5% of the time

Ixia CloudLens vs NetMon

Compared 5% of the time

SCOM vs NetMon

Compared 3% of the time

More NetMon Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Network Analytics

August 2026

Download Cisco Secure Network Analytics product report

Buyer's Guide

NetMon

July 2026

Download NetMon product report

Also Known As

Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco Stealthwatch Enterprise, Lancope StealthWatch

LogRhythm Network Monitor

Overview

Cisco Secure Network Analytics enhances network security through integrated threat detection and detailed traffic visibility, optimizing performance with AI analytics and strong platform integrations.

Cisco Secure Network Analytics offers deep visibility into network traffic, with tools like network maps and server response times. Its AI-driven analytics help detect threats, focusing on east-west traffic. Integration with platforms such as pxGrid and ISE complements its capabilities. Reporting and telemetry help in identifying bandwidth issues, yet improvements are desired in AI for better data organization. Installation complexity and false positives present challenges, and managing network loads effectively is a recognized need.

What are the key features of Cisco Secure Network Analytics?

Deep Visibility: Provides comprehensive insights into network traffic and server behavior.
Network Maps: Enhances understanding of traffic flow and infrastructure layout.
AI Analytics: Uses AI for superior threat detection and anomaly recognition.
Integration: Compatible with platforms like pxGrid and ISE for enhanced security management.
Telemetry: Delivers detailed bandwidth usage and traffic analysis reports.

How does Cisco Secure Network Analytics provide value?

Enhanced Security: Elevates threat detection and response capabilities.
Traffic Insights: Identifies encrypted and anomalous network behaviors.
Compliance Support: Assists in meeting industry standards for data protection.
Endpoint Protection: Guards network endpoints against potential threats.

Industries such as banking, defense, and police rely on Cisco Secure Network Analytics for securing networks against threats. Its capability to provide insights into encrypted traffic and facilitate device auditing makes it a sought-after choice for those requiring extensive network visibility. Users appreciate its application for threat prevention and response in demanding sectors.

Cisco

NetMon offers significant capabilities in log aggregation, traffic analysis, and real-time network insights. Its ease of use accommodates both entry-level and advanced functionalities, enhancing network visibility and threat detection.

NetMon provides seamless analytics with its real-time dashboards and advanced AI integration. The platform is designed for comprehensive monitoring and detailed analysis, making it indispensable for identifying network traffic, origins, destinations, and facilitating threat detection through lateral traffic visibility. Despite its powerful analytics and customization features, improvements in product integration, customer support, and pricing could increase its competitive edge. Connectivity, topology visualization, and server performance are areas noted for enhancement. Integration with protocols like Gflow and Netflow might alleviate agent-based restriction challenges. NetMon sends correlated data to LogRhythm SIEM for enhanced threat analysis and is used for tasks like traffic analysis and DPA.

What are NetMon's key features?

Log Aggregation: Seamless collection of diverse network logs for analysis.
Traffic Analysis: Detailed inspection of network traffic for identifying irregular patterns.
AI Integration: Advanced analytics powered by robust AI capabilities.
Customizable Dashboards: Real-time insights tailored to user requirements.
Correlation Engine: In-depth correlation of network activity for comprehensive reports.
Deep Packet Analytics: Thorough examination of data packets for granular insights.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Enhanced Threat Detection: Significant improvements in identifying lateral threats.
Comprehensive Insights: Complete visibility into network and user activities.
Efficient Monitoring: Real-time analytics streamline network monitoring processes.
Compliance Support: Strong integration supports adherence to compliance standards.

NetMon is widely adopted in industries requiring detailed traffic monitoring and security, such as finance and healthcare. Its capabilities in traffic type identification and correlated analysis make it essential for environments where detecting irregular patterns is critical. It's utilized for network security through comprehensive analysis and integration with SIEM systems.

Exabeam

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. NetMon

August 2026

Free Report: Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. NetMon

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