H3C Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches comparison

H3C and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. H3C is ranked #21 with an average rating of 7.3, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.3. H3C holds a 2.8% mindshare in ES, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 3.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of H3C users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

H3C Ethernet Switches

Read 9 H3C Ethernet Switches reviews

2,345 Views
2,322 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HPE Ethernet Switches

Read 104 HPE Ethernet Switches reviews

2,534 Views
2,509 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

H3C Ethernet Switches

HPE Ethernet Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

HPE and H3C Ethernet Switches compete in the market for scalable and reliable networking solutions. HPE has the upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set, including programmability and advanced analytics.

Features: HPE Ethernet Switches are known for their scalability, reliability, and versatile integration options. They feature lifetime warranties, robust layer 2 functionality, and a user-friendly GUI. Additionally, they offer POE support and advanced programmability, making them a distinguished choice. H3C Ethernet Switches emphasize reliability and competitive pricing. They are popular for simple stack configuration and offer robust networking solutions but lack the extensive features of HPE.

Room for Improvement: HPE Ethernet Switches could benefit from a more intuitive interface design and streamlined configuration processes. Enhancing technical support response times and integration with other HPE ecosystems would be advantageous. H3C Ethernet Switches need better support infrastructure, public tools, and a web-based configuration UI. Expanding their product range and improving stability could also enhance their market position.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE and H3C Ethernet Switches are mainly deployed on-premises. HPE technical support is rated as good, though there are inefficiencies in tiered support, with commendable customer service. H3C provides consistent customer service but needs to improve technical support and support tool availability to match HPE’s global standards.

Pricing and ROI: HPE Ethernet Switches are considered cost-effective due to lifetime warranties and no licensing fees. Despite higher initial costs, they offer long-term value through stability and low failure rates. H3C Ethernet Switches are appealing for their affordability, especially for SMBs, offering competitive prices but lacking HPE’s lifetime warranty and established ROI metrics.

To learn more, read our detailed H3C Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

H3C Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches

December 2025

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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

H3C Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

21st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

HPE Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

10th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

104

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of H3C Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 3.4%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HPE Ethernet Switches	3.4%
H3C Ethernet Switches	2.8%
Other	93.8%

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

KanwarArsalan

Technical Pre Sales at Business It Solutions

Offers all routing protocols, functionality, and capabilities

H3C switches have strong port aggregation features including dynamic, static, and device aggregation. They also offer broadcast, multicast, or unique system suppression for PPS and BPS. These features are versatile and adaptable to various organizational scenarios, complemented by VLAN support. H3C switches offer VPN support along with various VLAN options like port-based, MAC-based, and protocol-based VLANs, including VLAN mapping and voice VLAN features. They support VLAN interfaces for both IPv4 and IPv6, ensuring compatibility and configuration flexibility. H3C switches are up to date with current market trends, offering features, routing protocols, capabilities, and functionalities that correspond to new trends in networking solutions. I strongly recommend that future users consider H3C switches for their designs, given their performance, specific features, and strong capabilities compared to competitors like Cisco. Overall, I would rate H3C Ethernet Switches as a nine out of ten.

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Krishna RaoKalavala

General Manager at Zenith Business Solutions

Security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness drive success across different business scales

HPE Ethernet Switches are very much covered on the security front due to their ClearPass technology, which is exceptional. They are highly scalable and stable, which is vital for large enterprises that require reliable performance. Additionally, HPE Ethernet Switches offer a cost-saving advantage as they are approximately 40% cheaper than comparable Cisco solutions. The integration of the switches is very straightforward, making them an attractive choice for many organizations.

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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

"H3C Ethernet Switches have a fast delivery time."

"We can configure the switch stack on the internet. Other vendors do not offer this facility. It is fast and easy to manage."

"The best feature of H3C Ethernet Switches is their reliability."

"The IMC feature is valuable."

"To date, it has proven to be highly reliable. We have encountered no issues or challenges with it thus far."

"Offering a five-year warranty, compared to competitors' one-year warranties, is a unique advantage of H3C switches."

"Network performance is very good, suggesting that stability has not been an issue."

"A good high-performance solution."

More H3C Ethernet Switches pros

"We found the installation process to be simple."

"I would rate the stability a solid ten out of ten."

"I like that HPE's management functions are GUI-based, so it doesn't rely on command lines."

"The solution is very, very stable."

"The most valuable feature is the IRF."

"The most valuable features of HPE Ethernet switches include configuring VLAN trunking and the overall ease of configuration."

"The best feature of this solution is the lifetime warranty."

"These switches have been in use for easily 11 years."

More HPE Ethernet Switches pros

Cons

"There should be more public tools for configuration and comparing products."

"The only improvement needed is the significantly better lead time for delivery compared to other American products. In terms of technology, there isn't much difference, especially since X3 is a subsidiary of XP, and they use the same technology. However, the delivery time is notably better."

"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."

"GUI needs to merge with CLI."

"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."

"To enhance H3C switches for the next release, improving the user interface is crucial."

"Lacks decent cloud management."

"H3C Ethernet Switches could improve by widening their product range."

More H3C Ethernet Switches cons

"The tool should be more stable."

"The solution’s licensing could be improved."

"It would be better if they improve the implementation of SD-WAN."

"We haven't had any issues with this switch in the past 10 years. That's the reason we're still keeping them alive."

"The cost could be better. HPE has to study it carefully with other vendors in the market, like Cisco or Juniper."

"This solution needs to support software-defined networking."

"The quality of the service needs improvement."

"Price is an area for improvement. Cisco is very competitive on price, considering future business. HPE Ethernet Switches and Aruba need to think about their pricing. Aruba's price was 25 percent higher than Cisco's in a recent Central Bank project in Sri Lanka."

More HPE Ethernet Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"H3C Ethernet Switches is targeted for SMBs because it's cheaper compared to Huawei switches."

"The pricing is very affordable, making it a not-so-expensive choice. On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I would rate it a seven."

"H3C Ethernet Switches are reasonably priced."

"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."

"The box itself is cheap, but when we have to install new features, it becomes very expensive."

"We just bought new switches for $500 last year, and now, the same switch is $800. It's gone up in price in the last 12 months."

"We have to see only the security part when considering licenses because the licenses upgrade."

"We need to pay when we buy the switch. We pay for a license to use the software, but it is not required."

"The pricing is very good."

"The licensing cost is set up annually or every three years."

"There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."

"The license cost is yearly."

More HPE Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

University

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	62
Midsize Enterprise	19
Large Enterprise	31

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about H3C Ethernet Switches?

H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution.

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What needs improvement with H3C Ethernet Switches?

There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for H3C Ethernet Switches?

The primary use case is about managing network infrastructure. The H3C Ethernet Switches are used internally as switches in the system.

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What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?

The solution is very stable and easy to use.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?

When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper. However, Huawei would be even cheaper than Aruba. We can't compare HPE Ethernet Switches with Huawei directly because of different price ranges.

See all answers

What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?

HPE Ethernet Switches have room for improvement in the initial setup and integration process, especially when incorporating them into an existing infrastructure with competitor products. It's a cha...

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Comparisons

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 34% of the time

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 24% of the time

Aruba Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 5% of the time

TP-Link Omada Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 4% of the time

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Aruba Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

January 2026

Download H3C Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE Ethernet Switches

January 2026

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Also Known As

No data available

HP Ethernet Switches

Overview

H3C S5560 High Performance Ethernet Switch is the latest development of Gigabit speed Layer 3 Ethernet switch. This powerful and highly secure series switch is built based on industry-leading high performance hardware architecture and H3C Comware V7 platform. It supports diversified services, high capacity GE access port as well as high density 10GE uplink, which meet the requirements for high density campus access and high performance aggregation.

H3C

HP has created the most open, integrated and software-defined networking portfolio and ecosystem of its kind – driving simplification with networks that understand, adapt to and protect your business applications in real-time. Only HP extends the momentum of software-defined networking everywhere–from the mobile edge to the heart of data centers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Sample Customers

Ying Wa College, Centro Digital Pictures

Emirates Palace Hotel

Buyer's Guide

H3C Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches

December 2025

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