Meraki Dashboard vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cisco and Progress Software are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.7, while Progress Software is ranked #25 with an average rating of 7.0. Cisco holds a 0.8% mindshare in NMS, compared to Progress Software’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

Meraki Dashboard

Read 67 Meraki Dashboard reviews

5,500 Views
4,510 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

14,156 Views
7,786 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Meraki Dashboard

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

WhatsUp Gold and Meraki Dashboard compete in the network monitoring and management space. Meraki Dashboard holds a competitive advantage with its superior features and centralized cloud-based management.

Features: WhatsUp Gold provides extensive network monitoring capabilities, customizable notifications, and comprehensive reporting tools. Meraki Dashboard offers centralized cloud-based management, seamless integration, and advanced security features.

Room for Improvement: WhatsUp Gold could benefit from a simplified interface, enhanced cloud integration, and scalable solutions for larger networks. Meraki Dashboard may improve by offering more cost-effective pricing models, expanding offline management capabilities, and providing enhanced customization options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WhatsUp Gold employs an on-premise deployment model with responsive customer support for swift setup and issue resolution. Meraki Dashboard's cloud-based model simplifies deployment and offers remote management capabilities, providing quicker and more flexible system management.

Pricing and ROI: WhatsUp Gold is generally more cost-effective with a lower initial setup cost, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. Meraki Dashboard, while having a higher upfront cost, offers better long-term ROI through its comprehensive feature set and enhanced management capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Meraki Dashboard vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 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

Meraki Dashboard

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

25th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (37th), Server Monitoring (14th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (20th), Configuration Management (21st), Log Management (41st), Cloud Monitoring Software (26th), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Meraki Dashboard is 0.8%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 2.1%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Meraki Dashboard	0.8%
WhatsUp Gold	2.1%
Other	97.1%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

NicolasFigaro

IT Network Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Cloud-based management has simplified global Wi-Fi operations and improved daily troubleshooting

What I would like to improve in Meraki Dashboard is the template part, which is really helping me to manage at large scale. Integration with AI or native AI functionality would be interesting depending on the price, how far it goes, and how far it shares the information I have. For the rest, it is quite straightforward. The next tool maybe to be integrated, which I do not know if it exists today within Meraki, is IPAM management for IP address management. I do not know if it is part of the roadmap, but it is something I have to use on a dedicated platform, so integrating this would be interesting as well. Finally, I would rate Meraki Dashboard overall as a 9 out of 10. There are still some missing features, but there are also some considerations. I am familiar with the Chinese situation where there is a dedicated portal for China, so if I need to deploy access points in China, I have to connect to a dedicated portal due to the regulations in that country. However, this is not due to Cisco or company policy.

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Erik Cheng

Technical Manager at Quan Hung Gourmet

Efficient monitoring with detailed customization, yet complexity remains

The best feature of WhatsUp Gold is the automatic generation of topology and its integration with virtualization and wireless. I have used the automated device discovery with this topology feature. The interactive map feature helps me manage the topology because sometimes we cannot draw the topology correctly, so we need to manually edit the connections. The alerting system is very tunable and customizable, but it's a little complicated to use. Many customers cannot manage it by themselves and need support from us, the provider. We always use the dashboards in the SOC, where we constantly display a dashboard or multiple dashboards. This allows us to know immediately if the connection or bandwidth is full or if the connection is broken.

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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

"Meraki gives a very comprehensive dashboard which gives the customer a lot of flexibility in terms of understanding the exact situational position of their infrastructure and what is happening in terms of the infrastructure, or how their access points are behaving."

"Meraki dashboard deserves an Oscar."

"The user-friendly interface facilitated a quick and efficient setup process."

"I like that Meraki Dashboard is a user-friendly product."

"For small businesses, I would recommend Meraki over pretty much anything else on the market."

"Some of the features I have found valuable are the ease of access, simple configuration, and monitoring."

"This solution now saves us time, and I like the added features that the Meraki dashboard offers."

"The most valuable features are that it's easy to use and technically very complete, and I can configure, do advanced troubleshooting in the dashboard, and reboot access points remotely."

More Meraki Dashboard pros

"The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one link. You can go into a particular part of the topology map, scroll in, and see exactly which module it is."

"The tool's most valuable feature is the visibility it offers of everything in the network and infrastructure."

"The most valuable feature is the auto-discovery function."

"This is a good, stable network monitoring solution for devices."

"You have to invest a few days to become an expert in this solution, but after that, it's possible to do almost anything with it."

"The most valuable aspects of the solution are the application monitors that allow for discreet roaming on network devices."

"In terms of pricing, I'd say that the pricing is nice and the product is good."

"I use it on premises to monitor my network database. We monitor the link up/down and use the SNMP traps as well."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"There is a bit of a problem when you try to log in and you don't have a fixed IP address."

"More integration would be an improvement."

"The price could be lower because the license for access points is expensive."

"Regarding visibility, I have had better experiences with Auvik network management for end-to-end visibility."

"The process of getting licensing can be a little bit painful, especially if you're doing it each year."

"They could improve the product by providing enhanced utilization reports and more detailed independent access reports."

"If I am a user and I have a seat on the fourth floor, if I move across the building, the system should be able to track me and should be able to figure out my whereabouts or my position within the building if I'm connected to the wireless. That would make the administrator's life easier in terms of reachability."

"I know there are some initiatives for that, but there is no consolidated tool or console that allows me to manage globally all the devices I have."

More Meraki Dashboard cons

"Sometimes it's a little bit slow."

"The technical support does not bother to respond."

"This product should add other options for monitoring. It does not currently meet the broader needs of the banking industry in the version we have deployed."

"The point system is not clear and clarity around this would improve our understanding of the system."

"The interface needs some work."

"Integrations with other devices. I want to have a product that has full integration with my active directory so I can track user activity. I want to track my complete user activity, so I'm looking for a product to implement in the near future, which will have full integration with my network and active directory users. It became very difficult to track user activity."

"The tool should focus on increasing its market share, as it is the only area of concern where improvements are needed."

"Users want SMS available via Whatsapp Gold. They don't want to go through third party SMS servers. The solution should work to make this possible."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Typically, the license model is for one, three, and five years. They can just be a bit more flexible around it and look into providing an option for 24 months."

"The price of Meraki Dashboard is not expensive because knowing that it is a cloud-based solution has its benefits."

"My view is that it's expensive, but it's the best."

"It is said to be expensive."

"The solution is currently the most expensive on the market."

"The Meraki Dashboard has more competitive pricing."

"The pricing of the tool is relatively high compared to other solutions. It comes with a premium that exceeds that of its competitors by approximately 25 percent."

"From a pricing perspective, they are still expensive."

More Meraki Dashboard pricing and cost advice

"It is per device, per year. The pricing is very clear. If you have a service agreement, you get all of your major upgrades and minor upgrades. It was under $10,000 to go all-in with all of the different add-ons for it."

"This is a well priced solution."

"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."

"Pricing is reasonable compared to other products."

"There is a license needed to use WhatsUp Gold."

"The tool's price is reasonable. WhatsUp Gold is cheaper than SolarWinds."

"The choice of version depends on the number of points, or devices, that you want to monitor, and this makes the product expensive."

"The most valuable feature is the cost compared to other solutions."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

12%

Construction Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	33

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki Dashboard?

Regarding their pricing, the company I work for, Akkodis, was acquired by Adecco in 2022, so I am using the same technologies and I am somehow on the contract regarding Meraki purchase and so on. P...

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What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?

The main aspect I would like to see improved in Meraki Dashboard is the dependency on cloud connectivity for centralized management. If the primary Internet or ISP connection goes down, access to t...

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What is your primary use case for Meraki Dashboard?

We have deployed the Meraki Dashboard for centralized management and monitoring of all devices, appliances, and sensors across two shopping malls. The shopping malls are connected across different ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WhatsUp Gold?

Clients find the licensing calculator confusing, but we simplify this for them by collecting relevant information first. The licensing is based on devices, providing better cost-effectiveness than ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with WhatsUp Gold?

It would be great if WhatsUp Gold could add features that simplify management with AI, as it is currently too complicated to manage.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WhatsUp Gold?

My use case for WhatsUp Gold includes all device availability checks, bandwidth usage, CPU, and memory usage, as well as alarm notifications.

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiSIEM vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 27% of the time

Nmap vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 4% of the time

Zabbix vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds User Device Tracker vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 3% of the time

More Meraki Dashboard Competitors

PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

LibreNMS vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

SCOM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

NinjaOne vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 2% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 2% of the time

More WhatsUp Gold Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard

September 2026

Download Meraki Dashboard product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

September 2026

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

Overview

Meraki Dashboard offers intuitive, cloud-based network management, simplifying tasks with centralized control, real-time monitoring, and comprehensive security.

Offering ease of use and a single-pane-of-glass view, Meraki Dashboard enhances network management through centralized monitoring and configuration. Its intuitive interface allows remote device management, policy configuration, and real-time alerts. Cloud-based access provides scalability and automatic updates, while detailed analytics and security measures ensure robust control over networks. Though some users mention complexity in certain configurations and third-party integration gaps, its continuous improvement and network management efficiency accommodate extensive business requirements.

What are the Key Features of Meraki Dashboard?

Ease of Use: Simplified interface that allows easy navigation and operations.
Single-Pane-of-Glass View: Centralized management of all network components from one platform.
Real-Time Monitoring: Provides up-to-date insights for proactive network management.
Cloud-Based Access: Accessible from anywhere, enabling remote management and updates.
Automatic Updates: Ensures the system is always up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.
Detailed Analytics: Offers insights into network performance and security analytics.
Comprehensive Security Measures: Features built-in security protocols and tools for enhanced protection.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Consider?

Centralized Control: Streamlines network management across multiple sites.
Scalability: Grows with business needs, supporting a wide range of devices and configurations.
Integration Capabilities: Merges easily with existing systems, though improvements are desired for third-party devices.
Improved Network Efficiency: Enhances visibility and control, reducing downtime and improving performance.
Remote Management: Facilitates convenient configuration and monitoring from any location.

Enterprises deploy Meraki Dashboard for diverse network management purposes, including monitoring, access point deployment, security configuration, and VLAN and LAN management. In education, it provides centralized Wi-Fi management and ensures secure student access. Retail businesses utilize it for seamless device integration and analytics, while healthcare facilities employ its robust security and real-time monitoring to safeguard patient data and maintain network efficiency. Its cloud-based interface enhances control and visibility across numerous sites, simplifying management and configurations.

Cisco

WhatsUp Gold stands out with its comprehensive network monitoring, dynamic mapping, and real-time alerts, offering essential tools for managing extensive IT infrastructures.

WhatsUp Gold provides robust capabilities in network visibility through dynamic mapping and NetFlow analysis. The platform's interactive topology aids in pinpointing issues effectively. Auto-discovery ensures complete network device tracking. While offering an intuitive interface and integration with Cisco ServiceNow, users find server performance monitoring useful for incident handling. However, improvements are anticipated in application monitoring and Active Directory integration. The pricing model and customization options leave room for enhancement. Despite these, users benefit from its integrated dashboards for immediate device health checks and network updates, making it beneficial for large-scale infrastructure management.

What features does WhatsUp Gold offer?

Network Monitoring: Provides continuous oversight of network components
Dynamic Mapping: Offers visual representation of network topology
NetFlow Analysis: Delivers insights into bandwidth utilization
Threshold Alerts: Notifies users upon reaching set performance thresholds
Auto-Discovery: Detects devices automatically for complete network coverage

What benefits should users expect from reviews?

Comprehensive Visibility: Enhanced understanding of network elements
Real-Time Monitoring: Immediate insights into network and device status
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive solution suitable for expansive networks
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the management of complex networks

Organizations in sectors like telecommunications, education, and healthcare utilize WhatsUp Gold for their network monitoring needs. Telecom companies track switches and routers, educational institutions manage bandwidth usage, and healthcare facilities monitor device availability to ensure seamless operations.

Progress Software

Sample Customers

Coop eG, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Priefert Manufacturing, Century Care Management, Clifton College, Zürs Ski Resort, Capital FM Arena, MAXI Autohöfe

Artoni Trasporti, Austin Independent School District, Banca Marche, Burke County North Carolina, Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine, Clayco, Community Integrated Care, Desca, Deutsche Bergbau, Flexi-Van, Gropper, Hamleys, Hammonds Furniture, Knowledge IT, Idras S.P.A., Sibeg, Swann Engineering, Trivium Lindenhof

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 2026

Free Report: Meraki Dashboard vs. WhatsUp Gold

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