We performed a comparison between Arista Networks Platform and Cisco Catalyst Switches based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Arista comes out on top in this comparison. According to reviews, it is easier to set up and has better support than Cisco.
"I like the spine as a leaf model and low latency. The hardware is robust and meets expected latency in all environments, mainly if you belong to the media or trading industry. For multicast-based solutions, Arista is number one."
"Arista Networks Platform is comfortable, easy to deploy, and easy to manage, with non-blocking technology. Additionally, it has a useful CloudVision platform and automation capabilities."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The most valuable features of the Arista Networks Platform are the EVPN and VXLAN. It has comprehensive features."
"It is very stable. It has good hardware and very stable code. It provides good value for its price. They are a very lean type of organization, so they are very responsive, and they're able to focus more on their platform versus having multiple products out there."
"The configuration capabilities were good."
"We find the CloudVision switching feature of this solution really useful."
"The solution is very stable."
"It is easy to install."
"It is very reliable."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable."
"The network is secure."
"The scalability is good."
"The most valuable feature is load balancing."
"The solution is already at the cutting edge in terms of innovation."
"I find their system throughput and Cisco support very useful."
"I want the solution to include a unified controller."
"My company does face issues in terms of interoperability when it comes to the product, making it an area that needs to be fixed."
"The solution’s pricing could be better."
"An area for improvement in Arista Networks Platform is its integration, e.g. it needs to have more integration with its new products. Incorporating more security and cloud is also another area for improvement in the platform."
"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."
"They should have a more stable code."
"They need to enhance their code and their EOS. They need to improve some security features, and there are quite a number of bugs in their system. So, they need to work on that piece. In the next release, we need to have a modular feature. Instead of providing an integrated solution, they should go for something modular. They need to come up with modular highly scalable models. Even at the chassis layer, I want to see some improvement."
"The solution needs to accommodate new features."
"Soon, we plan to migrate to the cloud infrastructure. It would be good if the Cisco switches worked quickly in the cloud, like their hardware devices. Ideally, they would be like OVS-DPDK, but they would work out-of-the-box."
"The switches could be improved."
"Compared to other switches, the Cisco products are expensive."
"The pricing could be better. Cisco is quite expensive."
"The solution’s licensing could be improved."
"Cisco is the most expensive product."
"The support is not the quickest."
"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco switches."
Arista Networks Platform is ranked 13th in Ethernet Switches with 21 reviews while Cisco Catalyst Switches doesn't meet the minimum requirements to be ranked in Ethernet Switches with 171 reviews. Arista Networks Platform is rated 8.6, while Cisco Catalyst Switches is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Arista Networks Platform writes "Affordable for enterprise-sized companies". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cisco Catalyst Switches writes "Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed". Arista Networks Platform is most compared with Cisco Nexus, Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches, Aruba Switches, Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches, whereas Cisco Catalyst Switches is most compared with Dell PowerConnect Switches, Cisco Nexus, HPE ProCurve, ExtremeSwitching and Aruba Instant On Switches. See our Arista Networks Platform vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches report.
See our list of best Ethernet Switches vendors and best Data Center Networking vendors.
We monitor all Ethernet Switches reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.