Top 9 Cisco Competitors & Alternatives in 2025
Updated onFind more companies like Cisco. We've shortlisted leading alternatives and mapped their strengths, pricing, and go-to-market focus.
Cisco Systems, Inc. is a global technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells networking, security, collaboration, data center hardware, software, and services for enterprise, service-provider, and public-sector customers.
Competitors
#1Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks designs and sells routers, switches, firewalls, network operating systems (Junos), and AI-native network management software (Mist) for service providers and enterprise customers.
#2Arista Networks
Arista Networks, Inc. is a U.S.-based networking company that designs and sells high-performance, software-driven cloud networking products and platforms—including programmable Ethernet switches, the EOS network operating system, and CloudVision management and observability solutions—targeting large data centers, hyperscale cloud, AI, campus, and routing environments.
#3Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is an enterprise IT company that provides hybrid cloud, AI, networking, storage, compute, software, and services, including its consumption-based HPE GreenLake platform for businesses and public-sector organizations.
#4Est. 2005 • 1k+ employees • Public (NASDAQ:PANW)Palo Alto Networks
Best for enterprisesBroad cybersecurity platform vendor offering next‑generation firewalls, cloud security and Cortex XDR for detection and response across networks and endpoints.
#5Est. 2000 • 1k+ employees • Public (NASDAQ:FTNT)Fortinet
Best for enterprisesNetwork and security vendor whose Security Fabric includes firewalls, endpoint/EDR, and integrated security services for enterprise and service‑provider customers.
- #6Est. 1998 • 1k+ employees
VMware
Best for enterprisesEnterprise virtualization and cloud software company whose Carbon Black lineage and endpoint/cloud security offerings compete in EDR/XDR and workload protection.
- #7
Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks delivers cloud-driven networking, security and AI-powered management software and hardware — including switches, wireless access points, SD‑WAN and services — through its Extreme Platform ONE and ExtremeCloud IQ offerings.
#8Nokia
Nokia is a global B2B technology and telecommunications infrastructure company that develops and sells mobile and fixed network equipment, optical and IP networking, software and services, and licenses technology and patents.
#9Ciena Corporation
Ciena Corporation is a networking systems and software company that designs and delivers optical and packet networking equipment, network automation software, and professional services for telecommunications carriers, data center operators, and large enterprises.
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