Akvorado vs Cisco Catalyst Center
Akvorado
akvorado.netCisco Catalyst Center
cisco.comSide by side
| Figure | Akvorado | Cisco Catalyst Center |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 2 |
| Spec score · Network Traffic Analysis Software | 8.1 (#4) | 7.7 (#13) |
| Deployment | Akvorado is available as a Docker image or a prebuilt binary; the documented prebuilt binary is for Linux x86-64. | Cisco describes hardware and virtual appliance deployments, including current guides for VMware ESXi and Ubuntu KVM. |
| Purpose | Akvorado collects network flows, enriches them with metadata, and provides a web interface to explore the data. | Cisco Catalyst Center is a centralized network controller and management dashboard for enterprise network operations. |
| Support | The project directs users to its documentation and GitHub Discussions for help, and asks them to read troubleshooting guidance before opening a discussion. | Cisco says Catalyst and Cisco DNA software subscriptions include embedded software support and downloads; opening a support case requires a Cisco Service Contract. |
Plans
Cisco Catalyst Center
- Cisco DNA AdvantagePriced on request
- Cisco DNA EssentialsPriced on request
In their own words
Akvorado
Akvorado is free network-flow software that receives NetFlow, IPFIX, and sFlow records, enriches them, and exposes the results through a web interface. Its inlet forwards incoming flows to Kafka. The outlet parses and augments them before sending data to ClickHouse. SNMP can supply exporter and interface details, while IPinfo or MaxMind can add geographic information. Optional BGP routes received through BMP contribute AS numbers, AS paths, and communities. A Grafana plugin is available, and the inlet, outlet, orchestrator, and console expose HTTP metrics. Written in Go, Akvorado is delivered as a single binary or Docker image, but deployment requires Kafka and ClickHouse. Recommended resources are 8 vCPUs, 100 GB disk, and 16 GB RAM, with AMD64 or ARM64 listed. The console expects an authenticating proxy to provide user headers. Relational data can use SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL; without one, data remains in memory and disappears on restart. Downgrades are unsupported. The license is AGPLv3.
Cisco Catalyst Center
Cisco Catalyst Center has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.