Cisco Catalyst Center vs Detonate
Cisco Catalyst Center
cisco.comDetonate
detonate.fnsys.proSide by side
| Figure | Cisco Catalyst Center | Detonate |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $415.83/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Malware Analysis Sandboxes | 7.8 (#8) | 9.1 (#2) |
| Deployment | Cisco describes hardware and virtual appliance deployments, including current guides for VMware ESXi and Ubuntu KVM. | The recommended installation is a Docker image containing Firecracker, kernel, rootfs images and the monitoring agent. |
| Deployment requirements | The Ubuntu KVM virtual appliance minimums include 32 vCPUs, 256 GiB of memory, and a 3-TB SSD. | The manual requires a Linux x86_64 host with KVM support and Docker 24 or newer for containerized deployment. |
| Purpose | Cisco Catalyst Center is a centralized network controller and management dashboard for enterprise network operations. | Detonate runs software dependencies in isolated micro-virtual machines and monitors their runtime behavior for software supply chain security. |
| Support | Cisco says Catalyst and Cisco DNA software subscriptions include embedded software support and downloads; opening a support case requires a Cisco Service Contract. | Community-tier support is provided through GitHub, while SMB adds email support and Enterprise lists a 24-hour premium SLA. |
Plans
Cisco Catalyst Center
- Cisco DNA AdvantagePriced on request
- Cisco DNA EssentialsPriced on request
In their own words
Cisco Catalyst Center
Cisco Catalyst Center has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Detonate
Detonate runs software dependencies in isolated micro-virtual machines and monitors their runtime behavior for software supply chain security. It accepts npm and PyPI packages, Maven artifacts, binaries, and Docker images, then records file access, network connections, DNS queries, and process execution. The product assigns benign, suspicious, or policy-violating verdicts and provides an event timeline. Decoy files such as fake SSH keys, cloud credentials, API tokens, and environment files can flag access attempts. A token-authenticated REST API supports artifact submission, status checks, verdicts, and reports for CI/CD deployment gates. The sandbox has no internet connection by default; outbound connections can be logged and optionally blocked. Described controls include Firecracker microVM and KVM hardware isolation, gVisor support, seccomp-BPF profiles, and read-only root filesystems with tmpfs overlays. Detonate supports API and web access, Linux, and self-hosted deployment. The Community plan is free and self-hosted, with 2 concurrent sandboxes and 200 API runs per month. Paid plans start at $4,990 a year; enterprise pricing starts at $14,990 a year.