Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Alloy Discovery Express VS Cisco Meraki

Compare Alloy Discovery Express VS Cisco Meraki and see what are their differences

Alloy Discovery Express logo Alloy Discovery Express

Award-winning network inventory software for IT organizations.

Cisco Meraki logo Cisco Meraki

Meraki provides Cisco-based, cloud-controlled Wi-Fi and routing and security products for distributed wired and wireless networks.
  • Alloy Discovery Express Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-03-14

Alloy Discovery Express is a complete, affordable, and easy to use network inventory solution that produces accurate and up-to-date information for every computer on your network. It audits Windows, Linux, Mac, Chromebooks, ESX(i), printers and SNMP devices. Designed for network administrators and IT service providers, this network inventory tool gives you an in-depth understanding of your IT infrastructure. Alloy Discovery enables us to discover and audit networked and standalone computers on-demand or regularly without the need to install any software agents on the remote machines.

Key Features & Benefits

  • Audit Windows, Linux, Mac, Chromebooks, ESX(i), SNMP devices
  • Collects details hardware and software inventory information
  • Switch port mapping
  • Agentless audit eliminates the need to install audit agents on a remote computer
  • Modern UI with dynamic grouping based on custom criteria
  • Supports scheduled audit via login scripts, on-demand audit, portable audit,
  • Supports audit via email, FTP and SFTP.
  • Produces comprehensive and flexible reports
  • Provides the ability to integrate Integration your favoritу network management tools
  • Network map
  • Cisco Meraki Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-06

Alloy Discovery Express features and specs

  • Clean UI
    Easy to navigate and use
  • Analytics and Reporting
    Explore your discovered network inventory data with flexible filters and customizable reports that offer multiple view points and levels of detail
  • Change tracking
    Track Hardware and Software Changes
  • Integrations
    Seamlessly integrate discovered network inventory data with your favorite tools and launch them with a single click
  • Agentless audit
    Avoid the complexity of having the software installed on each computer.

Cisco Meraki features and specs

  • Cloud Management
    Cisco Meraki offers centralized cloud management, allowing network administrators to manage and monitor devices across multiple locations from a single dashboard.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The intuitive dashboard design makes it easy for even non-technical users to navigate and perform common networking tasks.
  • Scalability
    Cisco Meraki solutions can easily scale from small businesses to large enterprises, offering flexibility as your network grows.
  • Security Features
    Integrated security features such as malware protection, content filtering, and intrusion detection/prevention enhance overall network security.
  • Automatic Updates
    Devices automatically receive firmware and security updates, ensuring that the network is always running the latest and most secure versions.
  • Zero-Touch Provisioning
    Devices can be pre-configured before deployment, allowing for quick and easy installation without the need for on-site network engineers.

Possible disadvantages of Cisco Meraki

  • Cost
    Cisco Meraki solutions can be expensive, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
  • Dependency on Internet
    Since Meraki relies heavily on cloud management, a stable internet connection is crucial. Network management might be challenging during internet outages.
  • Limited Customization
    The platform's ease of use comes at the cost of limited customization options, which may not meet the needs of advanced users requiring more granular control.
  • Ongoing Subscription Fees
    Apart from the initial hardware costs, ongoing subscription fees are required for cloud management and support services.
  • Data Privacy
    Since data is managed in the cloud, there may be concerns about data privacy and regulatory compliance, especially in industries with strict data protection requirements.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Relying on Meraki's ecosystem might make it difficult to switch to other vendors or integrate third-party solutions in the future.

Analysis of Cisco Meraki

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Cisco Meraki is a good option for organizations seeking a scalable, reliable, and user-friendly network management solution. Its integration capabilities and strong performance record make it suitable for both small to medium-sized businesses and larger enterprises.

Why this product is good

  • Cisco Meraki is generally considered a strong choice for cloud-managed IT solutions due to its ease of deployment, centralized management, and comprehensive range of features. It offers a robust set of security tools, end-to-end network visibility, and the ability to manage multiple devices and sites from a single dashboard. Its intuitive interface makes it accessible for IT teams of varying levels of expertise, providing simplicity without sacrificing functionality.

Recommended for

  • Businesses looking for cloud-managed networking solutions
  • Organizations needing simplified management for distributed networks
  • Companies wanting robust security features and comprehensive device management
  • IT teams seeking to streamline network operations with a user-friendly interface

Alloy Discovery Express videos

No Alloy Discovery Express videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Cisco Meraki videos

My Thoughts About Cisco Meraki VS Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi Deployments

More videos:

  • Review - Introducing Cisco Meraki
  • Review - Cisco Meraki MR 33 Wireless AP and Dashboard Features Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Alloy Discovery Express and Cisco Meraki)
Network Scanning
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
0 0%
100% 100
IT Asset Management
100 100%
0% 0
Firewall
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Alloy Discovery Express and Cisco Meraki. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Cisco Meraki seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Alloy Discovery Express mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Alloy Discovery Express yet. Tracking of Alloy Discovery Express recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Cisco Meraki mentions (9)

  • The Great Displacement Is Already Well Underway
    "Built and maintained maintained GCP infrastructure..." It seems like you've repeated the word "maintained" again, unless you're trying to say that you "Built and maintained maintained-GCP infrastructure", in which case, the second maintained is redundant. "Had creative input across the full stack." That sounds weird. How about "Co-designed full stack for project"? For the second listed experience, "Sr. Full Stack... - Source: Hacker News / 15 days ago
  • Another one is born, former vic beauty huns
    Interestingly - I work in IT - I’d be very surprised if Cisco didn’t put up a fight to another company using the same name - https://meraki.cisco.com - unlike the mlms products, ciscos is actually pretty good, if a little pricey. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Which networking and security brand is best for SMEs: Cisco or Fortinet?
    Cisco - https://meraki.cisco.com/ - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/small-business/networking/routers.html - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/small-business.html. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Small Business Recommendations
    Forgive me that this is exact opposite of their wishes to manage it locally. Meraki is cloud-based admin panel, but man, it's easy to take care of. It has its critics, naturally, usually by comparing it to Palo Alto or Fortinet. But those require real expertise to manage, that takes time and lots of training. Yet it's light years better than Ubiquiti. If they can handle the price, it's quite nice. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • [QCrit] YA Fantasy "The Meraki Mythos" (115k/version 2)
    Meraki is a popular brand name - will that cause any problems? https://meraki.cisco.com/ I wonder if you would need to change it. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw your title. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Alloy Discovery Express and Cisco Meraki, you can also consider the following products

Total Network Inventory - Total Network Inventory is a piece of software designed to help with managing software inventory and auditing PC systems.

SonicWall - SonicWall security solutions protects your network, systems, users and data from cyber threats.

Lansweeper - Lansweeper discovers Windows, Linux and Mac machines in your network.

Sophos UTM - Sophos UTM integrates complete security software within a single appliance.

Network Inventory Advisor - Network Inventory Advisor audits all network software and hardware simply and efficiently

Fortinet Unified Threat Management - Fortinet unified threat management (UTM) consolidates multiple security and networking functions with one, unified appliance that protects businesses and simplifies infrastructure.