shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Arista?

Data-driven cloud networking (switches, EOS, CloudVision, SD-WAN) - arista.com

Depends. Buy if you run large data center or campus networks with skilled network engineers on staff. Small teams or anyone wanting simple, transparently priced gear should look elsewhere.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~50 public sources; many snippets truncated, so some claims are limited.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usable evidence either way
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Not disclosed

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Large data centers and cloud-scale networks
  • Campus refreshes replacing Cisco
  • Orgs with dedicated network engineers
  • Teams wanting Cisco-class gear without Cisco lock-in

Not for

  • Small businesses needing a handful of switches
  • Teams without network engineering staff
  • Buyers wanting transparent online pricing
  • Home or small offices — massively overkill

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

If you run Arista SD-WAN/VeloCloud, patch fast — orchestrator flaw was actively exploited

high

SecurityWeek reported an exploited EOS vulnerability with no patch planned

medium

Quote-based channel pricing; buyers use third-party price-list tools to sanity-check quotes

low

Special pricing programs exist but terms aren't public; negotiate hard

Pros and cons

Pros

  • TAC support widely called the best in networking
  • Engineers on Reddit prefer it over Cisco outright
  • Data center refreshes: 'Can't go wrong with Arista'
  • Full portfolio: switches, CloudVision, SD-WAN, NG firewall

Cons

  • Pricing is quote-based; no transparent list pricing
  • VeloCloud Orchestrator flaw was under active exploitation
  • Exploited EOS vulnerability reportedly had no patch planned
  • CloudVision and EOS features need separate licenses

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/24/2026 - 8 sources - Active PSIRT program, but a VeloCloud Orchestrator flaw saw active exploitation and one exploited EOS vulnerability reportedly went unpatched.

official x2review x3security x2news x1
  • VeloCloud Orchestrator command injection actively exploited, Attackers exploited a command injection flaw in Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator, per The Hacker News.
  • Exploited EOS vulnerability without planned patch, SecurityWeek reported no patch was planned for an exploited Arista EOS vulnerability.
  • CVE-2025-8872, NVD lists this vulnerability affecting Arista platforms.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Cheaper than Cisco for some; quote-based otherwise
  • Ease of use. No usable evidence either way
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Data center, campus, SD-WAN, firewall, wireless all covered
  • Support quality: 5/5. Users call TAC support the best
  • Security posture: 2/5. Actively exploited VeloCloud flaw; unpatched EOS vuln reported
  • 3.8/5 Community rating rfp.wiki head-to-head comparisons
  • 51 Gartner switch reviews in-depth Arista switch reviews
  • 1,673 Companies using it tracked by Enlyft
  • 4.0/5 Employee rating AmbitionBox, 100+ reviews

Pricing

Not disclosed

Security

Active PSIRT program, but a VeloCloud Orchestrator flaw saw active exploitation and one exploited EOS vulnerability reportedly went unpatched.

  • VeloCloud Orchestrator command injection actively exploitedAttackers exploited a command injection flaw in Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator, per The Hacker News.⁴
  • Exploited EOS vulnerability without planned patchSecurityWeek reported no patch was planned for an exploited Arista EOS vulnerability.⁵
  • CVE-2025-8872NVD lists this vulnerability affecting Arista platforms.

What users say

Network engineers on Reddit strongly favor Arista over Cisco, especially praising its TAC support.

“Arista has the best tac,”
Reddit, r/networking
“Loved my time on Arista.”
Reddit, r/Arista

Companies that use it

  • CCF (financial services)
  • TPx
Full analysis

Based on ~50 public sources; many snippets truncated, so some claims are limited.

Enterprise-grade networking. Praised support, engineer-friendly, but quote-only pricing and overkill without network staff.

Methodology

Based on ~50 public sources; many snippets truncated, so some claims are limited.

Sources

  1. Reddit r/networking: How do we feel about Arista?reddit.com
    review
  2. Reddit r/networking: Arista or Ciscoreddit.com
    review
  3. Gartner: Arista Switches Reviewsgartner.com
    review
  4. The Hacker News: VeloCloud Orchestrator exploitedthehackernews.com
    security
  5. SecurityWeek: No patch planned for exploited EOS vulnerabilitysecurityweek.com
    security
  6. Arista Security Advisories & Noticesarista.com
    official
  7. ITPrice: Arista price list toolitprice.com
    news
  8. Arista Networks — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official

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