Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Ubiquiti UniFi Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 21, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco Ethernet Switches enhance uptime and ROI through durability and efficient management, despite renewal costs and scalability concerns.
Sentiment score
5.2
Users appreciate Ubiquiti UniFi Switches for affordability and integration, despite challenges in measuring ROI without specific metrics.
Another solution offered to us was more than double the price, making UniFi a cost-effective choice.
We saw a return on investment within a year, although I believe there's more potential to be leveraged.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Customer service excels, but technical support gets mixed reviews; forums help, yet satisfaction varies with location and agreements.
Sentiment score
7.0
Users find Ubiquiti UniFi Switches support mixed, often relying on community forums due to delayed responses and limited assistance.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
Cisco support is quick and responsive, often answering within an hour.
The team is knowledgeable and efficient.
the manuals, installation videos, and resources on the website are very good and straightforward.
They have a large customer base that sometimes faces issues due to a lack of know-how in managing the devices.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Ethernet switches offer scalable and adaptable networking solutions, effortlessly handling large user numbers and accommodating expansion despite costs.
Sentiment score
7.6
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are scalable for small to medium businesses but may face limitations in large enterprise environments.
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
The scalability depends on the model.
I rate the scalability as nine out of ten.
If planning for future scalability, choosing switches that support extra modules for fiber optics is advisable.
The solution is sufficiently scalable because the switches can be stacked.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.9
Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for their reliability, minimal issues, and durable equipment with efficient support.
Sentiment score
8.6
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are dependable with high stability ratings but may face issues due to configuration and environment.
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
I did not experience any problems the whole year.
We have never experienced any problems with Ubiquiti UniFi Switches as they are consistently stable.
The switches are stable and there have been no outages.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Ethernet Switches face affordability, complexity, compatibility, and support challenges, prompting calls for better integration and user experience.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches struggle with power supply issues, complex setup, limited features, and demand better pricing and support.
The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products.
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
The current setup is closed and does not allow for integration with non-Ubiquiti VoIP devices or providers outside their ecosystem.
Recent updates have removed many options available in earlier versions, simplifying the interface but limiting control.
The choice depends on the network architecture and planning for the future scalability requirements.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Ethernet Switches are costly but valued for quality, reliability, and enterprise discounts despite competitors offering lower prices.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches offer cost-effective performance for SMBs with competitive pricing and free support, despite limited availability.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
Regarding the cost, Cisco Ethernet Switches have a competitive price.
Many vendors mark up prices significantly.
Pricing is very favorable, with minimal licensing involved.
Our investment in Ubiquiti is about £30,000, and it's a cost-effective solution since there is no subscription fee.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Ethernet Switches provide high performance, scalability, and security, featuring power-saving, VLAN support, and rugged durability for efficient networks.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are favored for centralized management, ease of use, PoE flexibility, and seamless device integration for businesses.
Their stability and durability are essential features we've been looking for many years, and they are still working fine.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities.
I can manage user connectivity, limit bandwidth, apply MAC address filtering, and it offers POE capabilities.
The switches enable management from anywhere using the cloud controller, making configuration changes and management easier.
I was involved in Kenya's last general elections where we used Ubiquiti equipment, both wireless and switching, which performed excellently.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
136
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 11.9%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is 7.7%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches11.9%
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches7.7%
Other80.4%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
Donald Ochanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Has delivered reliable performance over the years but still needs improvements in advanced networking features
I generally recommend Ubiquiti UniFi Switches for medium-sized corporate clients, as most of them don't mind the brand as long as the system works. With major corporate clients, they still have the mentality that Cisco is superior in the market, but medium-sized clients are easier to deploy at that level. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are improving technically since my last implementation. Our field engineers report significant improvements, and I was involved in Kenya's last general elections where we used Ubiquiti equipment, both wireless and switching, which performed excellently. My assessment of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches' centralized management is that, while I haven't interacted with it extensively, it works similarly to Cisco and Meraki platforms. Field engineers should be able to provide better answers regarding this feature. The port isolation feature on Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is standard, which I believe is appropriate considering they provide standard security features on the port.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
871,688 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
University
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise36
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
Which switches are better - Ubiquiti Unifi or Netgear?
Ubiquiti Unifi offers a great set of features. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and also doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfi...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or ga...
What do you like most about Ubiquiti UniFi Switches?
We have integrated the tool for PoE switches and non-PoE switches. Its most valuable feature is SD-WAN. UniFi SD-WAN can access all statistics and performance data in one interface, enabling us to...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
UniFi Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Staypineapple
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
871,688 professionals have used our research since 2012.