Meraki MS Switches vs MikroTik Routers and Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Routers and Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
62
Ranking in other categories
Routers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 6.2%, up from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 3.5%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
Unique Categories:
No other categories found
Routers
26.0%
 

Featured Reviews

PP
Oct 24, 2023
Simplifies the management process and allows the granular control of devices
Meraki MS switches are great for pretty much all SMB networks and most enterprise networks. However, there are some higher-end functions that larger enterprise networks with full access, distribution, and core switch stack may find limiting. One of the most challenging things to get used to is the delay in the time it takes for changes to be implemented. With a locally managed switch, you make a change and it is pretty much immediate. With the nature of cloud management, you make a change and it may take one to three minutes before that change makes its way to the device and takes effect. It's not a problem once you get used to it but when we first started working with Meraki, I found myself making a change and immediately assuming it didn't work so I would change it again. A little patience is your friend when making changes. They have a field on the dashboard that lets you know when the config is up to date so that makes it easy to know when you can start testing your change(s). I'm not sure if this delay could be reduced or not by prioritizing communication but it is by no means a show-stopper. They warn you when you are about to make changes to the uplink path of a device so you can double-check to make certain your change will not break the Internet access for the device.
MK
Jun 6, 2023
Acts as an access controller for Wi-Fi
We have use cases like providing power over ethernet, as an access controller for Wi-Fi, and normal networking.  The tool is very stable and not expensive. Moreover, it is easy to use, especially with Windows applications.  You can find many Youtube videos that can help with the configuration.…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is the dashboard because it makes it easy to manage all of the switches. It's easy to turn them up and get it configured."
"The features are great."
"The main features of Meraki MS Switches are integration, high quality, and hardware guarantee."
"The solution is scalable."
"I found the cloud-managed dashboard most valuable in Meraki MS Switches."
"Meraki MS Switches is easy to use and implement."
"The solution is scalable and can accommodate as many devices as needed."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to segment my infrastructure between phones, security systems, and other tasks."
"It's great for small businesses or home offices."
"The setup is easy."
"They are very good at providing the bandwidth for multi-tenants and multi-dwelling units. We're managing WiFi hotspots for hundreds of locations, and the speed and performance are quite there. They also have very cheap 10G products that come with really good and flexible software. They are way cheaper than the top brands, and they're able to deliver the same performance and capabilities."
"I have seen a return on investment since we didn't have to pay a licensing fee."
"They have amazing speed and reliability, and they also provide value for money. They are pretty powerful."
"They are stable."
"The best part about MikroTik Routers is the price."
"One of the primary advantages is its competitive pricing in the market."
 

Cons

"One area where Meraki MS switches could improve is offering smaller switch sizes for distribution switches."
"In this solution, you are lacking a feature that Cisco Classic has that allows you to save your configuration with a serial cable."
"The throughputs, especially the throughput path, can be improved on the core switches. I think they should improve the throughput in the core switches to enable higher throughputs."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"At times, we didn't know whether the switch was operating or not so we have to take the console and we have to do some troubleshooting."
"The switch capacity needs to be improved."
"It might be perceived as more of a niche product, partly due to its name, as it's still not entirely recognized by the market."
"The stability of the solution isn't ideal. We've had a lot of problems with the switches. They are unstable and unreliable. We need to reboot them often."
"Technical support could be better. They don't have good support like Cisco. It can also be more stable and scalable."
"I would like to have the option of having multiple logins."
"The product needs to include more power."
"The initial setup can be a bit difficult. The configuration can take a lot of time."
"The Soft-GRE support needs to be improved."
"There is an area of improvement. The firewall features are self-contained, but features like email scanning and voice control should be improved. This is the best routing product."
"f they can improve the OpenVPN, to make that a bit more straightforward, that would be ideal."
"The interface for management could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My company pays for Meraki MS Switches yearly. Pricing-wise, the product is relatively inexpensive."
"The licensing is purchased on a one, three, five, and seven year basis."
"The pricing is high and it is where we get the most pushback from customers."
"We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."
"If you buy a license for one switch, it will include the licensing for the device RMA, device failure warranty, technical support, and everything else. Also covered is support for software updates for future releases. It's a single license for everything and there's nothing that customers need to pay in addition to the license."
"The solution is a bit on the pricey side."
"I don't have an issue with the price of this solution."
"Meraki is a little bit expensive, but when you compare the pricing with others, Meraki is a good option."
"In terms of the economic side, we're completely satisfied. The price is affordable for both SMEs and enterprises."
"It's reasonably priced. It's not the most cheap solution, but also, it's not the most expensive one."
"The main reason we use this solution is for the price — it's very cheap."
"MikroTik is very cost-effective and quite good for the price. It performs very well. For one of our customers, the existing setup comprises Cisco Catalyst switches, and it is about 10 to 15 years old. We're looking into upgrading in a cost-effective way to get the performance and yet still be at par with the quality and expectations that customers have from Cisco. Price-wise, Cisco is really expensive, and customers are expecting something different than Cisco so that they can save on IT costs. They don't have the same budget that they had before when they installed Cisco products. That's why they're looking for a solution that can provide performance and features without too much money or investment. We're looking at some alternative brands, such as NETGEAR and MikroTik, to support our proposal."
"The tool is cheap."
"The tool offers a one-time buying option."
"In our last project, we used two hundred units and the price was approximately 500 Shekels ($140 USD)."
"The pricing of the solution is significantly lower than other solutions. There are no additional costs involved."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Retailer
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Media Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
I would rate the costliness of Meraki MS Switches at around seven out of ten. They are not cheap, but I find them to be a good value for the money. However, I would prefer if the prices were a bit ...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
One area where Meraki MS switches could improve is offering smaller switch sizes for distribution switches, as not all networks require the standard 24 or 48 ports. Having more compact options with...
How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...
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 MikroTik Routers and Switches?
The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high.
 

Also Known As

MS220, MS320, MS420
No data available
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Meraki MS Switches vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
787,779 professionals have used our research since 2012.