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Arista Networks Platform vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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
6.5
Arista Networks offers excellent ROI with higher costs, being cheaper than Cisco and requiring less deployment time and staff.
Sentiment score
5.0
Meraki MS Switches offer mixed ROI; some benefit from reduced costs, while others struggle with high expenses and slow transitions.
I saved between five to six hours using Arista Networks Platform, as it takes less time to actually add your APs to the dashboard and deployment is quite fast and easy.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
We save on employees and also save time because it is easy to install.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.6
Arista Networks Platform offers highly regarded, prompt technical support, though some users note documentation lacks depth and concern over initial costs.
Sentiment score
6.8
Meraki MS Switches excel in support with 24/7 availability, though users desire more experienced staff and streamlined communication.
We would rate the customer support as a nine to 9.5 out of ten.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
They provide instant support and maintain commitments regarding replacement products.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
All network engineers from the organization were present in the program, and the Arista engineer provided a solution in less than five minutes.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
The support is excellent and rated ten out of ten.
Sales Engineer at Phoenyx Commtech Pvt. Ltd.
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
Cisco's tech support is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Arista Networks Platform offers seamless scalability and ease of expansion to support diverse and large-scale data center environments.
Sentiment score
7.3
Meraki MS Switches are scalable for small to medium businesses but face limitations and supply challenges for larger enterprises.
Scalability is a key feature of Arista, owing to the possibilities to manage the entire data center network from a single console.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
We can easily scale up with Arista Networks Platform, as it is not difficult, and they have a platform that encourages scalability.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
They're quite scalable for my environment.
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Arista Networks Platform is stable and reliable, with minimal downtime, supported by strong performance and a robust customer base.
Sentiment score
8.2
Meraki MS Switches are praised for reliability and stability, with minor issues and easy maintenance, ensuring minimal downtime.
I have not had any downtime using Arista Networks Platform.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
We have been working with Arista Networks Platform for the past five years, and we can say it is stable.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
We faced issues following firmware updates, which we now handle by performing updates outside of working hours.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Room For Improvement

Arista Networks needs improved documentation, integration, pricing, and features like microsegmentation to align better with user expectations.
Meraki MS Switches face high pricing, cloud dependency, limited configuration, and demand improved local management and scalability features.
Feature-wise, it addresses most customer requirements.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
The only improvement I seek is configuration without an internet connection.
Lead IT Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
When a switch disconnects from the internet, you can't make any changes to that switch.
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
Most people are familiar with the Cisco commands, and it would be beneficial if the switch could be accessed by GUI configuration and by normally accessing the console.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Setup Cost

Arista Networks is often seen as expensive, but some find its value and features competitive against Cisco.
Meraki MS Switches are priced high but valued for features; multi-year contracts offer discounts, maintaining buyer interest.
The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
Arista products are perceived as costly, especially compared to competitors like Cisco.
AVP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
IT System Administrator at Bouri
Pricing is affordable, and licenses for the cloud need to be purchased every three to five years.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
Meraki pricing is a little premium compared to other vendor products.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
 

Valuable Features

Arista Networks Platform excels in cost-efficiency, scalability, and advanced features with reliable management, deployment, and support.
Meraki MS Switches provide centralized cloud management, intuitive dashboard, global multi-switch control, robust security, scalability, and zero-touch provisioning.
The best features Arista Networks Platform offers are the dashboards where you can see all your APs that have been deployed and installed across all locations, making it quite unique to access, manage, and monitor performance from that dashboard.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Features include plug-and-play auto-discovery, allowing centralized configuration and management.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
The access points are easy to install and the switches are easy to install. I can install seven or eight access points in less than two hours.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
One of the most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches is its precise traffic analytics capabilities, allowing us to query the system for any place at any time.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (3rd)
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 3.2%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.9%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.9%
Arista Networks Platform3.2%
Other93.9%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Adeagbo Olamide - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Cloud-managed access points have simplified deployments and saved significant installation time
I have been using Arista Networks Platform for three years now. Arista Networks Platform is easy to use, and after deployment of the access points, the dashboard makes it easy and convenient to use with easy navigation, which is excellent. The access points on Arista Networks Platform operate in the cloud through the GUI where you operate the access points and perform all configurations for the access points on the platform. In terms of performance with Arista Networks Platform, I would give it a perfect score as it has not failed me before. The only time I had an issue with Arista was when the access point went into rest mode, probably after a power outage in an infrastructure. After contacting Arista and attending an Arista program, I was guided through a solution via the Arista GUI, which I implemented, and since then, the performance has been excellent. In terms of security, I have no issues with Arista; it performs really well in terms of security. Arista Networks Platform is very convenient overall. Arista Networks Platform has really boosted our organization to the extent that our organization does not want to think about any other platform except Arista in terms of access points and switches. We are just diving into the switch area. In terms of time saved with Arista Networks Platform, the access points are easy to install and the switches are easy to install. I can install seven or eight access points in less than two hours. It is really easy to install and time-saving. In terms of cost, I think it is cost-efficient compared to others in the same field.
JN
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
Central management and cloud dashboard streamline network monitoring while connectivity hiccups need addressing
I use Cisco products and Meraki MS Switches. I am a user on the user side. Network security is handled by our firewalls and other solutions. I have not explored the area of network management AI in Meraki MS Switches. For other switches, when you buy one, you can just start configuring, connect it to the network, and it works. With Meraki MS Switches, you have to first whitelist the MAC address, let it have internet, then you can manage it. They're deployed on-premises. They're quite acceptable, so I recommend them to those who want to use Meraki MS Switches. The biggest benefit that I see in Meraki MS Switches is central management and the cloud dashboard. I rate Meraki MS Switches 8 out of 10.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business54
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
I do not handle the pricing for Arista Networks Platform as other departments handle the costing. I am a network engineer in my company.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
I have not had any issues with Arista Networks Platform in terms of improvements. I would only advise that they should dive deeper into the Nigerian market and make it easily accessible.
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
Meraki MS Switches are easy to manage, but I believe they are more suitable for use on the IT side because Meraki faces the internet, requiring an open connection through the internet for control. ...
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
880,511 professionals have used our research since 2012.