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Aruba Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
4.1
Aruba Switches enhance network control and reliability, offering cost savings and stability with a lifetime warranty and mixed environment support.
Sentiment score
1.0
HPE Ethernet Switches offer reliable ROI through low power, stable performance, reduced maintenance, and lifetime warranty despite high prices.
Sentiment score
6.4
Meraki MS Switches offer scalability and manageability but face challenges with cloud integration and initial costs affecting returns.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Aruba Switches offers fast, efficient technical support but customer service and response times can vary, needing possible improvement.
Sentiment score
7.8
HPE Ethernet Switches customer service is praised for quick response, though support satisfaction varies, with improved regional response times.
Sentiment score
8.0
Meraki MS Switches support is praised for responsiveness but faces criticism for delays and difficulties in escalation and access.
Their tech support is good.
I find that technical support is available, especially during the warranty period.
When we talk about performances, Aruba Switches are very good and the technical support is okay as well.
We attach SKUs that offer an advanced replacement of the hardware in the worst-case scenario.
Their customer service and support are quite good.
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
The support is excellent and rated ten out of ten.
Cisco's tech support is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Aruba Switches are praised for scalability, easy integration, remote management, and flexible expansion despite minor issues in some versions.
Sentiment score
7.9
HPE Ethernet Switches are valued for scalability and modularity, though opinions vary on manageability and future-proofing.
Sentiment score
7.6
Meraki MS Switches are scalable for SMBs with stackable features and cloud management, but may lack enterprise-level robustness.
The scalability offered by Aruba Switches is similar to Cisco, demonstrating options for enterprise networking.
I would rate the scalability of the product an eight out of ten.
The scalability, in my opinion, is around seven to eight out of ten.
HPE Ethernet Switches are highly scalable.
They're quite scalable for my environment.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Aruba Switches offer stable, reliable performance with minimal downtime, aided by centralized management for efficient network monitoring.
Sentiment score
8.5
HPE Ethernet Switches are praised for reliability, durability, and stability, often rated highly for challenging projects and long-term use.
Sentiment score
8.2
Meraki MS Switches are highly reliable with minimal disruptions, praised for efficient updates and overall stable performance.
I have sites that have been running for many years with no issues.
The stability of Aruba Switches is very good, and I would rate it between eight and nine out of ten.
Once we install Aruba Switches, we can forget about them for years and years.
We had one incident where an electric overload occurred, and it still managed to stay operational.
HPE Ethernet Switches are very reliable and have high stability.
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
We faced issues following firmware updates, which we now handle by performing updates outside of working hours.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Switches need better pricing, network visibility, security, and user interface, with improved support, management, and clearer updates.
Users want improved UI, stability, security, better support, lower pricing, enhanced scalability, and more automation in HPE Ethernet Switches.
Meraki MS Switches need better pricing, reduced cloud dependency, improved features, and enhancements in scalability, security, and support.
Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial.
There are more centers of knowledge for Cisco than for Aruba here.
The only problem with Aruba Switches is the pricing.
Incorporating them into an existing infrastructure with competitor products is a challenging task which could be better streamlined.
The price should be reduced in comparison to Cisco, as sometimes we cannot use the HPE one at the core level, where generally public users are using Cisco.
Meraki should also consider improvements in stacking features, particularly in the lower-end models like NS130, where stacking isn't supported, unlike with Cisco traditional switching.
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
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.
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Aruba Switches more affordable and cost-effective than Cisco, with flexible pricing and straightforward licensing.
HPE Ethernet Switches are seen as affordable and offer a good price-performance balance compared to competitors like Cisco.
Meraki MS Switches are costly but offer excellent support and cloud features, with discounts available for longer-term licenses.
The pricing of some products, such as the 6300M switch, is considered a significant cost.
From my experience, the pricing of Aruba Switches is competitive.
A high-end model with Aruba is about five thousand.
When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper.
The price of HPE Ethernet Switches is reasonable and less than other OEM brands.
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
Meraki pricing is a little premium compared to other vendor products.
Pricing is affordable, and licenses for the cloud need to be purchased every three to five years.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Switches are appreciated for their ease of use, robust performance, seamless integration, and cost-effective cloud management capabilities.
HPE Ethernet Switches offer scalability, reliability, strong management, and PoE support with intuitive interfaces and robust security features.
Meraki MS Switches provide cloud management with remote configuration, zero-touch deployment, user-friendly GUI, and Cisco integration for scalability.
One of the most valuable features of Aruba Switches is the security and cybersecurity features they have.
Scalability is significant since you can start from an economical product to a very high-end option, accommodating growth.
In the hotel sector, IGMP 3 is particularly valuable for IPTV.
They are highly scalable and stable, which is vital for large enterprises that require reliable performance.
The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good.
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
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.
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 9.4%, down from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 3.1%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Aruba Switches9.4%
Meraki MS Switches3.1%
HPE Ethernet Switches2.8%
Other84.7%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Eunice Thirikwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable hotel networking enhances return on investment with valuable modular features
There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches. For instance, the distributor in our country cannot sell to neighboring countries, creating complications in project execution. Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial. Also, the SFP modules are significantly more expensive than industry peers, which affects cost-effectiveness.
Dinesh Upadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience years of robust features and strong technical support
It is a nice and robust tool where we use HPE Ethernet Switches. It is a lower switch, and we have received good warranty support with HPE switches. The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good. The UI mode is available, and we can easily configure the access list and SNMP. All these configurations can be done here. Users can enable the Layer 3 features.
MajidKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Remote access enhances troubleshooting with potential for more intuitive interface
We are working with Citrix and router, but in Cisco for Cisco vendor only. We are taking from them since 2015.  The main use case involves some small business customers needing one router, one switch, and two to three access points. It is easy to handle the devices with just a small knowledge of…
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business49
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise21
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise31
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business51
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
The cost of Aruba Switches is based on the price per device. The cost depends on the model. We have 24-port switches,...
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
We are not using all the features as we actually have multiple vendors, and I'm not an expert technically for Aruba S...
What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price of HPE Ethernet Switches is reasonable and less than other OEM brands.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price should be reduced in comparison to Cisco, as sometimes we cannot use the HPE one at the core level, where g...
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?
From my perspective, I don't have any indication for improvement regarding Meraki MS Switches, as our usage is quite ...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
HP Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Emirates Palace Hotel
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: September 2025.
868,570 professionals have used our research since 2012.