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Aruba Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch 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:
 

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 MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.6%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Aruba Switches9.4%
HPE Ethernet Switches2.8%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.6%
Other86.2%
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.
MarkBanks - PeerSpot reviewer
Has reduced deployment time and enabled cost-effective internet access in the public sector
As an integrator, the best advantage of the product is its cost. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch stands out for its features, especially those available at that price point. I don't get involved too much in the setup of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch, so I appreciate the ease of setup. There are no specific features we use it for; its cost-effectiveness for internet access is what matters. One useful feature we utilize is Ethernet over IP. The positive impact of the solution on our company and clients is that it provides an attractive price point. It allows us to deliver cost-compliant solutions to our clients. Since we work in the public sector, cost is a very important attribute, and that's where it fits in our portfolio.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's stability is really great. We found it very solid."
"Aruba Switches are always innovating to bring new solutions to the market."
"Very easy and quick to setup and provide a nice dashboard providing a view of everything."
"The features I find most valuable in Aruba Switches are their flexibility, reliability, and affordability."
"The most valuable feature is the security that these switches provide."
"There is a feature where you can use Bluetooth. You can set up a Bluetooth pairing connection and do the configuration through your phone."
"Aruba access points have a good transfer rate."
"The Aruba care support and the lifetime warranty are very valuable aspects."
"I like that HPE's management functions are GUI-based, so it doesn't rely on command lines."
"We found the installation process to be simple."
"They are affordable and very stable. They also have good performance."
"The performance is great."
"It's straightforward to set up."
"The solution performs well for its price."
"The solution is very stable and easy to use."
"You can scale the product as needed."
"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power. As a package, it's extremely effective."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"The tool has impacted our company's network costs and productivity in a perfect manner and percentage-wise, I can say it is 120 percent."
"It is easy to set up."
"Regarding security and visibility in monitoring, it is very good, the GUI is very intuitive, and it has many more features than those from major vendors."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"The performance has been good."
"The GUI is easy to use."
 

Cons

"The tool must provide a controller-based architecture."
"The initial setup is not easy."
"It would be nice if there were more centers of training for Aruba in Peru because there are more centers of knowledge for Cisco than for Aruba here."
"We had an integration team do the setup of the solution."
"It takes a long time to import Aruba switches to Ecuador."
"Technical support response time could be better."
"The only problem with Aruba Switches is the pricing."
"Replacement could be automated."
"There could be features for ransomware attack detection and enhanced anomaly detection to identify and mitigate anonymous traffic."
"HPE Ethernet Switches must ensure that the updates and patching are done regularly. When we have new software updates, we can resolve issues quickly."
"The scalability is limited."
"The ability to stack, as well as a unified operating system, would be extremely beneficial."
"They should have more control tools for controlling the bandwidth."
"When we have a lot of clients on the system, we lose signal and have to restart our antenna."
"The solution is a bit expensive."
"HPE Ethernet Switches have room for improvement in the initial setup and integration process, especially when incorporating them into an existing infrastructure with competitor products."
"While some customers use MikroTik Cloud Router Switch as a firewall, it's not at an industry-level, though the basic features are adequate for many users who prefer it over purchasing other reputed firewall solutions."
"In medium to large sectors, there's a necessity for managing aspects like proxy firewalls."
"The packet filtering, user log data, and user access log could all be improved."
"Antispam and antivirus features should be included in the future."
"The port isolation and VLAN need to be improved."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"Stuff that I'd like to be improved is really just training and documentation because I think the feature set is full. Another improvement I'd suggest is that their new, bigger releases should be a bit more stable."
"MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a little bit expensive. It can be cheaper."
"The pricing for Aruba Switches is definitely expensive."
"Typically it is a $500 to $600 difference in price."
"The price point was a big consideration for us and it is reasonable enough that we're able to standardize on Aruba for the networking pieces in our organization."
"Aruba switches work without a license."
"Aruba's switches are priced lower than Cisco's by about 30%."
"There are no licensing costs for the Aruba Switches."
"Aruba switches cost between $500 and $600 more than similar products by Huawei, as well as many other brands."
"I believe HPE is less expensive than Aruba's and UniFi and that is why certain clients have chosen them as their solution."
"We have to see only the security part when considering licenses because the licenses upgrade."
"All the solutions have a license for the QSFP. Additionally, there is a one-time license fee to increase the interface speed."
"There are no licensing costs for this solution."
"The licensing cost is set up annually or every three years."
"There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."
"The box itself is cheap, but when we have to install new features, it becomes very expensive."
"HPE Ethernet Switches is a fairly cheap solution."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"The price is competitive."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
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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%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Educational Organization
10%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

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 Business19
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
 

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 MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
The tool has impacted our company's network costs and productivity in a perfect manner and percentage-wise, I can say...
What needs improvement with MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
Regarding improvements in the MikroTik Cloud Router Switch, I am not sure as it is a good product. The performance co...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
HP Ethernet Switches
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Emirates Palace Hotel
Information Not Available
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.