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Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

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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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Brocade Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
26th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.8%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.3%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.3%
Brocade Ethernet Switches1.8%
Other95.9%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

PB
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
Experience seamless configuration with secure and adaptable network solutions
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They are connected and used every day in our operations It is good and scalable. It is easy to configure and provides good technical support. Brocade Ethernet Switches are good to…
Jayaraman C - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Cloud management has simplified branch deployments but pricing and support still need improvement
In terms of improvements for Meraki MS Switches, pricing is one area that could be enhanced. On the support front, the limited lifetime warranty is a concern. Aruba offers limited lifetime warranty, whereas Cisco requires a minimum license to function for hardware support or technical support. I think Cisco could improve by bundling technical support and hardware support together with the license. This approach is currently only applicable for EA customers. Standard license customers have to take additional hardware support as a separate SKU. I believe that bundling technical and hardware support with the cloud subscription itself would help customers choose a Meraki option. To make Meraki MS Switches closer to a rating of ten, Cisco could take additional features on the AI front. I am uncertain whether they will offer AI features at no cost. Self-healing networks is a new term that enterprises are looking forward to. All OEM management platforms now feature auto-remediation and auto-fixing capabilities. The issue is that even if AI is offered without cost, customers cannot get the benefits if they cannot afford the pricing. Enterprise customers are looking to optimize operational effort and operational capabilities. They use multiple tools apart from the OEM native dashboard, including the Cisco Meraki dashboard and Catalyst dashboard. However, they still want to have end-to-end visibility. For end-to-end visibility, they can go for Digital Twin capabilities through platforms such as IP Fabric, ManageEngine, SolarWinds, and Forward Networks. There are many NMS platforms that can be integrated, allowing them to manage complete operations. Cisco could add some additional capabilities into the same OEM dashboard so that customers can benefit from improved operational management.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"CLI and supported technologies are very close to Cisco."
"The switches last for a very long time; it's stable for doing its functions as a black and gray switch, and it's a very good switch, at least the older ones, which I have been using for ten years and are still in use."
"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."
"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."
"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."
"I have been using this solution for a long time and kept with it, because everything I need is covered by it."
"The switches last for a very long time."
"The switches are very flexible and easy to deploy and manage, are energy-saving and help to effectively reduce costs, perform at great speeds, protect the topology using root guard, and can handle redundancy and failovers automatically."
"The initial setup is easy."
"Being able to look at every port and see what it is connected to is very useful. Everything seems to be running really well. They've got everything covered. They have a really cool mounting system at the bottom and an access point that you can use to level up your device. It is kind of cool."
"The price isn't high, and they offer discounts, and the delivery time is much better than other traditional products."
"The most valuable feature of the product is the console."
"This product has QoS, decent visibility of what's going on, and it's a managed switch."
"Switches wise, I'm really happy with the product, it is more user-friendly than competitors and I can do everything myself, which is why I prefer it."
"I use it at work and at home and I don't have any issues."
"The main features of Meraki MS Switches are integration, high quality, and hardware guarantee."
 

Cons

"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"You need skills and knowledge to configure brocade switches."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"Technically the product is always improving the software part, but the hardware needs to be more reliable."
"This solution doesn't have a graphical interface and that's an issue."
"There are some performance issues that I would like to see improved."
"The solution could be more secure."
"One area where Meraki MS switches could improve is offering smaller switch sizes for distribution switches."
"It could be easier to use and easier to implement."
"The product demonstrates poor price per performance when compared with its competitors."
"Technical support could be better. Some support agents aren't adequately qualified to support us."
"It would be great if they can get the price down for small businesses."
"In terms of MS I see some complications."
"This solution is too simple for some cases, and there should be more configuration options."
"In terms of troubleshooting, if we get more tools there is an issue."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"I rate the price of Meraki MS Switches a two out of ten."
"This is not a cheap solution."
"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"The Layer 3 switch is the most expensive switch."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"We don't use standard licensing. Most of the time, we use the advanced security model. If there is a drawback to Meraki, it is the cost, but you also have to evaluate it based upon the other factors that you do get. Their support is really good; their hardware is really good. The ease of configuration and deployment is really good, but it is more expensive than most."
"We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Healthcare Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Brocade Ethernet Switches?
To improve, it could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface.
What is your primary use case for Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They are connected and used every day in our operations.
What advice do you have for others considering Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I would recommend Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are easy to configure and have good technical support. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
Cost is not the issue for us. Meraki MS Switches might be more expensive than other products, but we believe that from all analysis, Meraki MS Switches is able to deliver the kind of quality in ter...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
In terms of improvements for Meraki MS Switches, pricing is one area that could be enhanced. On the support front, the limited lifetime warranty is a concern. Aruba offers limited lifetime warranty...
What is your primary use case for Meraki MS Switches?
The primary use cases of Meraki MS Switches focus on the SMB market, starting from boutique size to mid-level enterprise, not very large enterprises. However, with Meraki, which is now part of Cisc...
 

Also Known As

No data available
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Ajubeo, Akquinet AG, Big Data Analytics Provider Boligkontoret Danmark Bristol is Open, CDE Lightband, Cicero School District 99, City and County of San Francisco, Department of Emergency, City of Chattanooga, Cloudscale.sh
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Brocade Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
921,148 professionals have used our research since 2012.