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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access 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
6.0
Cisco Catalyst Switches provide high ROI with consistent performance, durability, and operational reliability, despite initial cost concerns.
Sentiment score
4.4
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers significant cost savings, enhanced security, and ease of deployment compared to competitors like Cisco and HPE.
From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.
Unit Nos at Orange
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Cisco Catalyst Switches support is mixed; users praise documentation but criticize slow responses and varying expertise levels.
Sentiment score
5.6
Fortinet FortiSwitch support receives mixed reviews, with commendable tier three service but issues in response speed and clarity.
When requesting an RMA, they replace defective items in just one day.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Cisco at 10 out of 10.
student at St. Joseph's College of Engineering
Cisco support is very good and responsive.
Unit Nos at Orange
They are knowledgeable, professional, and assist with any issues.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
It's a potential area for improvement, possibly in terms of response time or quality.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
My local support is working fine, and I have my connection with my account manager in the public company of Fortinet.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Cisco Catalyst Switches provide scalable solutions for diverse deployments, supporting seamless network growth and expansion in varied environments.
Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiSwitch is praised for seamless scalability and integration, despite some pricing concerns, in both small and large networks.
The scalability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very much scalable, as it supports the stacking feature and growth; for instance, with 94K modular switches, based on the requirement, we can even increase modules for more bandwidth.
Unit Nos at Orange
Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and I would rate them eight to nine out of ten for scalability.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
The scalability level of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is strong.
Team Lead - Network and Security at Digitaltrack
With uniform Fortinet FortiGate switches, adding or removing switches without reconfiguring individually is straightforward.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
For enterprise solutions, it's extendable easily with options for edge connectivity or stackable devices.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Cisco Catalyst Switches are praised for their reliability and stability despite occasional minor hardware issues, making them a preferred choice.
Sentiment score
8.7
Fortinet FortiSwitch is praised for its stability, reliability, robust security, and minimal technical issues despite new market presence.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
The tool is robust and lasts for three to four years without needing replacement.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access demonstrates great stability and reliability aspects.
Team Lead - Network and Security at Digitaltrack
I would give it a nine out of ten for stability.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches need improved third-party integration, simpler licensing, better documentation, user-friendly configurations, and enhanced security and AI features.
Fortinet FortiSwitch needs better pricing, licensing, user interface, support, firmware clarity, security features, integration, stability, and scalability.
It is the highest cost in the market.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.
Unit Nos at Orange
Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
The machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
The introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic directly on the switch.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
I would appreciate the ability to create an independent switch.
Team Lead - Network and Security at Digitaltrack
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches are reliable but costly, with complex licensing; potential buyers seek competitive pricing and bulk purchase discounts.
Enterprise buyers find Fortinet FortiSwitch pricing high yet justifiable due to robust functionality, reliability, and fewer licensing requirements.
Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.
Unit Nos at Orange
Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
It has increased by about two hundred percent over the past three years.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
The initial cost of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is high compared to other options.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches are robust, versatile, and scalable, featuring advanced management and supporting diverse network infrastructures with excellent documentation.
Fortinet FortiSwitch integrates with FortiGate, offering seamless management, ease of deployment, advanced security features, and robust network visibility.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
It is friendly and easy to use. Everyone is familiar with their commands.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
This centralized management saves time and ensures seamless scalability.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has several features that I have found most valuable.
Team Lead - Network and Security at Digitaltrack
One of the main features is the integration with FortiGate.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
178
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (2nd), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 3.3%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.1%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches3.3%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access4.1%
Other92.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

AG
Unit Nos at Orange
Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas
Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.
Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
Integration with cloud management simplifies network expansion
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new businesses setting up from scratch. Although the machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues, the initial price can be high. Sometimes, I have to offer alternatives like Aruba or HP, which might be cheaper.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business79
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
The initial cost of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is high compared to other options. Although robust and rarely needs replacement, it can be overqualified for some jobs, which affects the re...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.