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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches vs MikroTik Routers and 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
7.5
Cisco Ethernet Switches enhance uptime and ROI through durability and efficient management, despite renewal costs and scalability concerns.
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
7.1
MikroTik devices are cost-effective, reliable, and offer an impressive 80% return on investment with no licensing fees.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Customer service excels, but technical support gets mixed reviews; forums help, yet satisfaction varies with location and agreements.
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
4.3
MikroTik support receives mixed reviews; while knowledgeable, users face access challenges and documentation limitations compared to Cisco.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
Cisco support is quick and responsive, often answering within an hour.
We attach SKUs that offer an advanced replacement of the hardware in the worst-case scenario.
Their customer service and support are quite good.
Their support team knows their product very well.
I sometimes need technical support from my ISP company, or else I gather information from YouTube.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Ethernet switches offer scalable and adaptable networking solutions, effortlessly handling large user numbers and accommodating expansion despite costs.
Sentiment score
7.9
HPE Ethernet Switches are valued for scalability and modularity, though opinions vary on manageability and future-proofing.
Sentiment score
7.1
MikroTik Routers are seen as scalable, though some note hardware and security limitations in larger deployments.
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
The scalability depends on the model.
HPE Ethernet Switches are highly scalable.
Even in a big enterprise, MikroTik Routers and Switches can scale very well.
It's easy to scale MikroTik Routers and Switches; you can add more and have a cluster.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.9
Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for their reliability, minimal issues, and durable equipment with efficient support.
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
7.4
MikroTik Routers and Switches are generally stable, but newer OS versions and the power system can cause issues.
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
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.
MikroTik Routers and Switches are very stable.
MikroTik Routers and Switches have very high stability.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Ethernet Switches face affordability, complexity, compatibility, and support challenges, prompting calls for better integration and user experience.
Users want improved UI, stability, security, better support, lower pricing, enhanced scalability, and more automation in HPE Ethernet Switches.
MikroTik Routers and Switches need better interface, security, documentation, compatibility, advanced features, and support for improved user experience.
The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products.
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
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.
It would be better for me if I could establish filter rules within MikroTik.
The most important thing is maintaining and enhancing their strong security features.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Ethernet Switches are costly but valued for quality, reliability, and enterprise discounts despite competitors offering lower prices.
HPE Ethernet Switches are seen as affordable and offer a good price-performance balance compared to competitors like Cisco.
MikroTik offers cost-effective routers with lifetime licenses, appealing to enterprises seeking affordable high-performance alternatives without hidden charges.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
Regarding the cost, Cisco Ethernet Switches have a competitive price.
When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper.
The price of HPE Ethernet Switches is reasonable and less than other OEM brands.
MikroTik Routers and Switches are expensive, but they are the best products in terms of quality.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Ethernet Switches provide high performance, scalability, and security, featuring power-saving, VLAN support, and rugged durability for efficient networks.
HPE Ethernet Switches offer scalability, reliability, strong management, and PoE support with intuitive interfaces and robust security features.
MikroTik devices combine affordability, scalability, and performance with features like flexible firewalls and user-friendly GUI for efficient networking.
Their stability and durability are essential features we've been looking for many years, and they are still working fine.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities.
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.
They simplify the process of creating access lists, allowing me to understand my network's activities effectively.
MikroTik Routers and Switches are some of the best routers around, security-wise, followed by Cisco.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 11.9%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.9%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 7.2%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches11.9%
MikroTik Routers and Switches7.2%
HPE Ethernet Switches2.9%
Other78.0%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
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.
AnikIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective protocol support and a straightforward setup with room for login enhancements
In the network operations center, I manage our client's bandwidth. We connect with our clients through BGP and OSPF based on client demands. We also manage routing protocols, policies, internal firewalls, and other details like QE bandwidth, client manage bandwidth management, PoE, PPPoE, and DNS…
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
8%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
17%
Computer Software Company
13%
Hospitality Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise36
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise31
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise9
 

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 func...
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 F...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for...
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?
When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper. However, Huawei would be even cheaper than Aruba. We can't compar...
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
HPE Ethernet Switches have room for improvement in the initial setup and integration process, especially when incorpo...
How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. Th...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learni...
What do you like most about MikroTik Routers and Switches?
The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
HP Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Emirates Palace Hotel
ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: September 2025.
869,771 professionals have used our research since 2012.