No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches vs MikroTik Routers and Switches comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco N9300 Series Smart Sw...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
26th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Routers and Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
11th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
Routers (2nd)
 

Featured Reviews

Thu Al-Faqar Salah - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at V2X
Modern data center fabric has delivered zero packet drops and simplified traffic control
Regarding improvements for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches, I think the only issue that could prevent users from using these devices is the smart licensing, as the license model could be much simpler and more cost-effective. Managing Cisco licensing and tiered subscriptions involves unnecessary operational overhead for deployment and renewal. Also, if you are planning to use ACI mode, most of the concepts such as VRF, EPG, and tenant will change. When deploying in ACI mode, the architecture has a steep learning curve, as the policy-driven model requires expensive and specialized training, and many concepts will change for traditional network engineers, requiring them to adapt and learn. Additionally, most of the issues I faced are related to hardware cost specifically, so if we could get a model that is less costly and more cost-effective with simpler licensing, it would be much better. Regarding further improvements, I remember something about the upgrade process. When we did the upgrade for the N9300, changing the image took us around 12 to 15 minutes, which was really a long time. This happened for more than one switch, so I do not know if it is a bug or if this is something normal, but I think they need to address it.
AnikIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Executive at Lakdhanavi Limited
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…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The integration is very good, and there is very low CPU utilization, so multiple users can work without any problem."
"Cisco products are very strong and stable."
"When you buy a Cisco device, you are going to forget about it after plugging it in because the device is powerful."
"Performance-wise, Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches is a great machine to work with."
"We have not had any issues with our MikroTik routers and I would definitely recommend them."
"The most valuable feature is that you can do anything on all platforms."
"ROI: Very good."
"I use the tool to block external attempts."
"The MikroTik Hotspot is great."
"MikroTik Routers and Switches are both scalable and stable."
"There is a familiarity with MikroTik we appreciate, it is reliable, offers good IT Station reports, is stable, scalable, and has a good ratio of pricing to performance, which is why we use the product."
"The stability is good."
 

Cons

"It is expensive. Compared to Aruba and Dell, it is a little bit costly."
"Regarding improvements for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches, I think the only issue that could prevent users from using these devices is the smart licensing, as the license model could be much simpler and more cost-effective."
"The price is something negative for Cisco that I see."
"The product's setup process could be easier."
"Sometimes, software issues, some stability problems on different versions."
"Wireless throughput has not kept up with the competition."
"The initial setup could be easier."
"The batch management could be improved."
"Sometimes, when I need to reboot or change software, MikroTik crashes."
"The ports could be improved, as certain areas may need to be terminated with a greater number of Ethernet ports. We initially faced challenges that hindered our network usage, especially with third-party applications that were not certified or supported. It took some time to streamline and resolve these issues."
"If the reporting functionality of the solution is considered, I think it is not good."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"In terms of the economic side, we're completely satisfied. The price is affordable for both SMEs and enterprises."
"This product is cheaper than competing products by other vendors."
"There is a lifetime subscription already embedded when you buy the product."
"The tool is cheap."
"There is no licensing fee in addition to the hardware, but we do pay an annual fee for support."
"The solution is not expensive."
"In our last project, we used two hundred units and the price was approximately 500 Shekels ($140 USD)."
"The product is cheap compared to Cisco."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Comms Service Provider
19%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches?
Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches is expensive. Compared with Aruba and Dell, it is a little bit costly.
What needs improvement with Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches?
As for any negative points, I think there is nothing significant. The only thing that Cisco may focus on commercially is the SmartNet. From my experience, I have worked with many MNCs where SmartNe...
What is your primary use case for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches?
The major use case that we have with Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches is that our current switches are old and getting into end of life from Cisco. This is the reason we started looking for the ri...
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. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...
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 learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or ga...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MikroTik Routers and Switches?
MikroTik Routers and Switches are expensive, but they are the best products in terms of quality. From my knowledge, their quality is also the best.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
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 N9300 Series Smart Switches vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.