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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
18th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Routers (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.6%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center1.9%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.6%
Other96.5%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, the commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
Anthony Quarshie - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides robust routing capability but needs simplified documentation
I am using it, and I recommend it to my customers in the financial sector The router power is the most valuable aspect. I have not tried AppSec. Everything, I do on my own with Sage or something similar. I do not rely on technical support. I have used the solution for a couple of years, like…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"When configuring FortiSwitch with a FortiGate firewall, I can consider all FortiSwitch's ports as a part of the FortiGate firewall."
"SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."
"The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"All the features are necessary, like tracking evidence and IPS. However, I appreciate the ability to connect the logs and the dashboard functionality."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"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."
"I like that it's quite flexible and addresses different issues. It's quite easy to use, and the pricing is great. We find them to be very capable switches."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"The GUI is easy to use."
"The most valuable feature is that it has better throughput than its competitors."
"The initial setup is easy."
"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power. As a package, it's extremely effective."
 

Cons

"The solution could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now."
"They could improve availability and security by detecting and preventing switch attacks."
"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"The stability of the solution is impacted when integrating parts from different vendors such as Cisco, which can lead to performance problems and disconnections."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center needs to improve its UI and stability."
"There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors."
"The solution does not yet offer a SaaS version."
"Improvements are needed with respect to some of the security, especially for VPN links between vendors other than Cisco."
"It happens that you may find your network is down, if you reboot the switch, they come up. However, sometimes, they reset themselves. That's a big issue."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"The port isolation and VLAN need to be improved."
"MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"The user interface could improve and they should allow a license for IBS."
"In medium to large sectors, there's a necessity for managing aspects like proxy firewalls."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The solution is not expensive."
"It is reasonably priced."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
"The price is competitive."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Educational Organization
9%
Hospitality Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging. Additionally, improving the speed of th...
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 it is 120 percent.
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 could potentially be improved, but for this market segment, it is a good product. ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,985 professionals have used our research since 2012.