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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Meraki MS Switches 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
5.8
Fortinet FortiSwitch provides cost-effective security and easy deployment, appealing to users despite potential technological gaps for larger enterprises.
Sentiment score
5.0
Meraki MS Switches offer mixed ROI; some benefit from reduced costs, while others struggle with high expenses and slow transitions.
It allows me to apply Zero Trust technology, which is currently the trend in the world and is needed for security layers.
Cyber Security Manager at Greater Cairo Water Company (GCWC)
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Fortinet FortiSwitch support is knowledgeable and professional, with room for improvement in response times and initial resolutions.
Sentiment score
6.8
Meraki MS Switches excel in support with 24/7 availability, though users desire more experienced staff and streamlined communication.
They are knowledgeable, professional, and assist with any issues.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
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
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
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
The support is excellent and rated ten out of ten.
Sales Engineer at Phoenyx Commtech Pvt. Ltd.
Cisco's tech support is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers scalable network solutions, integrating seamlessly with FortiGate, ideal for medium to large enterprise expansions.
Sentiment score
7.3
Meraki MS Switches are scalable for small to medium businesses but face limitations and supply challenges for larger enterprises.
For enterprise solutions, it's extendable easily with options for edge connectivity or stackable devices.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
You just need to connect another switch or replace the current one, and it integrates well with the existing setup.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
With uniform Fortinet FortiGate switches, adding or removing switches without reconfiguring individually is straightforward.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
They're quite scalable for my environment.
Ag. Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.7
Fortinet FortiSwitch delivers reliable, stable performance with high user ratings, despite occasional configuration or power challenges during transitions.
Sentiment score
8.2
Meraki MS Switches are praised for reliability and stability, with minor issues and easy maintenance, ensuring minimal downtime.
I have never experienced any crashes, outages, or downtime.
Cyber Security Manager at Greater Cairo Water Company (GCWC)
The tool is robust and lasts for three to four years without needing replacement.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
The stability has been good overall.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
We faced issues following firmware updates, which we now handle by performing updates outside of working hours.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiSwitch faces challenges with pricing, support, complexity, missing features, poor documentation, and a non-competitive warranty.
Meraki MS Switches face high pricing, cloud dependency, limited configuration, and demand improved local management and scalability features.
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
The machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
Fortinet needs to perform extensive testing to improve its reliability.
Cyber Security Manager at Greater Cairo Water Company (GCWC)
Meraki should also consider improvements in stacking features, particularly in the lower-end models like NS130, where stacking isn't supported, unlike with Cisco traditional switching.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
Most people are familiar with the Cisco commands, and it would be beneficial if the switch could be accessed by GUI configuration and by normally accessing the console.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiSwitch offers robust functionality with high pricing, seen as affordable compared to competitors despite exchange rate impacts.
Meraki MS Switches are priced high but valued for features; multi-year contracts offer discounts, maintaining buyer interest.
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
The price is very affordable.
Cyber Security Manager at Greater Cairo Water Company (GCWC)
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
IT System Administrator at Bouri
Meraki pricing is a little premium compared to other vendor products.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Pricing is affordable, and licenses for the cloud need to be purchased every three to five years.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiSwitch offers enhanced security, centralized management, and seamless integration, valued for performance, reliability, and ease of use.
Meraki MS Switches provide centralized cloud management, intuitive dashboard, global multi-switch control, robust security, scalability, and zero-touch provisioning.
This centralized management saves time and ensures seamless scalability.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
The powerful integration capabilities allow us to manage all devices from a single interface through the firewall.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
One of the main features is the integration with FortiGate.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
One of the most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches is its precise traffic analytics capabilities, allowing us to query the system for any place at any time.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 3.8%, down from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.6%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.6%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access3.8%
Other93.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

HM
Cyber Security Manager at Greater Cairo Water Company (GCWC)
Zero Trust access has improved branch security and provides granular visibility for all devices
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has substantial automation because the configuration is managed from FortiGate dashboard. Automation increases performance and decreases installation time. I mentioned the unique specifications of the switch and the solution at the start. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access granular visibility features have helped me manage IoT devices. I can see every device in the network and the details about each device because FortiGate has an inventory of every device, making the integration between Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and FortiGate unique. The deep integration with Fortinet's Security Fabric is very important for threat intelligence in my organization. Reliability is key, and automation contributes significantly to network performance optimization in my organization. I have to use FortiLink for automatic UTM extension, as it is a unique proprietary protocol to manage Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access through FortiGate. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is a switch that is related to its Secure Access feature. I gave this review a rating of 9.
Thanadesh Namuengrak - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead IT Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Cloud-managed switches have improved secure segmentation and simplified automated patching
Meraki MS Switches are easy to manage, but I believe they are more suitable for use on the IT side because Meraki faces the internet, requiring an open connection through the internet for control. It is not the same as Cisco switches, which operate via command line. I normally use command line for configuration, while Meraki utilizes a cloud-based dashboard that necessitates a constant internet connection for configuration. Therefore, I find Meraki MS Switches more suitable for the IT side. The improvement needed for Meraki MS Switches is the ability to connect in the worst case when I encounter internet issues. When I cannot connect to the internet and need to configure or connect directly to Cisco switches or access Meraki for changes, I face difficulties. When Meraki MS Switches can be configured without an internet connection, I think I can use Meraki MS Switches on the OT side. The only improvement I seek is configuration without an internet connection.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business54
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

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 needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
I believe enhancement in security is essential for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. Fortinet needs to perform extensive testing to improve its reliability. If they achieve that, I think it wil...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
Meraki MS Switches are easy to manage, but I believe they are more suitable for use on the IT side because Meraki faces the internet, requiring an open connection through the internet for control. ...
What is your primary use case for Meraki MS Switches?
I have experience with Cisco products as I implement a lot of them. For example, I implemented switches and access points when I worked for infrastructure in a motorcycle company, and I implemented...
 

Also Known As

No data available
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
907,664 professionals have used our research since 2012.