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Meraki MS Switches 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

Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Routers (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.9%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.9%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.9%
Other95.2%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

JN
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
Central management and cloud dashboard streamline network monitoring while connectivity hiccups need addressing
I use Cisco products and Meraki MS Switches. I am a user on the user side. Network security is handled by our firewalls and other solutions. I have not explored the area of network management AI in Meraki MS Switches. For other switches, when you buy one, you can just start configuring, connect it to the network, and it works. With Meraki MS Switches, you have to first whitelist the MAC address, let it have internet, then you can manage it. They're deployed on-premises. They're quite acceptable, so I recommend them to those who want to use Meraki MS Switches. The biggest benefit that I see in Meraki MS Switches is central management and the cloud dashboard. I rate Meraki MS Switches 8 out of 10.
Andriejus Artamonovas - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Specialist at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees
Has supported deeper configuration through traffic mirroring and advanced VLAN setup
The main reason why MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is usually chosen is its raw performance to price ratio. In comparison to UniFi switches, MikroTik Cloud Router Switch can mirror all ports for traffic inspection for further traffic analysis, which UniFi cannot do. VLANs in MikroTik Cloud Router Switch are always useful. The way MikroTik implements VLAN-aware switching at the bridge level is hidden in the configuration. Making CRS work as a simple VLAN-aware switch requires deeper configuration, which is not intuitive. VLANs support individual interfaces not part of the bridge, allowing for double VLANing. You can create a VLAN interface in the interfaces context and also create a bridge interface, add physical ports, create VLANs for that bridge interface, and assign tagged and untagged ports and VLANs. Load balancing is one of the key components. The feature itself is quite efficient and works reliably on MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. The very basic setup is one of my favorites because they have their protocol where I can connect through the MAC address right on Layer 2, and I don't lose connectivity to the switch if I mess up with bridging or IP addressing.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is the ability to orchestrate the network from the cloud."
"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."
"Easy access to the solution is the most valuable feature."
"Meraki's site-to-site VPN function is phenomenal, and the VLAN is simple to use and set up. If you need the VLAN to sort the networks out, that works very well. The performance is also excellent."
"It is easy to configure and claim the switches by their serial number directly from the portal."
"The solution is stable."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the interface because it is very simple and easy to learn, even for somebody who hasn't seen it before."
"Meraki MS Switches have allowed us to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"The performance has been good."
"The beauty of MikroTik is that you have flexibility with the routing parts."
"This solution is very similar to the on-premises version making it easy to use for those who know the architect."
"The interface management and the user access management is pretty good."
"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power. As a package, it's extremely effective."
"The main reason why MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is usually chosen is its raw performance to price ratio."
"The initial setup is easy."
 

Cons

"The pain point for our customers is the pricing and it should be reduced to make it more competitive."
"The documentation could be more extensive. For example, it could describe more scenarios. It would be great if they could incorporate AI engines into the switching infrastructure and firewall so you can configure it to prevent intrusion. They have intrusion prevention and detection, but they could enhance it by incorporating AI into their firewall."
"Licensing is the only thing I can complain about. It's expensive, but everything is these days."
"Meraki MS Switches could improve the process of installing firmware."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"The throughputs, especially the throughput path, can be improved on the core switches. I think they should improve the throughput in the core switches to enable higher throughputs."
"The lead times can be long in terms of actually getting the hardware."
"The MS Switches are incapable of doing trunking."
"Proper LACP support, more software support for hardware capabilities, true wirespeed Layer 3 routing."
"The initial setup is complex."
"It would be even better with a centralized management platform."
"The bulk efficiencies and the control of traffic could be a bit better."
"Stuff that I'd like to be improved is really just training and documentation because I think the feature set is full. Another improvement I'd suggest is that their new, bigger releases should be a bit more stable."
"MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"Most of the time, the MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is stable. If I were to rate the stability on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best, I would give it a 5."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is a bit on the pricey side."
"It is very expensive so I want it to be cheaper."
"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"If you buy a license for one switch, it will include the licensing for the device RMA, device failure warranty, technical support, and everything else. Also covered is support for software updates for future releases. It's a single license for everything and there's nothing that customers need to pay in addition to the license."
"When you compare it to other switches like HP, Juniper, and Ruckus, Meraki MS Switches are cheaper."
"Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco."
"We have an annual subscription for licensing and it is expensive."
"Meraki MS Switches is a pricey product. You have to get a license for each product annually. It would have been perfect if there were product bundles."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"The price is competitive."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Healthcare Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Educational Organization
12%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business54
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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?
It can be difficult to identify key functions for MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. I experience functionality limitations, particularly when trying to find specific features. It would be beneficial to...
 

Also Known As

MS220, MS320, MS420
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Meraki MS Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.