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Arista Networks Platform vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (2nd)
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
94
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 2.6%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 4.6%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MarekSzafrański - PeerSpot reviewer
Affordable for enterprise-sized companies
Speaking about whether the product enhanced our company's data center scalability, I would say that it was a solution that was used in a banking company, where it served as a replacement for Cisco. Though Arista Networks Platform is similar to Cisco IOS CLI, I feel that the former product offers better prices compared to the latter tool. Arista Networks Platform office is more efficient at a lower cost. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The tool is stable and cheaper than Cisco. I would say that Arista Networks Platform is 100 percent compatible with the existing infrastructure in my company. The impact of the tool's network telemetry on our company's troubleshooting practices was just good for the scope for which I need the product. I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Jóhann G. Thorarensen - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and easily accessible switches with a plug and play setup
We used Cisco switches, then we decided to go with Meraki MS Switches for several reasons. One reason was that the Cisco switches were originally set up by a company that was in charge of the whole system, which was run from a company outside the school. Then, we had someone come in to take charge here in our school, then we transferred that responsibility to an outsider. I then came in, and I started learning the system, so the outsider became the backup plan. It turned out, once we started digging into things, that the system was set up in a cumbersome and closed way, much like a banking system, rather than a setup that would be good for a school, that can rely on switches rather than closing the school into units. Another reason was that our switches were getting outdated, so we had to do something. We started looking at various solutions, and we had to decided whether to continue the way we were doing things, which we did not like because it was cumbersome and it had to be done on-site, or if we could do it in a way that would be more accessible both inside and outside the school, while having the level of security and stability we need. For example, we looked at Ubiquiti UniFi which was a cheaper system, but it was less stable, though I know that some schools were using that system. It was really just a question of stability and accessibility, and these were deciding factors in the system that we chose. Even though Meraki MS Switches were more expensive than the other solutions, we ended up with Meraki.

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 features of the Arista Networks Platform are the EVPN and VXLAN. It has comprehensive features."
"The product's implementation phase was easy."
"The configuration capabilities were good."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"They support open standard features."
"The best part is the single operating system that they have. Regardless of your model, it's the same operating system functioning across the board, which means you don't have to worry about backward compatibilities between your older switches and the new ones that you deploy."
"If someone uses Arista Networks Platform, I believe they are secured."
"Arista's customer service is excellent."
"The initial setup is easy."
"This is a sophisticated product with easy configuration that can save time and effort."
"The product is very straightforward."
"The initial setup is straightforward. You only need two people for deployment and maintenance."
"The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity."
"The main features of Meraki MS Switches are integration, high quality, and hardware guarantee."
"The most beneficial features of Meraki MS Switches are the visibility and convenience they provide."
"The solution is scalable and can accommodate as many devices as needed."
 

Cons

"I want the solution to include a unified controller."
"A weakness would be that in our company, we don't have many people within our team who support the product because there are different vendors, and most of them are not tier-one vendors, so the skills required sometimes are just not there."
"Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks. They should expand further into campus networks."
"The solution’s pricing could be better."
"The CVP management platform needs to be improved."
"They should expand further into campus networks."
"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."
"A smoother transition between ISPs during failover would improve the user experience by reducing unnecessary notifications and interruptions."
"One area where Meraki MS switches could improve is offering smaller switch sizes for distribution switches."
"Sometimes there's a problem with the pricing model they use. They should work to fix this."
"The pain point for our customers is the pricing and it should be reduced to make it more competitive."
"Meraki MS switches are great for pretty much all SMB networks and most enterprise networks. However, there are some higher-end functions that larger enterprise networks with full access, distribution, and core switch stack may find limiting."
"Technical support hold times seem to be getting longer."
"We had issues with the stability, issues with the pricing, and the total cost of ownership."
"The lead times can be long in terms of actually getting the hardware."
"There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten where ten is high price and one is low price."
"Specific tools definitely require a license for the subscription. But we are not using these tools in our environment. In terms of licensing, you need to spend approximately $10,000 per month."
"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."
"Arista Networks Platform was cheaper than Cisco. I have heard that the product is affordable for enterprise-sized companies."
"The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000."
"Cost wise, Arista Networks Platform is more expensive than other networking solutions."
"It is pretty pricey for a networking platform. It is on par with Cisco."
"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."
"This product is more than the competition, but you get what you pay for."
"They can get the price down for small businesses. The way I bought it, I paid hardly anything, and I got all my licensing with it. The firewall appliance is around $900, and the switches are around $150. This is for the device itself. For licensing, I signed at $70 or something like that for the switch. Technical Support is included in this."
"The pricing is overvalued in relation to the product's performance."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
"We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."
"The only drawback is the cost — that's what kills them."
"When you compare it to other switches like HP, Juniper, and Ruckus, Meraki MS Switches are cheaper."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
Compared to Cisco, Arista routers are significantly cheaper. The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks. They should expand further into campus networks.
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
The solution is a bit expensive as it is on the high end. The cost depends on the model and the number of years of usage.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Learn More

Video not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.