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Big Switch Networks vs Meraki SD-WAN comparison

 

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

Big Switch Networks
Ranking in Software Defined Networking (SDN)
11th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
Network Packet Broker (NPB) (5th)
Meraki SD-WAN
Ranking in Software Defined Networking (SDN)
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
77
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Software Defined Networking (SDN) category, the mindshare of Big Switch Networks is 3.7%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki SD-WAN is 24.4%, up from 23.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Software Defined Networking (SDN)
 

Featured Reviews

Jason Best - PeerSpot reviewer
A flexible solution that can be integrated with third-party solutions whilst maintaining its automated nature
I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation. Meaning, having an active-active data center with multiple entrance-exit points. I think that feature could be improved to provide a kind of anycast gateway solution into the functionality that would make it a lot more flexible and versatile. Maybe also making the solution a bit more like the NSX-T from VMware, more on the logical part of the solution, like micro-segmentation and the ability to have a distributed firewall across the whole solution, to implement it in an easier way than they currently do with the security aspect of the solution.
Martyn Walker - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables productivity in terms of users and has ease of management
Scalability could be improved. Yes, you can add more than 300 or 400 sites onto it, but because it's not a true SD-WAN and, effectively, it's just a Multi-VRF, it's all hub and spoke at that point. That's the nature of the design, but that's what keeps it simple to administer. So, it's a trade off.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What I liked about the solution is the quick and easy way you can build a network data center fabric."
"The integration of security features is important, although there is room for improvement."
"Using Meraki just solves a lot of problems."
"I appreciate the cloud-based management feature the most. It's a crucial aspect for me because it allows me to manage the configuration remotely without having to visit the on-premise location. The ability to do this from my home is a major benefit. Additionally, security is good."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The solution has a great UI."
"Meraki SD-WAN is scalable."
"The most valuable feature of Meraki SD-WAN is the Auto VPN."
"The solution is stable."
 

Cons

"I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation."
"The solution lacks a certain amount of functionality and features."
"Some advanced networking features are not currently available in the Meraki product but are on their roadmap."
"The integration with other tools must be improved."
"If Meraki obtains the technology to provide network assistance, then it can implement it manually in Meraki SD-WAN."
"They stopped doing WAN optimization as a feature set, which is lacking. They need to relook at that and consider WAN optimization as an option."
"You need to have internet access to configure the solution. You cannot do it locally, there should be a local option."
"Meraki is more or less intelligent load balancing, although a lot of features are missing that our SD-WAN solutions will have."
"There is still some work to do when it comes to AI."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing cost depends on the number of switches that are going to be licensed to run the software."
"The tool offers term licenses. You have the same term licensing model available for all of your equipment, which is good for management."
"From the perspective of the customer, the price is not terribly cost-effective."
"Any license you buy until January 2021 gets you an extra year for that purchase."
"The price of Meraki SD-WAN could improve, it is expensive when compared to other solutions on the market, such as Aruba."
"The solution's pricing is in line with what we expected."
"The license model may need improvement."
"Pricing is a significant concern for me. Amongst all the firewall brands, Cisco is one of the most expensive options. Despite its reputation and security features, many customers opt for other brands, such as SonicWall because of their lower prices. These other brands offer similar features to Cisco but at a lower cost. Cisco's pricing is something that could be improved to attract more customers. The brand has a good reputation, but when it comes to budgeting and pricing, it is not always the first choice."
"like everything else, it's negotiable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Energy/Utilities Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about Meraki SD-WAN?
The auto VPN feature is important because it automates many tasks, making things simpler and faster. It helps with setting up devices and changing configurations without manual effort.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki SD-WAN?
The price is a little bit higher than local vendors, for example, Huawei ZTE or H3C. However, some customers require the best quality and performance, thus needing solutions and products from Cisco.
What needs improvement with Meraki SD-WAN?
They have to ask us many questions about configurations. It could be improved with some automation to trigger, for example, telemetry data, so we can determine the state of the deployment as of day...
 

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

A10 Networks, Edge-Core Networks, Blue Coat Systems, BlueData, Broadcom Corporation, Canonical, Check Point Software Technologies, Citrix, Dell, FireEye, Garland, Hortonworks, Mirantis, Nexenta, Riverbed
École Jeannine Manuel
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Aviatrix, TP-Link and others in Software Defined Networking (SDN). Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.