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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Ubiquiti UniFi Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 8, 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

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
133
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 16.8%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is 6.3%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…
John Balogh - PeerSpot reviewer
Centrally managed solution makes it easy to build one configuration and apply it to new devices
We have one or two UniFi switches, but they don't really compete with the Ciscos. It's a nice environment as far as keeping track of things and being able to manage ports, turn off rogue users, and stuff like that. The access points have been pretty convenient compared to Meraki, Lucent, Cisco, or any of the other bigger vendors that I used to deal with for other consulting projects. Ubiquiti is one step above the consumer level. They cost a little bit more, but they just seem to be drop-dead reliable, and they're keeping up with the latest standards. Their latest versions of access points are all Wi-Fi 6, and they don't take very much power when there aren't a lot of users. It's really easy to build one configuration and just apply it to new devices. It's a check mark box: Do I want this to be the staff VLAN, or the public VLAN, or the Voice over IP VLAN, or the security VLAN, or the house wiring VLAN, or the building logistics VLAN? You just check things off and then you make groups, so if you click on it, it applies all the appropriate things automatically. It makes it very easy. This solution is good for the prosumer, small office, medium office, under 500 people range, but probably over 50 people and maybe distributed around five or 10 sites. That's a pretty good sweet spot as far as the price for the equipment and the configurability, and it's just drop-dead reliable. It's been boring, which is what I love because I don't get any calls in the middle of the night that something isn't working.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This product is widely available and the warranty is very good."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is stable and robust."
"It is a scalable solution, and we have more than 35 customers who use it."
"Remote access is a valuable feature."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"The installation is very straightforward."
"I like their after-sales support more than anything because it's very good."
"Good and stable operational experience with nearly no loss of hardware and very few software bugs."
"The switches' PoE capabilities have made device deployment very easy."
"UniFi Switches' best feature is the ability to switch voltage from 24 to 48, and it's almost the only device on the market with this feature."
"Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is a stable solution."
"We have integrated the tool for PoE switches and non-PoE switches. Its most valuable feature is SD-WAN. UniFi SD-WAN can access all statistics and performance data in one interface, enabling us to support clients across different locations remotely. Additionally, we can even restart devices remotely through the UniFi SD-WAN."
"Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are stable and support Layer 3. They come with a user-friendly interface. If you're not familiar with the command-line interface or you wouldn't like to configure it by using the command line, they have a user-friendly interface that you can use. They also have good documentation about how to use these switches."
"The two most valuable features are the remote access user and the side-to-side connection."
"The product’s most valuable features are stability and scalability."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its reliability."
 

Cons

"Firewall features should be pre-enabled in Cisco Ethernet switches. FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities."
"The price could be lower. It's quite expensive."
"The solution really should offer better pricing. It would help them stay competitive."
"There are instances where the commands you are familiar with might change or be replaced with newer syntax."
"The price is an area with a shortcoming in the solution."
"The solution is expensive."
"Network setup is quite complicated, particularly if you're implementing in a non-technical environment."
"Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing. Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI."
"UniFi lacks the granularity."
"I had some initial problems with the configuration that necessitated contacting technical support."
"It would be beneficial for us if Ubiquiti had a team of advanced data transportation specialists that we could get feedback from. We are not experts in data transportation, so having this sort of resource would be helpful for us."
"The routing capabilities of Layer 3 should be made easier to implement."
"The management of this product needs to be improved."
"There is currently an issue with supply of switches which needs to be sorted out."
"Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is not a cheap solution."
"It's difficult to manage the WiFi on the edge switches in the same console."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of the solution is by unit."
"The last time I bought a 24-port switch, which was a while ago, I paid about five or six thousand Euros. In this part of the world, that's quite expensive for us."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches here in India is too high. There are other cheaper solutions available."
"Cisco is an industry leader, but the price is very high."
"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."
"The pricing is reasonable, and for small business it is acceptable."
"The equipment might be more expensive, but when you take total ownership of the configuration, maintenance, and analysis, then it's a large benefit. Sometimes customers see only the first cost of the switches and don't look any further. This is a weak point of Cisco."
"Ubiquiti is one of the cheapest WiFi network providers that provide a very good WiFi network, which is monitored and deployable. The price is very fair for the technology they're offering."
"Ubiquiti switches are quite affordable and you don't have to pay extra for support."
"I feel that the price of this solution is definitely reasonable compared to all of the others."
"With Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, you get what you pay for."
"The price of the solution is fair compared to others. However, it is expensive."
"The price is good, and it doesn't require additional licenses."
"The solution only offers one-year warranties but should offer three-year or limited-loss warranties."
"It's challenging to compare Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other brands directly due to the significant price difference, especially between US brands like Cisco and Aruba versus others. However, compared to US brands, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are more cost-effective. On the other hand, if compared with brands from China, it might seem expensive."
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
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...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
Which switches are better - Ubiquiti Unifi or Netgear?
Ubiquiti Unifi offers a great set of features. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and also doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfi...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or ga...
What do you like most about Ubiquiti UniFi Switches?
We have integrated the tool for PoE switches and non-PoE switches. Its most valuable feature is SD-WAN. UniFi SD-WAN can access all statistics and performance data in one interface, enabling us to...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
UniFi Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Staypineapple
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.