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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs Ubiquiti UniFi 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
3rd
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 January 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.6%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is 6.2%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rias Majeed - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables easy management of traffic and enhances security
FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface. This integration makes network management streamlined and secure. Additionally, the controllers are built into the firewall, which enables easy management of traffic and enhances security. Unlike some solutions, a Fortinet firewall is not just a firewall; it also acts as a full-fledged router.
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

"Using Fortinet's whole range, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco and beneficial for network security."
"The product is stable."
"All the features are necessary, like tracking evidence and IPS. However, I appreciate the ability to connect the logs and the dashboard functionality."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The most valuable feature is the port analytics."
"Based on my use cases, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center was a great product that was easy to manage and work with while being a powerful tool."
"The interface is very straightforward."
"It allows us to manage all necessary services, such as data centers, networking, and cybersecurity."
"Good price point and very simple to use."
"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."
"Because it's a managed switch, I have the ability to set controls and configure traffic priorities, VLAN ports, etc."
"The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is that once you buy them, you own them."
"It is very easy to deploy. The deployment time for a single device is a near instant."
"The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is the graphic user interface for monitoring, where you can see the status of the device in real-time. I use those features across the campus. I use the APs as my beacons to tell me whether the area of the school of the network is down or not. Those will be the first to alert me that there is a problem with the network or a device. They provide me with more than only monitoring themselves, I use them in order to monitor all the devices."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its reliability."
"I can see which ports are connected and which ones are disconnected."
 

Cons

"Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines."
"The solution can improve by upgrading QSFP+, it is very limited and must be supported more than it is now. If we need FortiSwitches to support all the QSFP ports our budgets would have to be very large."
"Managing the VLANs is an area where the solution lacks and needs to improve."
"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."
"Cisco is better in terms of price, scalability, and ease of management. Regarding resources, they are available in Pakistan to manage these systems."
"FortiSwitch should improve the FortiGate map. The diagram cannot move automatically to show the switch. The map does not map the physical location. It cannot move or touch the diagram."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex."
"I would recommend changing the solution to a recognized one, such as Check Point or Fortinet."
"The pricing and scalability could be improved."
"I face issues sometimes when two switches or APs are installed next to each other, leading to speed problems."
"The VPN technology in Ubiquiti products is really difficult for beginners who do not have the right skills."
"We need to upgrade everything too often."
"The product needs to improve its pricing."
"The documentation for command lines needs to be improved."
"They could integrate artificial intelligence for more advanced network traffic analysis and optimization features into the product."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The solution is not expensive."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"I rate the pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
"I feel that the price of this solution is definitely reasonable compared to all of the others."
"The price is reasonable."
"The price of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is really good. We have deployed a few Ubiquiti UniFi Switches in New Zealand, and they are a value for money. They are cheaper and stable, but if you have the budget, I would recommend Meraki switches."
"With Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, you get what you pay for."
"It's around $179 a device."
"The price could be improved."
"There are no licensing fees; you just purchase it and run it."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Government
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
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

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved. Sometimes there are bugs when integrating with Sophos and other products.
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

No data available
UniFi Switches
 

Learn More

Video not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
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Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.