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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
24
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 March 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.7%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is 6.2%, down from 7.2% 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

"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The solution has made configuration and setup very, very easy."
"Using Fortinet's whole range, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco and beneficial for network security."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management."
"It allows us to manage all necessary services, such as data centers, networking, and cybersecurity."
"It integrates well."
"The interface is very straightforward."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"The ability to manage firmware revisions."
"The central management is provided by the UniFi management system. You can manage everything from a single interface. The SDN mode that the entire unified system uses is a software-defined network format."
"The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward."
"The product’s most valuable features are stability and scalability."
"The customers who buy the access points use the standard Ubiquiti management systems because they're freeware tools. We usually get all the requests and materials from the customer, who knows exactly what he wants."
"For the world where you have to balance traffic and traffic loads and bandwidth, their GUI makes it really easy because the switches, though they are enterprise grade level two or level three switches, the GUI is designed so that it's easy to set up VLANs where you need to control your traffic so that your phones don't break up and get choppy because of other people loading the network down too heavily."
"I would recommend Ubiquiti UniFi switches to others, especially for smaller environments."
"I like the control one has with this solution."
 

Cons

"Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines."
"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."
"Before using FortiSwitch, you need several certifications."
"The solution could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"When there are many switches being used, the speed declines noticeably."
"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."
"I face issues sometimes when two switches or APs are installed next to each other, leading to speed problems."
"The pricing and scalability could be improved."
"The stability and installation could be improved."
"The price could be lower."
"I think they need to provide a better firewall solution."
"Some of the features needed to set up the solution are too complex. There's a lot of technical information that is required."
"New products don't integrate well with their management platform. Sometimes you have to go directly to the box or the switch to do the management."
"The routing capabilities of Layer 3 should be made easier to implement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"It is reasonably priced."
"The solution is not expensive."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are more expensive than other competitors."
"The price could be improved."
"Ubiquiti is much more affordable than enterprise brands."
"The price should be improved."
"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."
"It is expensive."
"I rate the tool's pricing a five out of ten."
"It's around $179 a device."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Retailer
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
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?
There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging. Additionally, improving the speed of th...
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
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Staypineapple
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,296 professionals have used our research since 2012.