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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch 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 - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
18th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
Routers (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.1%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.3%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration with cloud management simplifies network expansion
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new businesses setting up from scratch. Although the machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues, the initial price can be high. Sometimes, I have to offer alternatives like Aruba or HP, which might be cheaper.
Josephat Magesa - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to set up, user-friendly, and reliable
I'm also familiar with Cisco which I used at another company. Cisco is a little bit expensive to acquire. With MikroTik, came with the same solution and you can use so many features. In MikroTik, you can use maybe two routers or one router to cover all your requirements, which you can also do on Cisco. This product is also cheaper than Cisco. Cisco has a lot of complications even with the configurations. On the price issues or even support issues, you may need to have so many routers when using Cisco for a simple solution. If you can use only one switch to clear your solution, why don't you use MikroTik? You don't have to use Cisco to have more than one switch to solve your problem.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The main benefit of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is its integration with FortiCloud, which allows me to manage all appliances in a single interface."
"The visual scope of the solution is very good. It allows me to see and download all of the network information."
"This device is easy to use."
"The software is very stable."
"It's easy to be configured and powerful in terms of performance."
"The solution is very simple, and it's very easily available."
"Stability and scalability for this product are very good. Setup is easy and deployment can be completed within minutes. The technical support for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is good."
"The most valuable feature is the breakability after integration with the FortiGate firewall."
"It is easy to set up the solution."
"It is easy to set up."
"It is user-friendly, reliable, and cheap."
"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power. As a package, it's extremely effective."
"The GUI is easy to use."
"The performance has been good."
"The initial setup is easy."
"I like that it's quite flexible and addresses different issues. It's quite easy to use, and the pricing is great. We find them to be very capable switches."
 

Cons

"The solution could provide an active VPN."
"The range of products could improve from Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
"I would like Fortinet to make this product easier to configure."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is confusing with too many add-ons."
"It is always nice when something is cheaper."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new businesses setting up from scratch."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"The tool should improve its CLI."
"MikroTik Cloud Router Switch needs improvement in the area of security, although the recent models are addressing this."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"It would be even better with a centralized management platform."
"There has to be more development in the OS. It's complex for this switch as compared to others like Cisco. For NetGear and Cisco, it's easy to adapt the VLAN concept but it should be simplified for MikroTik."
"The RAM capacity offered by the product needs to be increased, as it is one area where the tool currently has some shortcomings."
"Simplifying the documentation would be a good idea."
"The solution does not yet offer a SaaS version."
"In medium to large sectors, there's a necessity for managing aspects like proxy firewalls."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"You can buy this equipment in a multitude of ways. You can buy just the hardware, or you can buy the hardware and the licenses."
"The product is costly for SMB customers compared to other brands available in the market."
"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"We have an annual licensing cost. There are no additional costs."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Educational Organization
9%
Hospitality Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
Currently, I don't have an opinion about the price as I focus on implementation and am not informed about pricing in comparison to other vendors.
What do you like most about MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
The tool has impacted our company's network costs and productivity in a perfect manner and percentage-wise, I can say it is 120 percent.
What needs improvement with MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
I have not tried AppSec. Everything, I do on my own with Sage or something similar. I do not rely on technical support.
 

Also Known As

No data available
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
846,617 professionals have used our research since 2012.