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HPE Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS 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

HPE Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
104
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
96
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 3.4%, down from 4.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Dinesh Upadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience years of robust features and strong technical support
It is a nice and robust tool where we use HPE Ethernet Switches. It is a lower switch, and we have received good warranty support with HPE switches. The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good. The UI mode is available, and we can easily configure the access list and SNMP. All these configurations can be done here. Users can enable the Layer 3 features.
MajidKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Remote access enhances troubleshooting with potential for more intuitive interface
We are working with Citrix and router, but in Cisco for Cisco vendor only. We are taking from them since 2015.  The main use case involves some small business customers needing one router, one switch, and two to three access points. It is easy to handle the devices with just a small knowledge of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The performance is great."
"They are affordable and very stable. They also have good performance."
"We have scaled it without any issues."
"I have found the most valuable feature is stability."
"The most valuable feature in HPE Ethernet Switches is programmability and analytics."
"It's fairly lightweight, they don't require a lot of maintenance."
"he stability is very good on this solution. There have been no bugs, glitches or crashes."
"These are the basic access layer switches used for connectivity among users, and they are cost-effective."
"I like the flexibility of the Meraki firewall. It gives you the ability to lock things down. Having multiple VLANs is helpful for the switching infrastructure and firewall. It's crucial when you have a public-facing VLAN, a private-facing VLAN, and a secure VLAN."
"We find value in its ability to enable cloud management and visibility. They are also easy to deploy. It's very convenient because you can see who is accessing, what type of UI system they're using, what applications they're using, the bandwidth, and more."
"Meraki MS Switches have a very user-friendly dashboard and the policies are straightforward for sending them to the devices and blocking sites."
"The main features of Meraki MS Switches are integration, high quality, and hardware guarantee."
"The most valuable features are ease of use and configuration. It has a cloud-based configuration that makes it easy."
"The solution has been very stable so far."
"The most valuable feature is the dashboard because it makes it easy to manage all of the switches. It's easy to turn them up and get it configured."
"One of the most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches is its precise traffic analytics capabilities, allowing us to query the system for any place at any time."
 

Cons

"I would like to see the initial setup become easier."
"When we have a lot of clients on the system, we lose signal and have to restart our antenna."
"The VLAN tagging could be improved,"
"The solution would be easier to set up if its GUI could improve or if it had a wizard."
"They should have more control tools for controlling the bandwidth."
". There is room for improvement in pricing. One box shouldn't require additional installations. We need a package deal with licenses that are usable for different tasks. Right now, we need a license for every additional feature, which adds up."
"The security of the solution always has room for improvement."
"The solution’s licensing could be improved."
"The reporting could be improved and could be more granular."
"It is a compact switch, so there are a limited number of ports, and it needs improvement in terms of scalability."
"The price for this product could be cheaper. For a low-budget school or institution, scaling up and implementing more switches could take longer because of budget constraints."
"This product depends on a cloud connection in order to function. If you have an unstable internet connection or other connectivity issues the product will not function as expected."
"The scalability and integrative abilities with on-premises systems could stand improvement."
"The switch capacity needs to be improved."
"I don't think that the cost is a problem, but sometimes the price requires convincing the customer of the value."
"Meraki should include an application to assist users with the design of access points."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The box itself is cheap, but when we have to install new features, it becomes very expensive."
"There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."
"HP switches are priced well."
"The tool's pricing is very cheap."
"The price is fair."
"The price of the solution is expensive."
"We just bought new switches for $500 last year, and now, the same switch is $800. It's gone up in price in the last 12 months."
"The cost is a bit high."
"The DNA subscription is a three-year minimum term."
"Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"Extreme switches are more cost-effective than Cisco Meraki Switches."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"They can get the price down for small businesses. The way I bought it, I paid hardly anything, and I got all my licensing with it. The firewall appliance is around $900, and the switches are around $150. This is for the device itself. For licensing, I signed at $70 or something like that for the switch. Technical Support is included in this."
"This product is more than the competition, but you get what you pay for."
"The Layer 3 switch is the most expensive switch."
report
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861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Educational Organization
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price of HPE Ethernet Switches is reasonable and less than other OEM brands.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price should be reduced in comparison to Cisco, as sometimes we cannot use the HPE one at the core level, where generally public users are using Cisco. The price of HPE core switches and Cisco ...
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
What could be improved is that when a switch disconnects from the internet, you can't make any changes to that switch. Sometimes the switches lose internet connectivity, and we can't do anything to...
 

Also Known As

HP Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Emirates Palace Hotel
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about HPE Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.