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Meraki MS Switches 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

Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Routers (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.8%, down from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 2.1%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.8%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch2.1%
Other95.1%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

JN
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
Central management and cloud dashboard streamline network monitoring while connectivity hiccups need addressing
I use Cisco products and Meraki MS Switches. I am a user on the user side. Network security is handled by our firewalls and other solutions. I have not explored the area of network management AI in Meraki MS Switches. For other switches, when you buy one, you can just start configuring, connect it to the network, and it works. With Meraki MS Switches, you have to first whitelist the MAC address, let it have internet, then you can manage it. They're deployed on-premises. They're quite acceptable, so I recommend them to those who want to use Meraki MS Switches. The biggest benefit that I see in Meraki MS Switches is central management and the cloud dashboard. I rate Meraki MS Switches 8 out of 10.
Andriejus Artamonovas - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Specialist at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees
Has supported deeper configuration through traffic mirroring and advanced VLAN setup
The main reason why MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is usually chosen is its raw performance to price ratio. In comparison to UniFi switches, MikroTik Cloud Router Switch can mirror all ports for traffic inspection for further traffic analysis, which UniFi cannot do. VLANs in MikroTik Cloud Router Switch are always useful. The way MikroTik implements VLAN-aware switching at the bridge level is hidden in the configuration. Making CRS work as a simple VLAN-aware switch requires deeper configuration, which is not intuitive. VLANs support individual interfaces not part of the bridge, allowing for double VLANing. You can create a VLAN interface in the interfaces context and also create a bridge interface, add physical ports, create VLANs for that bridge interface, and assign tagged and untagged ports and VLANs. Load balancing is one of the key components. The feature itself is quite efficient and works reliably on MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. The very basic setup is one of my favorites because they have their protocol where I can connect through the MAC address right on Layer 2, and I don't lose connectivity to the switch if I mess up with bridging or IP addressing.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The technical support is quite good."
"This product has QoS, decent visibility of what's going on, and it's a managed switch."
"The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity."
"The support of the solution has always been very good; they're very knowledgeable and responsive, and we're satisfied with their level of attention."
"Support has been very good."
"These switches are not expensive and their configuration is very easy."
"The solution's most valuable aspect is the ease of stacking, the configuration on the MS Switches is very good, as well as its ability to assign the LANs."
"You don't need to be a network engineer to support Meraki."
"The initial setup is easy."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"The interface management and the user access management is pretty good."
"Regarding security and visibility in monitoring, it is very good, the GUI is very intuitive, and it has many more features than those from major vendors."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"The traffic monitoring capabilities are excellent."
"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power; as a package, it's extremely effective."
"This solution is very similar to the on-premises version making it easy to use for those who know the architect."
 

Cons

"In my opinion, there's room for improvement cost-wise. With Meraki's licensing terms, you're required to pay an annual licensing fee, which can be for a one-year license or perhaps a five-year license."
"Technical support could be better. Some support agents aren't adequately qualified to support us."
"This solution is too simple for some cases, and there should be more configuration options."
"I'd rate ROI a three out of five as it is costly."
"The product has no CLI."
"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 technical support for this product is difficult to deal with. With multiple levels, it is very difficult to get through to the right person that can help with the problem."
"The firewall is not very powerful."
"MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"It can be difficult to identify key functions for MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. I experience functionality limitations, particularly when trying to find specific features."
"Proper LACP support, more software support for hardware capabilities, true wirespeed Layer 3 routing."
"Technical support is not very good. It isn't comprehensive."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"The initial setup is complex."
"Aspects such as zero trust, security, and management interface could be improved, which would be useful."
"MikroTik Cloud Router Switch needs improvement in the area of security, although the recent models are addressing this."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"The pricing is overvalued in relation to the product's performance."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"The licensing is purchased on a one, three, five, and seven year basis."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"We don't use standard licensing. Most of the time, we use the advanced security model. If there is a drawback to Meraki, it is the cost, but you also have to evaluate it based upon the other factors that you do get. Their support is really good; their hardware is really good. The ease of configuration and deployment is really good, but it is more expensive than most."
"The Layer 3 switch is the most expensive switch."
"Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"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."
"The price is competitive."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Educational Organization
12%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business54
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
Meraki MS Switches are easy to manage, but I believe they are more suitable for use on the IT side because Meraki faces the internet, requiring an open connection through the internet for control. ...
What is your primary use case for Meraki MS Switches?
I have experience with Cisco products as I implement a lot of them. For example, I implemented switches and access points when I worked for infrastructure in a motorcycle company, and I implemented...
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?
It can be difficult to identify key functions for MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. I experience functionality limitations, particularly when trying to find specific features. It would be beneficial to...
 

Also Known As

MS220, MS320, MS420
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Meraki MS Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
892,611 professionals have used our research since 2012.