No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.9
Cisco Catalyst Switches offer long-term reliability and efficiency, though high costs lead to mixed returns for some users.
Sentiment score
1.0
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers cost-effective solutions, though Cisco provides better long-term ROI with superior disaster management and quicker replacement.
I can say in terms of money saved because up until now, in the previous places where I have worked and also now, we still use the older model, the 2960 model Cisco Catalyst Switches, which has been in existence for almost 20 years and up until now it still functions very well.
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Currently, I see no value for money or return on investment.
Lead Engineer at THE TATA POWER COMPANY LIMITED
From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.
Unit Nos at Orange
The integration of Fortinet infrastructure, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco, especially when paired with Fortinet wireless solutions.
Security Engineer at Super Secure
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Cisco Catalyst Switches support is praised for knowledge and responsiveness, but efficiency varies by region and contract status.
Sentiment score
7.3
Fortinet FortiSwitch customer service is praised for reliability, though local support issues create mixed user experiences.
When requesting an RMA, they replace defective items in just one day.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
Even if it is slightly more expensive, the main basic thing is how soon or how easily a company can support you if something goes wrong on the switch, which can happen to any brand.
Consultant at Staunch On Demand
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Cisco at 10 out of 10.
student at St. Joseph's College of Engineering
Technical partners provide responses within a day for any technical queries.
Security Engineer at Super Secure
Customer support needs improvement in terms of speed and reliability.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
I gave it eight points because local support is absent.
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer at REYADA IT SOLUTIONS CO. LLC
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Cisco Catalyst Switches are favored for scalability, performance, and adaptability, despite some feature challenges, supporting large networks effectively.
Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiSwitch is scalable, modular, easily integrates with networks, but could improve SPF model support.
The scalability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very much scalable, as it supports the stacking feature and growth; for instance, with 94K modular switches, based on the requirement, we can even increase modules for more bandwidth.
Unit Nos at Orange
Unlike Meraki, where I can bring a switch online, join it to the portal, and it becomes operational immediately.
Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
The auto-scaling and zero-touch provisioning kind of support for Nexus switches is lacking.
Network Security Engineer at a healthcare company with 11-50 employees
When used in a dedicated Fortinet infrastructure, FortiSwitch scalability is better than some other switches, like Cisco, Meraki, or Arista.
Security Engineer at Super Secure
Scalability is generally good, with transitions from gigabit to ten giga, twenty-five giga, and forty giga.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Catalyst Switches offer stable, reliable performance with minimal bugs, noted for consistent uptime and long-term resilience.
Sentiment score
7.6
Fortinet FortiSwitch is stable and reliable, though integration and configuration challenges occasionally affect performance.
The stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches in my environment is somewhat problematic: legacy Cisco Catalyst Switches, even though they have licenses and support, present many hardware-related issues, such as interfaces going down very repeatedly, SFP modules failing in most cases, and hardware ports becoming faulty.
Network Security Engineer at a healthcare company with 11-50 employees
What you tell it to do is exactly what it does.
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Since we operate medical infrastructure, we try to avoid downtime as much as possible.
Enterprise Network Architect at UCLA
There is room for improvement as it sometimes takes over an hour to push configurations onto the devices from the management tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches need improved cost, compatibility, simplicity, scalability, user interface, security, cloud integration, and advanced programmability.
The Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center faces challenges in automation, UI complexity, pricing, and requires better AI and integration features.
Cisco should provide some level of software that I can bring on-premise where I can add all my Catalyst switches for central management.
Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Support and vulnerabilities are the biggest issues regarding Cisco Catalyst Switches.
Network Architect at a retailer with 5,001-10,000 employees
Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.
Unit Nos at Orange
There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches, though costly, are valued for reliability and performance, with complex licensing adding to expense considerations.
Fortinet FortiSwitch is competitively priced compared to Cisco, with no licensing needed for some FortiGate users.
Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.
Unit Nos at Orange
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
Security Engineer at Super Secure
Pricing is competitive, although it's not the cheapest option.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches excel in PoE, security, scalability, and integration, offering reliability, ease of use, and effective support.
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers centralized management, intuitive UI, security enhancements, and control over network traffic and security.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
With Meraki access points, I do not have to have a wireless controller for them. I can configure the wireless device directly from the switch, making the setup cleaner, and that is a major reason for my preference.
Software Developer/ IT Analyst Individual Contributor at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Cisco Catalyst Switches provide high performance and security features that stand out in my daily work, where they handle a high volume of traffic with low latency, making them suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications, web applications, VoIP applications, video streaming, and major data center workloads.
Network Security Engineer at a healthcare company with 11-50 employees
This feature allows the switch's ports to be used as firewall ports, enhancing network security by enabling IPS and network profiling directly on the ports.
Security Engineer at Super Secure
It allows me to create VLANs, implement security measures, and push configurations using a single tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
191
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.8%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.8%
Other92.7%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MS
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance
Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.
Sujith Pazhancheeri - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer at REYADA IT SOLUTIONS CO. LLC
Integrated firewall connectivity has simplified on-premises projects and supports reliable SMB switching
The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches. Regarding security policies, I did not configure that many policies in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is on-premises, and the negative of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is that it is costly compared to other switches. In Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center, I did not see that many features compared to Cisco and Aruba.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business84
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise87
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
The price is very high. Compared to others, I find the price a bit high when compared to Juniper and Allied Telesis.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I cannot identify specific disadvantages with the product. However, the areas that have potential to be better are the timeline for the system and switch delivery. The delivery timelines for the pr...
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?
The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches. Regarding security policies, I did not configure that many policies in Fortinet...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
Currently, we are mostly working with Sophos and Fortinet. Before, we worked with XG, but now they have upgraded to the XGS series, and in Fortinet, we are working with FortiGate Firewall. In some ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.