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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Meraki MS Switches 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 enhance network reliability, reduce downtime, and offer cost-effective, long-term benefits with modern technology support.
Sentiment score
2.8
Meraki MS Switches enhance ROI with reduced troubleshooting, efficient management, lower headcounts, but cloud transition benefits are gradual.
Peace of mind and quality of support and, of course, trouble-free and issue-free workings matter, and I am even willing to pay more for that.
CISO at ADNIC
With Catalyst Switches, I can quickly check interface status, VLANs, MAC addresses, errors, and logs to identify the root cause.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
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
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Cisco Catalyst Switches generally receive positive support reviews, but response time and resolution can vary based on case complexity.
Sentiment score
7.2
Meraki MS Switches' support is effective yet inconsistent, with users noting delays and requesting clearer communication for complex issues.
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
This is because their engineers have experience with and strong knowledge of Cisco products.
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
The support is excellent and rated ten out of ten.
Sales Engineer at Phoenyx Commtech Pvt. Ltd.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Catalyst Switches enable scalable network expansion with stacking and modular options, though configuration complexity may challenge some users.
Sentiment score
7.0
Meraki MS Switches offer scalable, flexible solutions for small to medium businesses despite supply chain challenges and some enterprise-level gaps.
We can add more switches, VLANs, users, and network segments without having to redesign the entire environment.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
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
If a customer scales from one region to another, they can easily add locations into the same dashboard while classifying multiple regions, sites, and countries.
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
They're quite scalable for my environment.
Ag. Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
We can extend MS switches and have multiple plants using the same solution.
Wireless Network Engineer at MSSL
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly reliable, with users praising their stability, uptime, durability, and advanced features like StackWise.
Sentiment score
8.1
Meraki MS Switches are praised for stability, reliability, and performance, with quick resolutions for minor issues and high ratings.
The available monitoring and troubleshooting tools also make it easier to identify and resolve those issues quickly, which helps maintain overall network stability.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
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
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
There is zero downtime; Meraki MS Switches are reliable and stable.
Wireless Network Engineer at MSSL
For infrastructure such as factories, small factories, or warehouses that have temperatures higher than normal in-house office temperatures, I have some doubt about how well the switches would sustain those conditions.
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches should improve pricing, integration, management tools, automation, security, support, compatibility, and reduce complexity and lead times.
Meraki MS Switches struggle with high costs, limited features, complex processes, and reliance on cloud management for functionality.
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
I would also like better visibility into hardware capabilities and lifecycle status from a single dashboard so we can identify potential issues before they affect users.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Meraki should also consider improvements in stacking features, particularly in the lower-end models like NS130, where stacking isn't supported, unlike with Cisco traditional switching.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
Most people are familiar with the Cisco commands, and it would be beneficial if the switch could be accessed by GUI configuration and by normally accessing the console.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches are costly due to factors like features and licensing, despite reliability and potential volume discounts.
Meraki MS Switches offer valuable features and cloud management but are costly, with discounts favoring longer license terms.
Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.
Unit Nos at Orange
For setup cost, we set up the network infrastructure by ourselves, so there was really no need for setup cost because one very good thing with Cisco is that they have everything available.
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
IT System Administrator at Bouri
The cost of the support and maintenance bundle is quite costly for Cisco.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Meraki MS Switches are somewhat expensive.
Wireless Network Engineer at MSSL
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches are valued for reliability, scalability, security features, ease of use, performance, and long-term investment benefits.
Meraki MS Switches offer cloud management, scalability, enhanced security, intuitive control, stability, and advanced features, ideal for enterprise use.
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
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
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.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
196
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
104
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.3%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Meraki MS Switches2.3%
Other93.2%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Md Rafique - PeerSpot reviewer
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Reliable switching has improved segmentation and reduces downtime with faster troubleshooting
One area I would like to see improvement is making configuration and troubleshooting more straightforward, especially for engineers managing a large number of switches. Some tasks can require multiple CLI commands and checking different outputs to identify an issue. Better centralized visibility, more intuitive automation tools, and clearer troubleshooting information would make day-to-day operations more efficient. That said, the CLI gives experienced network engineers a lot of control, so I would see these improvements as making the existing capabilities easier and faster to use rather than replacing them. For on-premises deployment, I would like to see easier centralized management and more automation for larger switch environments. Firmware upgrades, configuration changes, and troubleshooting can take significant time when they have to be handled across many physical devices. Better zero-touch provisioning, simplifying firmware management solutions, stronger integration with monitoring and IT management platforms, and more proactive hardware health alerts would make operations easier. I would also like better visibility into hardware capabilities and lifecycle status from a single dashboard so we can identify potential issues before they affect users.
Jayaraman C - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Cloud management has simplified branch deployments but pricing and support still need improvement
In terms of improvements for Meraki MS Switches, pricing is one area that could be enhanced. On the support front, the limited lifetime warranty is a concern. Aruba offers limited lifetime warranty, whereas Cisco requires a minimum license to function for hardware support or technical support. I think Cisco could improve by bundling technical support and hardware support together with the license. This approach is currently only applicable for EA customers. Standard license customers have to take additional hardware support as a separate SKU. I believe that bundling technical and hardware support with the cloud subscription itself would help customers choose a Meraki option. To make Meraki MS Switches closer to a rating of ten, Cisco could take additional features on the AI front. I am uncertain whether they will offer AI features at no cost. Self-healing networks is a new term that enterprises are looking forward to. All OEM management platforms now feature auto-remediation and auto-fixing capabilities. The issue is that even if AI is offered without cost, customers cannot get the benefits if they cannot afford the pricing. Enterprise customers are looking to optimize operational effort and operational capabilities. They use multiple tools apart from the OEM native dashboard, including the Cisco Meraki dashboard and Catalyst dashboard. However, they still want to have end-to-end visibility. For end-to-end visibility, they can go for Digital Twin capabilities through platforms such as IP Fabric, ManageEngine, SolarWinds, and Forward Networks. There are many NMS platforms that can be integrated, allowing them to manage complete operations. Cisco could add some additional capabilities into the same OEM dashboard so that customers can benefit from improved operational management.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Construction Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business85
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise91
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise25
 

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?
My experience is that Cisco Catalyst Switches can involve a relatively significant upfront investment, especially when you consider the hardware, support, and licensing requirements. The total cost...
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
One area I would like to see improvement is making configuration and troubleshooting more straightforward, especially for engineers managing a large number of switches. Some tasks can require multi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
Cost is not the issue for us. Meraki MS Switches might be more expensive than other products, but we believe that from all analysis, Meraki MS Switches is able to deliver the kind of quality in ter...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
In terms of improvements for Meraki MS Switches, pricing is one area that could be enhanced. On the support front, the limited lifetime warranty is a concern. Aruba offers limited lifetime warranty...
What is your primary use case for Meraki MS Switches?
The primary use cases of Meraki MS Switches focus on the SMB market, starting from boutique size to mid-level enterprise, not very large enterprises. However, with Meraki, which is now part of Cisc...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

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
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.