Cisco Catalyst Switches vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch comparison

Cisco and MikroTik are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Cisco is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.5, while MikroTik is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.9. Cisco holds a 3.9% mindshare in ES, compared to MikroTik’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of MikroTik users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 178 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,543 Views
3,533 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Read 25 MikroTik Cloud Router Switch reviews

2,089 Views
1,546 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Cisco Catalyst Switches and MikroTik Cloud Router Switch compete in the networking equipment category. Cisco Catalyst Switches seem to have the upper hand in terms of advanced security and routing features, while MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is favored for its cost-effectiveness and simpler configuration.

Features: Cisco Catalyst Switches offer advanced security features like Port Security, VLAN, and ACLs, making them suitable for high-demand enterprise environments. These switches support stackable modules and PoE, providing flexibility in deployment scenarios. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch provides user-friendly configuration and efficient VLAN handling, appealing to small to medium-sized businesses for its flexibility and affordability.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Catalyst Switches could benefit from better integration with non-Cisco solutions and simpler licensing. Additionally, their interfaces could be more user-friendly. MikroTik could improve by supporting enterprise standards more robustly, enhancing documentation, and stabilizing firmware to prevent unexpected resets.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Catalyst Switches are well-regarded in on-premises settings with thorough documentation and strong customer support, though the support process can be lengthy. MikroTik is appreciated for straightforward setup across both cloud and on-premises environments, though support varies, with many users relying on forums for help.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Catalyst Switches are known for their higher price, reflecting quality and reliability, with recurring costs for licenses and support. This price point can be prohibitive for smaller companies, although ROI is realized over time with stable performance. MikroTik offers a more budget-friendly solution with minimal licensing costs, providing quick ROI and low initial investment suited for small businesses.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

February 2026

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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

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

178

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Routers (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 3.9%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches	3.9%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch	1.9%
Other	94.2%

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas

Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.

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Andriejus Artamonovas

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is reliability."

"A good feature of Cisco Catalyst is that it records crash log files which can be used to literally identify the cause of a crash because there is a lot of information. And Cisco Catalyst supports the use of external flash disks for storing of images and file systems."

"The scalability is good."

"The biggest advantage of having this solution is that it is easy to find engineers, and they are cheaper than hiring HP engineers."

"It is very reliable."

"The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is very stable, configurable, and durable. It is also easy to manage."

"The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common. If you talk to someone most likely they will have a Cisco Catalyst Switch, they will not mention other names, such as Juniper, ProCurve, Dell, or anything else. The most common product in networking in my country is Cisco. Everywhere you go they talk about Cisco."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."

"The GUI is easy to use."

"The beauty of MikroTik is that you have flexibility with the routing parts."

"It is easy to set up."

"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power. As a package, it's extremely effective."

"The performance has been good."

"The router power is the most valuable aspect."

"The traffic monitoring capabilities are excellent."

More MikroTik Cloud Router Switch pros

Cons

"The solution’s pricing and stability could be improved."

"The solution was stable 10 years ago, there is room for improvement in this area."

"In an upcoming release, adding SD-WAN capabilities would be a big advantage for our company."

"Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement, because usually it requires to reboot the router to get them"

"The price could be improved."

"Currently, Catalyst is completely proprietary with Cisco. They should have programmability options, through open-source controllers."

"Cisco should support all of the features that are included with the suite."

"It is kind of expensive."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"Technical support could be better."

"Simplifying the documentation would be a good idea."

"The user interface could improve and they should allow a license for IBS."

"The solution does not yet offer a SaaS version."

"Stuff that I'd like to be improved is really just training and documentation because I think the feature set is full. Another improvement I'd suggest is that their new, bigger releases should be a bit more stable."

"While some customers use MikroTik Cloud Router Switch as a firewall, it's not at an industry-level, though the basic features are adequate for many users who prefer it over purchasing other reputed firewall solutions."

"Improvements are needed with respect to some of the security, especially for VPN links between vendors other than Cisco."

"Antispam and antivirus features should be included in the future."

More MikroTik Cloud Router Switch cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are a large company and the price is reasonable because we have received a discount. However, the full price is expensive."

"The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"Cisco switches are expensive. Their price range is based not only on what the product does but also the name in the industry. They are good at what they do. If you need a better product, there are other lineups available."

"It is expensive."

"There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one."

"The solutions are costly, considering that Cisco provides top-notch support and devices."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."

"The price of the solution is expensive compared to other products from America or Europe. They should have more competitive pricing."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."

"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."

"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."

"The price is competitive."

"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."

"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."

"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."

"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."

More MikroTik Cloud Router Switch pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

13%

Educational Organization

13%

Marketing Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	79
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	79

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	2

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 ...

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What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?

We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?

The Python solution pricing is on the lower side.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

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TP-Link Omada Switches vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Compared 16% of the time

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Compared 10% of the time

Huawei Enterprise Routers vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Compared 5% of the time

Aruba Switches vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Compared 5% of the time

Juniper MX Series Routers vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Compared 4% of the time

More MikroTik Cloud Router Switch Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

February 2026

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

January 2026

Download MikroTik Cloud Router Switch product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

MikroTik CRS Series

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is a new Smart Switch series. It combines the best features of a fully functional router and a Layer 3 switch, is powered by the familiar RouterOS. All the specific Switch configuration options are available in a special Switch menu, also ports can be removed from the switch configuration, and used for routing purposes.

MikroTik

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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