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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Ubiquiti UniFi 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.9
Cisco Catalyst Switches ensure long-term reliability and cost savings but opinions on cost-effectiveness vary by usage duration.
Sentiment score
5.2
Users appreciate Ubiquiti UniFi Switches for affordability and integration, despite challenges in measuring ROI without specific metrics.
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
From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.
Unit Nos at Orange
Another solution offered to us was more than double the price, making UniFi a cost-effective choice.
IT Manager at Düsen-Schlick GmbH
We saw a return on investment within a year, although I believe there's more potential to be leveraged.
Head of IT at RD Tech
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Cisco Catalyst Switches' customer service is efficient with skilled support, but initial levels may lack expertise without an active contract.
Sentiment score
7.0
Users find Ubiquiti UniFi Switches support mixed, often relying on community forums due to delayed responses and limited assistance.
When requesting an RMA, they replace defective items in just one day.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
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
Cisco's support is good, one of the best supports that you will get.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
The team is knowledgeable and efficient.
Head of IT at RD Tech
the manuals, installation videos, and resources on the website are very good and straightforward.
IT Manager at Düsen-Schlick GmbH
They have a large customer base that sometimes faces issues due to a lack of know-how in managing the devices.
Infrastructure Administrator at Aluko & Oyebode
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco Catalyst Switches provide modular scalability, allowing easy network expansion and generally high user satisfaction despite some configuration complexities.
Sentiment score
7.6
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are scalable for small to medium businesses but may face limitations in large enterprise environments.
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
I rate the scalability as nine out of ten.
IT Manager at Düsen-Schlick GmbH
If planning for future scalability, choosing switches that support extra modules for fiber optics is advisable.
Infrastructure Administrator at Aluko & Oyebode
The solution is sufficiently scalable because the switches can be stacked.
Technical Manager at Network Security and Crypto
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable and reliable, with occasional issues in legacy models, generally rated highly for performance.
Sentiment score
8.6
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are dependable with high stability ratings but may face issues due to configuration and environment.
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
Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
I did not experience any problems the whole year.
IT Manager at Düsen-Schlick GmbH
We have never experienced any problems with Ubiquiti UniFi Switches as they are consistently stable.
Technical Manager at Network Security and Crypto
The switches are stable and there have been no outages.
Managing Director at Ensurecom.ch
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches are noted for performance but face criticism for high pricing, complex licensing, and user interface limitations.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches struggle with power supply issues, complex setup, limited features, and demand better pricing and support.
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
Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.
Unit Nos at Orange
It is the highest cost in the market.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
The current setup is closed and does not allow for integration with non-Ubiquiti VoIP devices or providers outside their ecosystem.
Managing Director at Ensurecom.ch
Recent updates have removed many options available in earlier versions, simplifying the interface but limiting control.
Principal Consultant at Cybercraft
The choice depends on the network architecture and planning for the future scalability requirements.
Infrastructure Administrator at Aluko & Oyebode
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches are costly but valued for reliability and support, with competition from Juniper and Huawei for affordability.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches offer cost-effective performance for SMBs with competitive pricing and free support, despite limited availability.
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
Many vendors mark up prices significantly.
Principal Consultant at Cybercraft
Pricing is very favorable, with minimal licensing involved.
IT Manager at Düsen-Schlick GmbH
Our investment in Ubiquiti is about £30,000, and it's a cost-effective solution since there is no subscription fee.
Head of IT at RD Tech
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches provide reliable performance, excellent security, scalability, and ease of management, ideal for high-demand enterprise environments.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are favored for centralized management, ease of use, PoE flexibility, and seamless device integration for businesses.
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
I can manage user connectivity, limit bandwidth, apply MAC address filtering, and it offers POE capabilities.
Principal Consultant at Cybercraft
The switches enable management from anywhere using the cloud controller, making configuration changes and management easier.
Infrastructure Administrator at Aluko & Oyebode
I was involved in Kenya's last general elections where we used Ubiquiti equipment, both wireless and switching, which performed excellently.
Technical Manager at Network Security and Crypto
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
181
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (2nd), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.3%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is 6.9%, up from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches6.9%
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.3%
Other88.8%
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.
Donald Ochanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Manager at Network Security and Crypto
Has delivered reliable performance over the years but still needs improvements in advanced networking features
I generally recommend Ubiquiti UniFi Switches for medium-sized corporate clients, as most of them don't mind the brand as long as the system works. With major corporate clients, they still have the mentality that Cisco is superior in the market, but medium-sized clients are easier to deploy at that level. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are improving technically since my last implementation. Our field engineers report significant improvements, and I was involved in Kenya's last general elections where we used Ubiquiti equipment, both wireless and switching, which performed excellently. My assessment of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches' centralized management is that, while I haven't interacted with it extensively, it works similarly to Cisco and Meraki platforms. Field engineers should be able to provide better answers regarding this feature. The port isolation feature on Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is standard, which I believe is appropriate considering they provide standard security features on the port.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business81
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business46
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise1
 

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 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...
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.
Which switches are better - Ubiquiti Unifi or Netgear?
Ubiquiti Unifi offers a great set of features. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and also doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfi...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or ga...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubiquiti UniFi Switches?
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are cost-effective, offering similar performance and features as higher-priced alternatives like Cisco or Ruckus.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
UniFi Switches
 

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
Staypineapple
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.