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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center 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

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
26
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 (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.9%, up from 1.7% 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 Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.9%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.9%
Other95.2%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, 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.
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 FortiSwitch is used to manage traffic between our VMs and physical hosts across multiple data centers, and it is part of our network fabric that can support the amount of throughput we need to provide HA to service our clients."
"SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"What I like about the solution is that it can be accessed anywhere."
"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."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"Using Fortinet's whole range, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco and beneficial for network security."
"The interface is very straightforward."
"The initial setup is easy."
"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."
"The traffic monitoring capabilities are excellent."
"It's a well-rounded solution for routing."
"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."
"MikroTik Cloud Router Switch stands out for its features, especially those available at that price point."
"There are a lot of features to control permitting or stopping packets in the network."
"It is user-friendly, reliable, and cheap."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging."
"Routing is an area in Fortinet FortiSwitch with certain shortcomings where improvements are needed."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"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."
"When there are many switches being used, the speed declines noticeably."
"Fortinet could have the ability to authenticate users like Aruba offers because managing ten or twelve SSIDs for different clients is complicated."
"We need to understand a bit more about certifications and knowledge for understanding capabilities."
"The user interface could improve and they should allow a license for IBS."
"Aspects such as zero trust, security, and management interface could be improved, which would be useful."
"The port isolation and VLAN need to be improved."
"Technical support could be better."
"This product is not recommended for enterprise-level projects."
"The solution does not yet offer a SaaS version."
"There has to be more development in the OS. It's complex for this switch as compared to others like Cisco. For NetGear and Cisco, it's easy to adapt the VLAN concept but it should be simplified for MikroTik."
"Proper LACP support, more software support for hardware capabilities, true wirespeed Layer 3 routing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
"The price is competitive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Educational Organization
12%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

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 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

No data available
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.