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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
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
18th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Routers (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.6%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Vishwajeet Pandey - PeerSpot reviewer
Management and monitoring efficiencies from a single platform increase network control and flexibility
I use Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center as it is a more flexible switch compared to normal switches. It allows me to manage and monitor all switches through a single pane of management Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of…
Anthony Quarshie - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides robust routing capability but needs simplified documentation
I am using it, and I recommend it to my customers in the financial sector The router power is the most valuable aspect. I have not tried AppSec. Everything, I do on my own with Sage or something similar. I do not rely on technical support. I have used the solution for a couple of years, like…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"All the features are necessary, like tracking evidence and IPS. However, I appreciate the ability to connect the logs and the dashboard functionality."
"The most valuable feature is the port analytics."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good."
"The single pane of glass that helps us manage everything through FortiManager is the most important feature."
"When configuring FortiSwitch with a FortiGate firewall, I can consider all FortiSwitch's ports as a part of the FortiGate firewall."
"The initial setup was simple."
"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."
"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."
"Some of the most valuable features are the simplicity, cost, usability, and power. As a package, it's extremely effective."
"There are a lot of features to control permitting or stopping packets in the network."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"It is user-friendly, reliable, and cheap."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"The interface management and the user access management is pretty good."
 

Cons

"The stability of the solution is impacted when integrating parts from different vendors such as Cisco, which can lead to performance problems and disconnections."
"Routing is an area in Fortinet FortiSwitch with certain shortcomings where improvements are needed."
"We need to understand a bit more about certifications and knowledge for understanding capabilities. The solution should make that more clear to its users."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors."
"The solution can improve by upgrading QSFP+, it is very limited and must be supported more than it is now. If we need FortiSwitches to support all the QSFP ports our budgets would have to be very large."
"The solution could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now."
"It happens that you may find your network is down, if you reboot the switch, they come up. However, sometimes, they reset themselves. That's a big issue."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"The packet filtering, user log data, and user access log could all be improved."
"It would be even better with a centralized management platform."
"MikroTik needs to add some features like IPS, mail security, or antivirus, et cetera."
"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."
"Improvements are needed with respect to some of the security, especially for VPN links between vendors other than Cisco."
"Technical support could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is reasonably priced."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"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."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"The price is competitive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Educational Organization
9%
Hospitality Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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?
There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging. Additionally, improving the speed of th...
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?
Regarding improvements in the MikroTik Cloud Router Switch, I am not sure as it is a good product. The performance could potentially be improved, but for this market segment, it is a good product. ...
 

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: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.