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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch comparison

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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
18th
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 November 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.6%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.9%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.9%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.6%
Other95.5%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Sujith Pazhancheeri - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer at REYADA IT SOLUTIONS CO. LLC
Integrated firewall connectivity has simplified on-premises projects and supports reliable SMB switching
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 FortiSwitch - Data Center. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is on-premises, and the negative of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is that it is costly compared to other switches. In Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center, I did not see that many features compared to Cisco and Aruba.
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

"It integrates well."
"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."
"It is very stable."
"The product is stable."
"I like the solution's technical support. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten."
"This is a product that I would recommend."
"The initial setup was simple."
"The most valuable feature is the port analytics."
"It is easy to set up."
"The wiki page that describes the scripting and other features is very good."
"We value the solution's price, and it can do almost anything you need regarding routing, so it's a well-rounded solution for routing, especially for network routing."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"The performance has been good."
"Familiar RouterOS support, port isolation, flexible VLAN handling (tagging, untagging, rewriting, etc.)."
"The GUI is easy to use."
"The traffic monitoring capabilities are excellent."
 

Cons

"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center needs to improve its UI and stability."
"Before using FortiSwitch, you need several certifications."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"When there are many switches being used, the speed declines noticeably."
"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."
"This product is not recommended for enterprise-level projects."
"Antispam and antivirus features should be included in the future."
"The user interface could improve and they should allow a license for IBS."
"The bulk efficiencies and the control of traffic could be a bit better."
"Improvements are needed with respect to some of the security, especially for VPN links between vendors other than Cisco."
"Most of the time, the MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is stable. If I were to rate the stability on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best, I would give it a 5."
"MikroTik has a three to five year maximum lifespan."
"The packet filtering, user log data, and user access log could all be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"It is reasonably priced."
"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."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"The price is competitive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Outsourcing 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 is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
Currently, we are mostly working with Sophos and Fortinet. Before, we worked with XG, but now they have upgraded to the XGS series, and in Fortinet, we are working with FortiGate Firewall. In some ...
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...
What is your primary use case for MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
I mostly work with network equipment now, focusing mainly on routers. I work with FortiGates and MikroTik routers. When referring to FortiGate routers, I mean the firewalls, but not the enterprise-...
 

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: November 2026.
920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.