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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.7%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is 6.4%, down from 7.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rias Majeed - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables easy management of traffic and enhances security
FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface. This integration makes network management streamlined and secure. Additionally, the controllers are built into the firewall, which enables easy management of traffic and enhances security. Unlike some solutions, a Fortinet firewall is not just a firewall; it also acts as a full-fledged router.
John Balogh - PeerSpot reviewer
Centrally managed solution makes it easy to build one configuration and apply it to new devices
We have one or two UniFi switches, but they don't really compete with the Ciscos. It's a nice environment as far as keeping track of things and being able to manage ports, turn off rogue users, and stuff like that. The access points have been pretty convenient compared to Meraki, Lucent, Cisco, or any of the other bigger vendors that I used to deal with for other consulting projects. Ubiquiti is one step above the consumer level. They cost a little bit more, but they just seem to be drop-dead reliable, and they're keeping up with the latest standards. Their latest versions of access points are all Wi-Fi 6, and they don't take very much power when there aren't a lot of users. It's really easy to build one configuration and just apply it to new devices. It's a check mark box: Do I want this to be the staff VLAN, or the public VLAN, or the Voice over IP VLAN, or the security VLAN, or the house wiring VLAN, or the building logistics VLAN? You just check things off and then you make groups, so if you click on it, it applies all the appropriate things automatically. It makes it very easy. This solution is good for the prosumer, small office, medium office, under 500 people range, but probably over 50 people and maybe distributed around five or 10 sites. That's a pretty good sweet spot as far as the price for the equipment and the configurability, and it's just drop-dead reliable. It's been boring, which is what I love because I don't get any calls in the middle of the night that something isn't working.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The most valuable feature is the port analytics."
"The initial setup was simple."
"We are able to monitor everything that is happening on our network."
"What I like about the solution is that it can be accessed anywhere."
"An affordable and stable solution for small-medium companies."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The tool's most valuable feature is port security, which allows blocking/disabling ports. The ports also have PoE capability."
"The most valuable feature for us is the VPN."
"The solution’s scalability is good."
"The customers who buy the access points use the standard Ubiquiti management systems because they're freeware tools. We usually get all the requests and materials from the customer, who knows exactly what he wants."
"The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward."
"The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is the graphic user interface for monitoring, where you can see the status of the device in real-time. I use those features across the campus. I use the APs as my beacons to tell me whether the area of the school of the network is down or not. Those will be the first to alert me that there is a problem with the network or a device. They provide me with more than only monitoring themselves, I use them in order to monitor all the devices."
"It offers very good control."
"The product’s most valuable features are stability and scalability."
 

Cons

"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"The stability of the solution is impacted when integrating parts from different vendors such as Cisco, which can lead to performance problems and disconnections."
"There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"Cisco is better in terms of price, scalability, and ease of management. Regarding resources, they are available in Pakistan to manage these systems."
"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’s pricing could be improved."
"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"One area for improvement would be having a web interface directly on the device itself. That's the one thing that makes them more difficult for less experienced technicians to configure."
"This brand is not very popular in China."
"I face issues sometimes when two switches or APs are installed next to each other, leading to speed problems."
"The stability and installation could be improved."
"The management of this product needs to be improved."
"Functionalities can change quite quickly without notice."
"I would like to see improvements in their PBX-related features. The current setup is closed and does not allow for integration with non-Ubiquiti VoIP devices or providers outside their ecosystem."
"I would like to see the pricing improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"The solution is not expensive."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"It is reasonably priced."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"The price should be improved."
"The price of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches is really good. We have deployed a few Ubiquiti UniFi Switches in New Zealand, and they are a value for money. They are cheaper and stable, but if you have the budget, I would recommend Meraki switches."
"Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are more expensive than other competitors."
"With Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, you get what you pay for."
"Ubiquiti is one of the cheapest WiFi network providers that provide a very good WiFi network, which is monitored and deployable. The price is very fair for the technology they're offering."
"The price of the solution is fair compared to others. However, it is expensive."
"The price could be improved."
"The solution's pricing in the marketplace would probably be about three out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Retailer
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

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...
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 do you like most about Ubiquiti UniFi Switches?
We have integrated the tool for PoE switches and non-PoE switches. Its most valuable feature is SD-WAN. UniFi SD-WAN can access all statistics and performance data in one interface, enabling us to...
 

Also Known As

No data available
UniFi Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Staypineapple
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.