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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs MikroTik Routers and 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 - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Routers and Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Routers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.1%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 6.3%, up from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

SherifAbdelrahman - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient integration allows streamlined network management with a straightforward setup
I use it for retail business. We are using the FortiSwitch solution for our voice switches and access points as well It has helped us by providing easy management from a single platform through the firewall interface. It's very easy to manage and provides all the insights and vulnerabilities,…
AnikIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective protocol support and a straightforward setup with room for login enhancements
In the network operations center, I manage our client's bandwidth. We connect with our clients through BGP and OSPF based on client demands. We also manage routing protocols, policies, internal firewalls, and other details like QE bandwidth, client manage bandwidth management, PoE, PPPoE, and DNS…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This device is easy to use."
"It is very user-friendly. There is no need to use command lines to configure it or to do anything in it. You hardly use command lines, which makes it different from Cisco. In Cisco, the CLI is your best friend. Fortinet has the lowest TCO, so you can use its integrated components without having to buy additional licenses. They provide centralized management without needing to buy or acquire additional licenses. You have an integral or complete vision through a single pane of glass, and you can see everything from one single console without having to buy additional licenses, which is a plus. It works the same way when you add wireless. You can see everything from FortiGate. It has a security processor, which is another plus. It does not have a standard desktop processor. It has a multi-threat security processor, and it is built by Fortinet. So, all the components that you include in a Fortinet solution are proprietary and work in an integral way. It has one single solution, whereas other brands, such as Palo Alto and Check Point, have been acquiring certain solutions, and they're not fully integrated. With Fortinet, everything is integrated. If you start building on Fortinet, everything that you expand to the local LAN or WAN is integrated. You don't have to pay for professional services and other things to do that. Their technical information is also very good. Most of their information is based on how-to, and it can be found online, which is something my clients like."
"I like that everything flows back to FortiGate, which is the controller, management console, and firewall. There's one central point for the entire network, so the security, switching, wireless, etc., flows back to the FortiGate. The ease of management is what customers like. They don't need separate solutions like Cisco."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"It can integrate well with other Fortinet products."
"The software is very stable."
"What I really love in FortiSwitch: its usability, the graphical user interface, and the ability to be managed by FortiGate."
"The most valuable feature is the breakability after integration with the FortiGate firewall."
"The most valuable feature is its bandwidth management ability."
"The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high."
"The flexible IP firewall and IP network address translation make it very easy to give access to internal services."
"They are stable."
"This is a good solution."
"I think the tool's most valuable is its firewall. Cisco assisted them in developing it, making it easy to use. They expose a lot of background features, so you can go deep into integration, similar to Cisco switches. You can choose to use the command line interface or user interface."
"The most valuable feature is controlling the bandwidth."
"They have amazing speed and reliability, and they also provide value for money. They are pretty powerful."
 

Cons

"I'd like to see more integration with different platforms."
"The introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic directly on the switch."
"It is always nice when something is cheaper."
"The range of products could improve from Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
"We've had some issues with Layer 3 FortiSwitch. We can deploy the device in the cloud. However, we can't deploy this solution in complex environments easily."
"Renewing the annual licenses for Secure the Switch FortiSwitch can be cumbersome, especially considering the relatively high cost of Fortinet licenses."
"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"While Fortinet is good for school boards and mid-sized businesses, enterprise-class networks require a zero-trust solution. If you're building a zero-trust network with end-to-end security, that's where Fortinet falls behind Cisco, HPE, and Aruba."
"There is an area of improvement. The firewall features are self-contained, but features like email scanning and voice control should be improved. This is the best routing product."
"A central management platform would be great."
"If the client wants bigger capacity, there may be some issues. That is, there may be issues with scalability."
"The solution is a complicated device."
"They should improve technical support and make direct access available to the customers."
"The solution does suffer from freezing and corruption issues."
"The tool needs to add more tutorials and documentation for new functions."
"I would like to see some content filtering with MikroTik Routers and Switches."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"You can buy this equipment in a multitude of ways. You can buy just the hardware, or you can buy the hardware and the licenses."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"The tool's pricing is competitive."
"When we purchase MikroTik devices, a certain level of the license is included in the price."
"No fees are required for licensing."
"It's definitely worth the investment."
"When you buy a license, it is for life and you don't need to buy another one every year."
"There is a lifetime subscription already embedded when you buy the product."
"Pricing is not an issue."
"In our company, we are using MikroTik without a license...However, we are planning to buy their services and subscriptions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Hospitality Company
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
Currently, I don't have an opinion about the price as I focus on implementation and am not informed about pricing in comparison to other vendors.
How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...
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 MikroTik Routers and Switches?
The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.