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Cisco Nexus 9000 Series vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

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

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (6th)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
12th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is 1.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 3.3%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series1.1%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access3.3%
Other95.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

AS
Technical Marketing Engineer Hybrid Cloud Infrastructures at NetApp
Policy-driven data centers have delivered low-latency connectivity for critical applications
The most critical and important feature in Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is VPC. Apart from VPC, there are many other features in Cisco Nexus 9000 Series that stand out as advantages. You can apply access control lists on that. You can do Layer 3 capabilities. You can configure HSRP. You can implement VRFs. You can isolate the L3 network within your data center. It has a lot of features including network segmentation capabilities. You can apply a lot of security hardening and manage the access on the switches through auditing to see who is doing what and restrict access based on the network admin role. These are great features. The overlay technology support in Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is good for large-scale deployment where you are going to build something like a hyperscaler. You need more network segments, and with VXLAN, you can definitely build a large fabric with those Nexus switches.
HM
Cyber Security Manager at Greater Cairo Water Company (GCWC)
Zero Trust access has improved branch security and provides granular visibility for all devices
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has substantial automation because the configuration is managed from FortiGate dashboard. Automation increases performance and decreases installation time. I mentioned the unique specifications of the switch and the solution at the start. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access granular visibility features have helped me manage IoT devices. I can see every device in the network and the details about each device because FortiGate has an inventory of every device, making the integration between Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and FortiGate unique. The deep integration with Fortinet's Security Fabric is very important for threat intelligence in my organization. Reliability is key, and automation contributes significantly to network performance optimization in my organization. I have to use FortiLink for automatic UTM extension, as it is a unique proprietary protocol to manage Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access through FortiGate. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is a switch that is related to its Secure Access feature. I gave this review a rating of 9.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is easy to use, and the performance is exceptional."
"Performance has been great with no abnormal behaviors detected, and the network remains stable even in failover scenarios, supporting vast environments with high availability."
"According to the customers, they are not utilizing even 40% of the switches because the capacity is very large."
"The performance in data center operations with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is excellent; we have never faced any performance issues."
"RealPresence works effectively."
"For one of the biggest European customers, they deployed Cisco Nexus for their core networking and it has been running for a few years without having a single downtime."
"Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is quite a complex machine, but we are using a very simple configuration with basic Nexus switching, and we don't have many issues with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series at the moment in our present infrastructure."
"The stability and reliability of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series are robust, and once you put it on, it does not just fail; that takes a long time, maybe even years."
"Stability and scalability for this product are very good, setup is easy and deployment can be completed within minutes, and the technical support for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is good."
"The tool's VLAN feature is easy to understand. It was very good."
"The solution is very simple, and it's very easily available."
"You can hook all the other components to be monitored. You can create policies and block certain people from accessing the Internet."
"The technical support has been very good."
"It is a stable solution from the security front."
"I rate Fortinet support 10 out of 10. Their support is excellent and inexpensive. They respond immediately."
"The policies are very good."
 

Cons

"If I have a Juniper and want to uplink with Cisco, there could be some configuration challenges."
"The SFP modules we are using have had issues. We have Cisco modules, but they frequently heat up or there are packet error issues."
"I would rate the technical support for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series an eight out of ten. This rating is not because of their lack of expertise, but just the assignment period."
"In terms of automation with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series, it could be better."
"We find that Cisco has been left behind by the other vendors. The other vendors have adopted new technology, and we find Cisco lagging behind."
"For Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, I think we need to work on the HSRP. Whenever it flaps or something happens, it creates an issue."
"When trying to contact support, we had issues trying to get someone to help us."
"The potential for improvement lies in the licensing aspect, which is somewhat confusing. The perpetual and subscription licensing is a concern."
"FortiSwitch is not our primary choice in terms of a switch."
"Its cloud features could be better."
"The range of products could improve from Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
"The central management needs improvement. The initial setup could be easier."
"More integration would be helpful, especially since we sometimes have devices from other companies. Improved interoperability would be very beneficial."
"I believe enhancement in security is essential for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
"FortiSwitch offers eight and 24-port models. They don't have a 16-port model, which can be an issue for some clients."
"The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The product is costly for SMB customers compared to other brands available in the market."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"The price is good."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"We have an annual licensing cost. There are no additional costs."
"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
22%
Outsourcing Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series?
I have not configured the DNA, but I have configured Cisco Intersight, and from Intersight, I have managed monitoring of the servers and switches. I have not given a 10 because there is some depend...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series?
I am a system integrator and user myself. I have worked with Cisco Smart switches, Nexus switches, and Meraki MS switches. I have deployed these switches for Oil and Gas companies in India.
What advice do you have for others considering Cisco Nexus 9000 Series?
I have been dealing with Cisco series Smart switches and Nexus series, and I have worked with the Nexus switches. I have good support from the overlay technology support in Nexus 1900 for enhanced ...
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 needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
I believe enhancement in security is essential for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. Fortinet needs to perform extensive testing to improve its reliability. If they achieve that, I think it wil...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Nexus 9000 Series vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
917,403 professionals have used our research since 2012.