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Should I use Cisco Meraki?

Cloud-Managed Networking - meraki.cisco.com

Depends. Buy if you run multiple sites and want dead-simple cloud-managed networking, with budget for perpetual per-device licenses. Don't buy for a home or small office — the subscription lock-in costs more than the problem it solves.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~25 public sources. Many Reddit snippets were truncated, limiting verbatim quotes. Unrelated 'Meraki'-named products (espresso machine, lenders) in the results were excluded.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityInsufficient evidence
  • Security posture

Pricing

Reseller quote required

Enterprise subscription license (3-year)

ModelSubscription-only
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo

Best for

  • Multi-site businesses wanting one cloud dashboard
  • Lean IT teams without deep networking staff
  • MSPs managing many client networks
  • Branch offices needing SD-WAN plus security

Not for

  • Home users — massive overkill
  • Small startups that can't fund licenses forever
  • Anyone allergic to subscriptions — gear depends on them
  • Buyers wanting an easy exit — leaving means hardware swap

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Hardware needs active licenses; expiry stops the gear — cost is perpetual

medium

Per-device annual licenses multiply across sites; MSPs struggle pricing deals

medium

Second-hand devices may be unusable unless properly released by prior owner

medium

Migration away is a forklift — switchers replace the entire hardware stack

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Cloud dashboard consistently praised by users on G2
  • Devices managed entirely through one cloud dashboard
  • Broad portfolio: WiFi, switching, SD-WAN, cameras, MDM
  • Cisco actively patches reported vulnerabilities
  • Enterprise case studies include Decathlon and InterContinental

Cons

  • Recurring per-device subscription licenses required
  • Heavy lock-in — leaving means replacing all hardware
  • 23 tracked CVEs on the MX line alone
  • Opaque pricing; quotes routed through resellers
  • Reportedly end-runs its own partner channel

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/26/2026 - 9 sources - Actively maintained: 23 CVEs tracked for Meraki MX; recent VPN/AnyConnect DoS flaws patched by Cisco.

official x3review x3security x2news x1
  • AnyConnect VPN denial-of-service (CVE-2025-20212), DoS vulnerability in Meraki AnyConnect, tracked in public vulnerability databases.
  • MX/Z teleworker gateway VPN DoS (CVE-2024-20501), Multiple vulnerabilities in MX and Z series gateways; Cisco advisory, October 2024.
  • DoS flaws across Meraki and ECE products, SecurityWeek reported products exposed to DoS attacks; Cisco issued fixes, April 2025.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • Reseller quote required

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Recurring licenses dominate user complaints
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Cloud dashboard consistently praised as simple
  • Feature depth: 4/5. WiFi, switching, SD-WAN, cameras, MDM in one stack
  • Support quality. Insufficient evidence
  • Security posture: 3/5. Steady CVE stream, but Cisco patches promptly
  • 23 MX CVEs tracked OpenCVE vulnerability listings
  • Subscription-only License model Per-device licenses keep gear active
  • Cisco Ownership Cloud-managed IT platform

Pricing

Enterprise subscription license (3-year)

Reseller quote required

  • Cloud dashboard and enterprise support
  • Licensed per device, per term

Security

Actively maintained: 23 CVEs tracked for Meraki MX; recent VPN/AnyConnect DoS flaws patched by Cisco.

  • AnyConnect VPN denial-of-service (CVE-2025-20212)DoS vulnerability in Meraki AnyConnect, tracked in public vulnerability databases.
  • MX/Z teleworker gateway VPN DoS (CVE-2024-20501)Multiple vulnerabilities in MX and Z series gateways; Cisco advisory, October 2024.
  • DoS flaws across Meraki and ECE productsSecurityWeek reported products exposed to DoS attacks; Cisco issued fixes, April 2025.⁷

Alternatives

Compare Cisco Meraki with each alternative.

  • ManageEngine MDM

    Systems Manager alternative offering free migration support

Companies that use it

  • Decathlon⁹
  • InterContinental Hotel
  • Distinctive Resorts
  • International Fraternity
Full analysis

Based on ~25 public sources. Many Reddit snippets were truncated, limiting verbatim quotes. Unrelated 'Meraki'-named products (espresso machine, lenders) in the results were excluded.

Enterprise cloud networking done well — but license-locked hardware that's overkill and pricey for small teams and homes.

Methodology

Based on ~25 public sources. Many Reddit snippets were truncated, limiting verbatim quotes. Unrelated 'Meraki'-named products (espresso machine, lenders) in the results were excluded.

Sources

  1. Cisco Meraki Reviews - G2g2.com
    review
  2. What are your thoughts on Meraki as an environment? - r/sysadminreddit.com
    review
  3. Meraki pricing - r/mspreddit.com
    review
  4. Want to get away from Meraki licensing costs - Ars Technicaarstechnica.com
    news
  5. Meraki Licensing - Official Documentationdocumentation.meraki.com
    official
  6. Cisco Meraki MX product pagecisco.com
    official
  7. Vulnerabilities Expose Cisco Meraki and ECE Products to DoS Attacks - SecurityWeeksecurityweek.com
    security
  8. Meraki MX CVEs - OpenCVEapp.opencve.io
    security
  9. Decathlon and Cisco Meraki Case Studycisco.com
    official

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